BendTech?

[thirdstreettito]

Anybody use it? Is it easy to use? Accurate? Easy to convert to "life size"? Thanks, Bradley

[wellis77]

I was just looking at this 2 days ago. I'm curious as well.

[parsonsj]

I used BendTech to make a motor mount brace for Unfair. It worked perfectly, and way better than if I just sort of hacked away.

I also used BendTech to make the seat mounts for Unfair. Same thing: I was able to put the tube right where I wanted it to go.

jp

[wellis77]

Can you give more specifics John after you have the design in the software? Do you print a template, does it give you measurements and angles and such as directions? Just curious what the output is in order to apply that to the tube. Thanks.

[thirdstreettito]

^^^ Please!

[parsonsj]

It gives you measurements and angles. The seat mounts had 5 bends in two planes. It gave me the measurements relative to each other, and told me how much tube I needed. I use a mechanical bender, so I had to measure the bends and rotations manually as I did them.

Hope that helps.

[TheBandit]

I have been using Bend Tech Pro since it was in development years ago. Bend Tech is amazingly powerful and very simple to use software worth every penny. You design your tube assembly in 3D on a computer using pic points, which are just dots in space that you connect to represent tubing. You get to see the whole design take shape, zoom, rotate, and pan around. You can take measurements off the screen and go back and forth to the car to make sure things will fit. Then when you're done with the design, Bend Tech will print out instructions for bending each piece of tube, including the location, rotation and bend angle for each piece. You calibrate bend tech for your die set and tubing material by bending a 90, measuring before and after. Bend Tech takes care of all the other calculations. The printed bending instructions include pictures to help you understand which way to bend and rotate. It also has a simulator that will show a video of the tube going through the bender so you can see exactly how it's done. I've regularly taken the software out to the shop on my laptop so I can watch the video.

Here are some screenshots I've taken to give you a flavor:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Other features that are nice are these templates for making 2D parts

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

And you can also generate and print coping wrappers to show you how to notch tube

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

You can also edit individual pieces of tube

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

I can't recommend Bend Tech Pro enough. I have used it for years and LOVE it. No wasted tubing and my assemblies come out right every time.

Here is one place to order (http://www.tubebandit.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16136&cat=249&bestseller=Y). The software is $275.

[thirdstreettito]

Thanks man! Now when I buy my tube bender I'll buy BendTech.

[dontlifttoshift]

Wow that is awesome! I had no idea that it had those capabilities or was that involved.....and at $275 its pretty cheap, too.

[billyrb]

yeah, for what you get it's a killer deal. It's great for the pro's but also for beginners

[trmexrunner]

yea my tube bender came with the basic 2d only software, and im over it im going to upgrade to the pro. the 2d works good but im making to many parts that are on three axis's