tube bending
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 3,052
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
tube bending
is there a trick to this, or am i using a crappy bender?
i am trying to bend 3/8" fuel line but this bender i am using kinks the tube on bends greater than ~30deg. i think it is because the mandrel part is made of plastic, which defects and does not contain the tube.
any reccomendations on tube benders? what features should i look for?
thanks.
[Modified by Turbo-Jet, 5:46 PM 9/1/2001]
i am trying to bend 3/8" fuel line but this bender i am using kinks the tube on bends greater than ~30deg. i think it is because the mandrel part is made of plastic, which defects and does not contain the tube.
any reccomendations on tube benders? what features should i look for?
thanks.
[Modified by Turbo-Jet, 5:46 PM 9/1/2001]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 8,164
Likes: 0
From: ohio
Re: tube bending (Turbo-Jet)
could be you're just using a cheap bender. one trick i've heard of is filling the tube with sand to prevent kinking, but i've never done it myself. of course you have to make sure to get ALL of the sand out afterwards...
Racer
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 487
Likes: 1
From: Aloha, OR, USA
Re: tube bending (Turbo-Jet)
Make sure the tube fits just perfectly into the mandrel part of the bender. If it is too big (or too small even) you will likely kink it. I have bent 1/4" and 5/16" steel brake line with a decent bender and it worked great. The bender I used had a metal (aluminum) mandrel, though I dont' think it should matter if it is metal or plastic.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,404
Likes: 418
From: Chester Virginia
Re: tube bending (Turbo-Jet)
Are benders the correct type/size. The benders that I have are for a specific tubing OD. That is you use a 3/8 bender for 3/8" OD tubing. If you use 3/8 tubing in a 1/2" bender the tubing will knik.
Roger
Roger
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 18,126
Likes: 174
From: WI
Re: tube bending (Turbo-Jet)
turbo,
I just had to replace three fuel lines and one brake line on an`89 Buick ALL front to back!, try to start the bend early and move the tubing in the bender as you go,bending a little at a time. NOT as easy as it should be BUT take your time and you`ll get it. The big (3/8) stuff is of course more difficult than brake line. ...redvetracr
I just had to replace three fuel lines and one brake line on an`89 Buick ALL front to back!, try to start the bend early and move the tubing in the bender as you go,bending a little at a time. NOT as easy as it should be BUT take your time and you`ll get it. The big (3/8) stuff is of course more difficult than brake line. ...redvetracr
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 4,078
Likes: 27
From: Northeast South Dakota
Re: tube bending
http://www.basicmachinetoolsofarkans...ers/eaton.html
I used to be the Plant Manager at a factory where we bent tubing for agricultural and automotive industries. This is the bending machine I did all of my lines for my 81 on. Of course, with a price tag of up to $250,000 I don't think we can all afford one of these, not to mention 13 of them like we had, but it sure does make the job nice. :D In all reality, though, I don't like hand operated tubing benders with plastic dies because the dies tend to slip and compress. I have bent using a number of all steel hand benders and as long as the bender is the right size for the tube and the radius isn't too small it works fine. For 3/8" tubing I would use a bender made for 3/8" tubing with a radius of 1" or larger. 1.25" radius would be nice. That will get you into pretty tight place without much chance of kinking. Good Luck.
I used to be the Plant Manager at a factory where we bent tubing for agricultural and automotive industries. This is the bending machine I did all of my lines for my 81 on. Of course, with a price tag of up to $250,000 I don't think we can all afford one of these, not to mention 13 of them like we had, but it sure does make the job nice. :D In all reality, though, I don't like hand operated tubing benders with plastic dies because the dies tend to slip and compress. I have bent using a number of all steel hand benders and as long as the bender is the right size for the tube and the radius isn't too small it works fine. For 3/8" tubing I would use a bender made for 3/8" tubing with a radius of 1" or larger. 1.25" radius would be nice. That will get you into pretty tight place without much chance of kinking. Good Luck.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 5,635
Likes: 4
From: Orlando Floriduh
Re: tube bending (Dalannex)
Parker Hanafin (sp) makes a good hand bender for small tubing up to 1/2". There is a different bender for each size. There a a learning curve as to how to bend tubing but it is easy once you seee how it works. Kinking is not a problem, getting the bends in the right place IS what's hard to do. Get can a book with the bender that shows you how to bend accurately .
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 3,052
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
Re: tube bending (silvervetteman)
what a difference a good tool makes! the plastic-mandrel, lead-screw bender was a POS. i borrowed a steel lever-style bender and used a little grease on the mandrel and die. results: perfect bends, with good control of bend angle.
thanks!
[Modified by Turbo-Jet, 11:41 AM 9/5/2001]
thanks!
[Modified by Turbo-Jet, 11:41 AM 9/5/2001]
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