Pipe bending

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courts94s

courts94s

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I got the Harbor Freight pipe bender. I didn't like the super tall factory seat that came on the go kart, so I'm making one with a lower back. Not bad for never bending metal before.



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courts94s

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Kentucky Boy said:
So the HF bender works pretty good? How much was it? Does it need to be mounted to some kind of base? Your seat frame looks good.
Click to expand...



I believe it's $110, if I remember correctly. It's the 12 ton. The 16 ton is more expensive. But this one is fine. You don't need to mount it. It worked better for me unmounted, so I could move it around. I did a couple bends with it laying flat on its back, on the ground. And as you can see, a couple bends from my tailgate.


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---------- Post added at 09:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 AM ----------

The goal is to eventually make my own frame entirely. I made a little rectangular one, but I want to make one like my larger Manco's. This seat gives me confidence, that I can do it.


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courts94s

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Mounted and welded in place on the seat adjuster rails. I was only about 1/4 inch off from being square, on one side. Not to bad at all!!



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How did you get that bender to work? Is it pipe you used or tubing? I bought one hoping to cheaply bend tubing but it always kinked the crap out of the tube and even trying some modifcations others had done it still never worked.
 
anickode

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vonmoldy said:
How did you get that bender to work? Is it pipe you used or tubing? I bought one hoping to cheaply bend tubing but it always kinked the crap out of the tube and even trying some modifcations others had done it still never worked.
Click to expand...

It's a pipe bender, not a tube bender. It's meant for heavy wall (SCH40 and sch80 pipe). The dies are sized to fit the OD of pipe. The 3/4" die should be 1.05", etc.

Tape one end of your tube shut. Fill it with sand from the other end. Stand it up and donk it on the ground. Top it off, and tape it shut. Them bend it. Poor man's mandrel bending. Tube will stay round.
 
courts94s

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vonmoldy said:
How did you get that bender to work? Is it pipe you used or tubing? I bought one hoping to cheaply bend tubing but it always kinked the crap out of the tube and even trying some modifcations others had done it still never worked.
Click to expand...



It's 1/2 pipe, so a little thicker than tubing. But, it will kink too.




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vonmoldy

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anickode said:
It's a pipe bender, not a tube bender. It's meant for heavy wall (SCH40 and sch80 pipe). The dies are sized to fit the OD of pipe. The 3/4" die should be 1.05", etc.

Tape one end of your tube shut. Fill it with sand from the other end. Stand it up and donk it on the ground. Top it off, and tape it shut. Them bend it. Poor man's mandrel bending. Tube will stay round.
Click to expand...

I am aware its a pipe bender. But quite a few have made modifications to bend tube with them. I have a JD2 model 32 tubing bender but it still makes me wonder why others have had success with the HF bender as it seemed really straight forward, but like I said I could not get it to work.

---------- Post added at 08:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:19 PM ----------
courts94s said:
It's 1/2 pipe, so a little thicker than tubing. But, it will kink too.




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Click to expand...

Well I guess thats the difference I was trying to bend fairly thin wall 1 1/4" tubing. Pretty cool you could get nice bends like that. I never could get mine to work even with packing with sand I might try to make a tubing roller out of mine.
 
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