lowest cost for a tubing bender

[huffhinesce]

I have been searching for a low cost tubing bender or die's so that I could make my own and finally found something with real promise. The plan is to make my own roll cage for my Nova and various other projects. Just wondering if anyone has ordered one of these and if so are they worth it. The price is $345 and that includes the die. Once you go to the link just type in tube bender in the search bar and bam, dirt cheap tube benders. Here is the link.

http://www.tjdieselperformance.com/servlet/StoreFront

[beep4beep]

we have a bender like this one also speedway motors sell one like this. You will like it. Randy

[edog1]

I bought on of these http://www.pro-tools.com/105.htm

Not my build but I did the same thing

http://www.4x4blog.com/tube-bender-stand-and-air-over-hydraulic/

[flynbrian]

You can learn how to "Sand Bend".....You cap a pipe on both ends filled with dry clean sand, Using a torch to heat the pipe in the area of the bend then by hand bend the pipe over fixtures like barrels or stumps & tree's etc...
Using for fixture to get your shape...Then un-cap it and drain the sand out. Perfect non-kinked mandrel bends for cheap.

How do you think they did it in the old days?

I have been learning to do things the old-old fashioned way....Its really rewarding and you own more tools now than you'd ever believe!
I have a old round log that I use to shape metal patches like a anvil and it works great!

I also have this cast iron table that used to be a gang drill press, I use it for shaping and straightening metal also.

I learned by observing old geezers shops....look at some of the "Tools" they have laying around...Those old guys are Genius's Simple and cheap.

Do a search on "Sand Bending" I think there is even video's of it....

[Otto-813]

I bought the JD2 Model3 for 300 bucks from tricktools.com and just made my own cheeter bar and stand.

[John McIntire]

the tube bender from www.probender.com looks pretty good, it's a little more $, but looks fairly simple to use!

[BAILEIGH INC]

Just a quick google search will provide plenty of benders. I know the speedway bender has been pretty popular.

[Riderz Cycle]

Take a look at www.pro-tools.com (http://www.pro-tools.com) they have some nice products and good peoplr to work with

[Bryce]

speedway bender seams like the best deal out there. and cheap shipping. I am contemplating buying that bender and building my own roll cages. I would pay for itself at two 6pt cages

[BAILEIGH INC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe7xkG70zsc

Food for thought

[Finch]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe7xkG70zsc

Food for thought

Hey Shane didn't realize you were on this forum.....


I have one of these coming my way so will provide some feedback,

[BAILEIGH INC]

Hey Shane didn't realize you were on this forum.....


I have one of these coming my way so will provide some feedback,


Cool! Post up some pics of your projects made with your new bender!

Shane

[80proZ]

How about a price Shane?

[BAILEIGH INC]

How about a price Shane?


Hello,

Thank you for your interest in our RDB-50 tube bender. Here is your quote and a link to the machine specs. We are offering a 10% discount on the bender and all die sets for all orders before June 1st. Please read over the specs of the machine, watch the video and you will quickly see why this bender is better than any manual bender on the market. We have a ton of dies available for this bender. They are available in 90 and 180 degrees. Here are some common die prices. Call me if you have any questions.

RDB-050 $805.50
1" x 3" CLR $114.30
1 1/4" x 4" CLR $154.80
1 1/2" x 5" CLR $202.50
1 3/4" x 6" CLR $243
2" x 6" CLR $250.20
2 1/2" x 7" CLR 443.70

http://www.bii1.com/benders/manual-rotary-draw-bender-050.php (https://owa.mailseat.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.bii1.com/benders/manual-rotary-draw-bender-050.php)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe7xkG70zsc (https://owa.mailseat.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe7xkG70zsc)

http://www.bii1.com/images/rotarty-draw-benders/rdb-050-large.jpg (https://owa.mailseat.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.bii1.com/images/rotarty-draw-benders/rdb-050-large.jpg)

http://www.bii1.com/images/rotarty-draw-benders/DSCF1839-large.jpg (https://owa.mailseat.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.bii1.com/images/rotarty-draw-benders/DSCF1839-large.jpg)

http://www.bii1.com/images/rotarty-draw-benders/DSCF1836-large.jpg (https://owa.mailseat.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.bii1.com/images/rotarty-draw-benders/DSCF1836-large.jpg)

http://www.bii1.com/images/rotarty-draw-benders/DSCF1832-large.jpg (https://owa.mailseat.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.bii1.com/images/rotarty-draw-benders/DSCF1832-large.jpg)



If you have any questions, need technical assistance, or would like to place an order please reply to this message or give me a call.




Best regards,





Shane Henderson - Sales Executive

Baileigh Industrial, Inc
Phone: 920-482-3220
Fax: 920-684-3944
E-mail: [email protected] ([email protected])
Websites: www.bii1.com (https://owa.mailseat.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.bii1.com/) | www.bifab.us (https://owa.mailseat.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.bifab.us/)
Catalog: www.bii1.com/pdfindex.htm (https://owa.mailseat.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.bii1.com/pdfindex.htm)

[brrymnvette]

That RDB-50 is an awesome piece, but it's pricey. I'd love to have one. I want to build my own cage too.

[BAILEIGH INC]

That RDB-50 is an awesome piece, but it's pricey. I'd love to have one. I want to build my own cage too.

If you are looking for the cheapest bender on the market, this is not it. It is a high end piece of equipment.

The RDB-050 is for the guy who appreciates nice tools and has nice things. The guy who has a toolbox full of Snap On tools, rather than the guy who has a tool box full of Harbor Freight stuff.

We do have some pretty impressive options to purchase one though. You can pay it off in 12 payment interest free. 12 payment of around $100 and it's yours.

[brrymnvette]

Oh, I'm that guy. Ha. When people ask me what gift cards for tools I want I just tell them to give my dad the money so he can get me the tools from the shop. I'll prob get one of these when it comes time for my cage.

[rixtrix1]

Run a youtube search for Dopes Customs. Shows how to use a $50 Harbor Freight PIPE bender to bend a sand filled tube without heat, or kinking. Use several layers of duct tape to seal one end of tube, fill tube with water and the proceed to fill with wet sand. Sand displaces water as tube is filled. Tap on tube with air, or manual, hammer while filling to settle sand and eliminate air bubbles. When full, put several layers of duct tape over open end and put into pipe bender after grinding "die" to more closely match OD of tubing and go to it. Believe he said to allow about 3 degrees of overbend for springback. This will bend tube from the center of the bend, so this will have to be calculated first, unlike real tubing benders that start at the beginning of the bend. Very cheap, but seems to work.

[BAILEIGH INC]

Run a youtube search for Dopes Customs. Shows how to use a $50 Harbor Freight PIPE bender to bend a sand filled tube without heat, or kinking. Use several layers of duct tape to seal one end of tube, fill tube with water and the proceed to fill with wet sand. Sand displaces water as tube is filled. Tap on tube with air, or manual, hammer while filling to settle sand and eliminate air bubbles. When full, put several layers of duct tape over open end and put into pipe bender after grinding "die" to more closely match OD of tubing and go to it. Believe he said to allow about 3 degrees of overbend for springback. This will bend tube from the center of the bend, so this will have to be calculated first, unlike real tubing benders that start at the beginning of the bend. Very cheap, but seems to work.


The Harbor freight bender is for pipe, not tube. I would NOT want a cage made from schedule 40 pipe.

[Jim Nilsen]

If a guy was to want to do the sand filled route he could rent a hydraulic tubing bender for conduit and improvise a bit on the od size with tape or anything to wrap over the pipe that can be bent and still removed.

I almost built my own setup to do my cage and then realized that for as much as I would use it and the cost of the tubing it was just easier and cheaper to have Alston make me the tubes with extra length to be able to custom fit everything. In the end it really didn't cost me anymore than what I could buy the tubing for. the guys who build cages get their tubing in bulk and save enough to make thier profit and still give you a good deal.

It's hard to beat someone for price and quality of bent tubes when it is their business. I am very glad I backed out of the whole large tubing bending ideology.

[rixtrix1]

The Harbor freight bender is for pipe, not tube. I would NOT want a cage made from schedule 40 pipe.

All I did was direct to a site that showed an alternative way to inexpensively bend tubing without kinking, or using heat. It IS noted in my post that a die needs to be fitted closely to the TUBING size by grinding (or other means). Not everyone can, or wants to, spend the amount of money on the fine quality benders your company provides. Nothing was said about using schedule 40 PIPE for a 'cage.
Sorry if that came across in my post.

[rixtrix1]

That's what I did when I converted my rollbar in the Malibu into a full 14 Pt 'cage. For the guy who is not going to do lot of outside work, this is probably the cheapest way to go, but one has to WAIT for parts, haha. This is extremely hard for me, especially when I get the urge to do something. The funny thing is, I'll spend 8 hours building a tool or jig, for a job that may only take an hour or two once I get the tool done. Guess I just like building stuff. Here's an example: Axle Narrowing Jig. Cost like $15 for materials in the discard pile at the metal yard and lots of time on the drill press and brake lathe( yes, I used the brake lathe at work to turn the bearing adapters after drilling the centerholes on my drill press).
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/08/IMG_0024-1.jpg

[BAILEIGH INC]

All I did was direct to a site that showed an alternative way to inexpensively bend tubing without kinking, or using heat. It IS noted in my post that a die needs to be fitted closely to the TUBING size by grinding (or other means). Not everyone can, or wants to, spend the amount of money on the fine quality benders your company provides. Nothing was said about using schedule 40 PIPE for a 'cage.
Sorry if that came across in my post.

No worries.....your input is appreciated. Didn't mean to sound abrasive.

I agree with you, there are plenty of ways to bend tube for one off jobs without investing a ton of money in a machine. I have a genuine appreciation for the"home fabricator" like yourself that does things with home made tools. :cheers:

[rixtrix1]

That's what I did when I converted my rollbar in the Malibu into a full 14 Pt 'cage. For the guy who is not going to do lot of outside work, this is probably the cheapest way to go, but one has to WAIT for parts, haha. This is extremely hard for me, especially when I get the urge to do something. The funny thing is, I'll spend 8 hours building a tool or jig, for a job that may only take an hour or two once I get the tool done. Guess I just like building stuff. Here's an example: Axle Narrowing Jig. Cost like $15 for materials in the discard pile at the metal yard and lots of time on the drill press and brake lathe( yes, I used the brake lathe at work to turn the bearing adapters after drilling the centerholes on my drill press).
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/08/IMG_0024-1.jpg

Downloaded plans for a Pro-Tools HMP-200 tubing bender years ago and just got around to making my version mostly using materials I had in the garage, drill press, chopsaw, Lincoln SP-175 Plus MIG welder and the brake lathe at work. Trying to make my own die, too. Since I'm changing my Malibu from a drag car to a track vehicle, I need to change the cage to fit those rules, from 1-5/8"x .134 ERW to 1-3/4"x .120 DOM. I'm about 90% done turning the main die , 1.75" x 6" CLR. So far I'm into it for $108.

576935769457695

[rixtrix1]

5865958660
Here's the finished bender. Works great, even with a manual bottle jack. Will have to get an air/hydraulic one from HF while they're still on sale. Total cost: $184.

[Subybaja]

Hey Ric, I've been scouring the internets for DIY benders, and yours is really simple and elegant. Nice work! I like the exposed die on top...

I was hoping for some feedback now that it's been a while- how did it hold up to 1.75, and anything you'd change?

It looks like with a few more holes in the die, you could re-pin and do 180*?

Thanks,

Patrick

[TheJDMan]

I know this is an older thread but have you guys heard of The Fabricator on youtube. This guy makes some incredible roll cage structures with very simple tools and makes it look so easy. He also does a great job of explaining the process in his videos.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n_lf2RHIPs