i'm serious about this tubing bender! :)

[dsergison]

it well on it's way. I cut this 10" dia 1.5" disk out of this big lunch tray size piece of drop by spinning it unser a 1/2" roughing endmill. then I stood the rotary table up and made a boring bar out odf some spare 7/8 w1 drill rod. it holds a triangular carbide bit. it cuts a 1.25" tube o.d.

I have 20 lbs of swarf in a 12 gallon shop vac to prove it!

[dsergison]

part 2

part 2

[Dirt Rider]

THAT is cool! Looking good, thanks for keeping us updated.

BTW, what kind of mill are you using?

[dsergison]

thanks, it's a 9x49 enco bridgeport clone that I bought well used two years ago.

some other projects hosted on a freinds site, mostly paintball related:

http://www.spaceman613.net/machining/machining.htm

[Roger]

I wonder if it would be better to turn bending die on lathe. Then bore center hole that center of arc pivit tube could be welded in to accept mounting pin of bending machine.
Cut the rough die in half or quarters then finish machinning each die on mill. Weld center of arc pivit tube into section of drilled center hole.

More steps but you get the idea.

[Dirt Rider]

Hey great pics!!

Note to self...find used mill! What does one pay for a used mill?

How are you liking that ProWave?

[HardTymes]

Hey Great Pics
Like the view of the end mill but have a ? to why all the trouble of making it so heavy? Are you planning on bending tubing of sch 40,60,or even 80 tubing and pipe?? Just curious
I have two enco Lathes and bridgeport end mill and also have made a bender but not quite as elaborate as the one that you are making

[deere_x475guy]

Just wondering how are you going to harden these dies? I would think that if it's mild steel you are using they would soon wear.

Bob

[rangerod]

Heat Treat?

deere_x475guy

Belive it or not I was on a web site for a bender (don't remeber which one ) that used aluminum dies I have never hardness tested those type of dies before I don't know that they are hardened

[Dirt Rider]

Ya, I've seen the aluminum ones too. I think you would have to bend a LOT of tube to do any wear on that die. I think they recommend using a little lube too.

[Franz]

Well guys, as the owner of about 15 grand worth of Greenley and Enerpac benders, I can assure you the aluminum parts that come into contact with the pipe are NOT hardened or anodized.
As far as lubricating the dies, don't bother, you just use a 15 pound mallet to remove the bent pipe from the die.
Imperial Eastman tubing benders are annodized, but not on the bending surfaces.

[dsergison]

I'm just following the pictures for the jd2 and pro tools machines.
Their dies are that heavy, so mine are too btw, they boast that the die can bend 1.5" solid bar.

that's a 1.25" die
I would like to build a 1.75 and 2.5 die. but my plate is only 1.5 thick. it needs some meat on the sides to resist being flared out.
if I make a larger die it will probably need to be fabricated.

one pays around $1400 for such a used mill. but **** it can be had for around $4000 new. As always it's the tooling that kills you.

I think of all the options (non CNC) the rotary table is by far the most practical method for making the dies. it really wasn't hard, and it only required two set ups. I used a cordless drill to spin the handle all the thousands of revolutions.

and that t/a 185 kicks ***.

[morpheus]

Originally posted by dsergison
I'm just following the pictures for the jd2 and pro tools machines.
Their dies are that heavy, so mine are too btw, they boast that the die can bend 1.5" solid bar.

pro-tools and jd2 both recommend lubing the tube being bent otherwise galling of the tube will occur. alot of guys I know use white lithium spray grease, some use oil, etc ...

I know a guy who broke a JD2 die bending a piece of DOM .375 wall tube ... not sure I'd believe the 1.5" solid

- jack

[dsergison]

Morpheus,
could I get the radial distance between tangents for your jd2?

the pivot hole is 1" and they are .75 pins, so If you could just email me the smallest distance as measured with a caliper (and perhaps your holes actual diameters if they are significantly different from nominal) for the holes I can figure out the rest.

Thanks, Dan

[email protected]

[morpheus]

sure thing ... I only have a 1.75" die if that makes a difference.

I'm a computer nerd .... what's a radial distance and what's a tangent ?

- jack