HF Tubing Roller and Notcher ???

[Imbo]

Hello boys.

I was checking out some tools i may need for a chopper build i was planing on doing and i need a tool to bend tubing and notch tubing. anyone know how well these work?

 

[r97]

well unless you are bending tubing to a large radius, a tubing roller is not what you want. you will want a pipe bender to bend round tubing, or pipe. as for the tubing notcher, you can get one, but you can also notch tubing other ways, the cheapest option would probably be to download a tube nothing template, i forget the link for the website, but i can find it if you want.

 

[newrider3]

Time and practice can also give some pretty good tube notching results with nothing more than your angle grinder and eyeball measurements.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

as for the tubing notcher, you can get one, but you can also notch tubing other ways, the cheapest option would probably be to download a tube nothing template, i forget the link for the website, but i can find it if you want.

We have one, right here at home:
http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=9708

 

[Imbo]

aighty. well the notching i got basically.

but the hf bender i thought was a kinker. i plan on using DOM tubing for the chopper with .083" wall thickness so i thought it would crush it. i know tubing rollers make large radius bend but i thought maybe if you send it back and forth at small increments while increasing the tension it would be smaller radius? i dnt have funds for a tubing bender at all so thts outta the question. i have about$100 ide spend but with HF maybe up to $200. any places you guys can suggest?

 

[devino246]

aighty. well the notching i got basically.

but the hf bender i thought was a kinker. i plan on using DOM tubing for the chopper with .083" wall thickness so i thought it would crush it. i know tubing rollers make large radius bend but i thought maybe if you send it back and forth at small increments while increasing the tension it would be smaller radius? i dnt have funds for a tubing bender at all so thts outta the question. i have about$100 ide spend but with HF maybe up to $200. any places you guys can suggest?

Your right, a PIPE bender wont bend TUBE. To properly bend tube, you need a mandrel bender which are pretty expensive. Why DOM? Welded seam works just fine.

 

[Imbo]

Well i bought the HardcoreMiniChopper.com plans and they ask for DOM. i dont think it matters but thats just recomended.

 

[saebajacaptain]

What diameter tubing? thats one of the biggest questions, theres a decent bender on ebay right now for around 300 plus dies, but yeah, you dont wanna go with a hf bender if youre gonna be making a decent looking chopper chassis.

 

[r97]

have you priced out DOM tubing? much more expensive than pipe. i don't see why you cant use some pipe and the HF bender, if you want you can fill the pipe with sand to prevent kinks.

as for the roller, i don't think it can bend that tight of a radius,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO1FOxscqqM


another option would be making a tubing bender, or buying a cheap used one on ebay


lastly, if you can spend 200 at hf, can't you spend at-least 160 anywhere else, or do you have a ton of 60 dollar coupons?

 

[Imbo]

o i have 90$ in gift card there and the 20% coupons....and i should be using 1" tubing all around....except handle bars but i wont be bending those.

and i see that the roller makes large bends but thats cause hes rolling the tube through the whole thing. what if you just go back and forth in like 4"increments?

and im not rck solid on using DOM its just recommended. I thought pipe was much heavier and they have different sizes then tubing?

I plan on going all out on this chopper and am willing to spend alot more than my usual budget of $500 cause my dad is willing to supply me. but i do not plan on spending the money fora tubing bender for the minimal amounts of bending that i do.

 

[r97]

well i'm not sure how tight a bend you can get, i wouldn't think it would be very tight, but i suppose you could try.

pipe usually has a heavier wall than DOM, so that adds weight, not sure if the steel itself is heavier though, and yes, pipe dimensions differ from DOM dimensions,
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ansi-steel-pipes-d_305.html
if you want a thinner wall you might be able to find some schedule 10 pipe. heres the differences in wall thickness between 10 and 40.
http://academic.evergreen.edu/projects/biophysics/technotes/fabric/pipe.htm
you can use DOM tubing if you want, it will make your life a bit easier, but its just a bit expensive. just checked, thats from www.metaldepot.com
a 2ft piece of 1" OD .120 wall DOM tube is $13.52.
a 2ft piece of 1.05" OD .113 wall steel pipe is $3.72.

like i said your options for bending tubing are:
HF tubing roller, might possibly work, but i wouldn't put money on it.
buying a used tubing bender off ebay.
building a tubing roller using a set of plans.(can give you links)
using steel pipe and an HF pipe bender.
going to a shop and either having them bend the tube, or convince them to let you use there machine.

 

[Imbo]

can u give me the links you mentioned. that sounds like a possibility. Im thinking now of using pipe for the frame....except the head tube(or neck tube) im prob gunna use DOM because that i know needs to be a certain size. I have plenty of time to get this ready so all suggestions help

 

[r97]

http://minichopperplans.com/benderfinal.html

http://skidaddysprojectscom.com/TubingBender.html

http://www.pro-tools.com/

 

[devino246]

You do realize theres something other than DOM and pipe, right? Welded seam tube is about a third of the price of DOM, but sized the exact same. Pipe is sized by ID, tube is by OD. Id go with welded seam tube, and maybe bump up the thickness a few hundredths of an inch.

 

[r97]

i had thought about such a product a while ago, but never found it locally. do you know where to get some?

 

[devino246]

i had thought about such a product a while ago, but never found it locally. do you know where to get some?

welded seam tube? Any decent supplier should have it.

EDIT: Heres a poll on tube prices from a few months ago: Local Steel Tube Prices

You should expect to pay anywhere from $0.50 to $1.50 per foot.

 

[r97]

imbo, have you looked into renting a pipe bender?

as for the welded seam round tube, i guess i will need to find another supplier.


EDIT: maybe they refer to welded seam tube as pipe.

but they do have this stuff! lol
http://www.midcitysteel.com/hardox.html

 

[newrider3]

You can get 3/4" black pipe from Lowe's for a little over $10 for 10 feet.
It is a little bit bigger than 1" tubing, but it's a small enough difference that they are comparable in size.
It has pretty much the same structural properties as round tube, plus you can bend it with the HF hydraulic pipe bender.

 

[Imbo]

that actually sounds like a good idea. i think i might end up doing that. it does have the extra weight but that doesnt matter much anymo cause i do like to go cheaper. thanks guys. real good help on these forums

 

[The Mechtician]

You can get 3/4" black pipe from Lowe's for a little over $10 for 10 feet.
It is a little bit bigger than 1" tubing, but it's a small enough difference that they are comparable in size.
It has pretty much the same structural properties as round tube, plus you can bend it with the HF hydraulic pipe bender.

x2 3/4" gas pipe is great for building things with! I've found that the cheap pipe/tube notchers from places like Harbor Freight end up cutting significantly offset. You'll probably need to shim either the tube clamp or mandrel guide to square it up. For mitering angles or offset notches that you can't do with your tubing notcher, an angle grinder and half-round file the same width as your tubing will work just as good (if not better) than the notching rig. Since you're planning on building a chopper Imbo, will you be using a frame jig?