bending curve

[MotoXcycle]

I can supply you with the curved pipe you need at a reasonable cost. This saves you the headache of bending the tubing so you can concentrate on making the pipes.

Fausto
http://www.motoxcycle.com
450-201-0787

[lsw11]

Originally Posted by MotoXcycle

I can supply you with the curved pipe you need at a reasonable cost. This saves you the headache of bending the tubing so you can concentrate on making the pipes.

Fausto
http://www.motoxcycle.com
450-201-0787

sent you a pm.
thanks, Luke

[lsw11]

can anyone here bend the type of curve i'm looking for or know of a place that can do it? i tried all the local places but no one has the equipment to do it.
Luke

[moejoe03]

So, what was the outcome here? I was screwing around last night and was able to make a very gentle bend by hand in a 3" thin walled tube by packing it with sand. There was a very slight flattening of the tubing, but it was acceptable for me. Is there a better way? I'm trying to do the same thing, make a very gentle curve for an exhaust.

[18Bravo]

Originally Posted by moejoe03

So, what was the outcome here? I was screwing around last night and was able to make a very gentle bend by hand in a 3" thin walled tube by packing it with sand. There was a very slight flattening of the tubing, but it was acceptable for me. Is there a better way? I'm trying to do the same thing, make a very gentle curve for an exhaust.

Small relief cuts on the outer radius perhaps? You could reweld them afterward.

[Markee]

I have dies to roll 2", let me know if you need some help. In VA.

[moejoe03]

Could I do it with a roll bender?

[moejoe03]

Anyone got that Harbor Freight Roll bender? Says it can do up to 2" tubing, think I could stuff 2.25" or even 2.5" in there?

[Markee]

Originally Posted by moejoe03

Anyone got that Harbor Freight Roll bender? Says it can do up to 2" tubing, think I could stuff 2.25" or even 2.5" in there?

The HF bender is not bad, but like most cheap tools they need mods to work properly, like the HF bender needs the non drive rolls extended.

But no, you can not do 2.25 or 2.5.

[JC]

I have some large radius 2" Diameter .065 wall tube at my shop.
(thanks AIH )
look at Luis' el segundo to see if its what your looking for.

[mle]

Originally Posted by moejoe03

Anyone got that Harbor Freight Roll bender? Says it can do up to 2" tubing, think I could stuff 2.25" or even 2.5" in there?

HF might be OK for a kick or offset bend but the 90 degree radius is going to be way too long for exhaust.

[anvilcustoms]

Originally Posted by gearsmithy

just a note: if you pack it with sand be sure to bake the sand first to eliminate moisture, you wouldn't want that pipe expanding on you while you heat it.

YES......at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

[MechWerks]

Tube rolls (angle roller) are limited to certain radii. That means given sizes of material will be limited to a fairly given radius. One size tube might be good to a 36" radius and another out to 48" radius (double to get the full circle size). Trying to run tighter usually ends up in a limit where the rollers can no longer move the tube.
A die set has to have the same goove size as the tube being rolled. That means a 2" tube needs a 2" die set. The groove supports the tube shape and using the wrong size dies will result in damaged tube or mis-shaping of the tube.
The HF machine is a pretty aweful machine. It might roll some small stuff, but the larger dies will be truely frustrating and the machine will quickly break down under the stress.
I have built my own versions of the Shop Outfitters roller and the Pro-Tools tube roll. One is nice for bar and small tube sizes and has a bottle jack for applying pressure. The other (about a 75# machine) uses a big acme screw for pressure...1-1/4" x .125 wall tube is a work out to roll in increments (the curve is not done in one shot).
As in so many metal forming operations, tube bending is a shrinking/stretching operation. Stretching the OD of the bend while shrinking the ID of the bend. The sides want to pull in from the OD shrinking. Good wall support is essential to a keeping a decent tube shape. Unless a mandrel is inside the tube supporting the bend, the tube will always deform somewhat and there is a trade off point in going too far.