Judging by the reviews, many owners of private houses and summer cottages have to work with profile pipes. The fact is that it is very convenient to assemble frames for building structures from them, namely greenhouses, various greenhouses, arbors and other objects. However, according to experts, pipe bending is possible with special expensive equipment. This explains why many home craftsmen are interested in how to bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender? This is mainly of interest to those who are going to make a greenhouse. You will learn how to properly bend a profile pipe for a greenhouse from this article.
Product Introduction
Before you wonder how to bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender,you have to figure out what it is. According to experts, a profile can be considered a product that has a rectangular, oval, hexagonal or square section. Unlike a pipe with a circular cross section, a profile pipe has increased strength due to the presence of edges that are used as stiffeners.
Thus, the profile is able to withstand significant bending loads. Such pipes are made of high and low alloy steel. Depending on which manufacturing method was used, profile pipes are electric-welded, cold-rolled or hot-rolled and seamless. Products can have different profile heights and wall thicknesses. Judging by the reviews, not only garden greenhouses are made from profile pipes, but also arched structures, stairs and railings. If you do not know how to bend a profile pipe, you can use one of the methods, more on which - below.
What is the complexity of the procedure?
How to bend a profile pipe for a greenhouse yourself? What should be done in order not to spoil the workpiece? Due to the fact that the product has a fairly high strength, it is possible to give it a curved-smooth configuration only under high pressure. Its indicator can be reduced if the selected area is subjected to heat. However, many beginners experience several complications in the course of work. For example, wrinkles can form on the inside of the profile. As a result, the product will resemble corrugation. If the bending was done correctly, thenthese folds will evenly shrink. Technically, the bending procedure is carried out in two ways: only pressure or pressure with additional heating can be applied to the product. Thus, in the selected area, the inner part of the profile is subjected to compression, and the outer part is stretched. How to bend a profile pipe for a greenhouse so that the workpiece remains intact? This interest is explained by the fact that often the metal during tension cannot withstand the force. Another complication is that as a result of a change in shape, the profile, namely its fragments, loses alignment. As a result, after bending, the parts of the pipe will be located in different planes. According to experts, this is possible if the bending method is chosen incorrectly.
What to consider?
If you do not know how to bend the profile pipe yourself, you should take into account some of the nuances. For example, you need to know about the plastic possibilities of the profile. To determine them, parameters such as wall thickness, size and shape of the section are used. Knowing these values, calculate the radius of a possible rounding. It is undesirable to bend the pipe with a smaller radius. To determine the minimum radius, use the height of the section. The height of the pipe is measured, and then twice the wall thickness of the profile is calculated from it.
According to experts, what kind of bend will be (full or partial) depends on the wall thickness. The thicker it is, the lowerthe probability that, during operation, the part will be crushed or a gap will form on its surface. This should be taken into account by those who are going to bend a 20x40 mm profile pipe with their own hands. Experienced craftsmen do not recommend trying this with wide metal products. In this case, it is better to use welding. In addition, you should know the value of the resistance. This recommendation is due to the fact that low-alloy and carbon alloys have a fairly high elasticity, and therefore, after bending, they can return to their original shape. As a result, you will have to re-fit using a pre-made template. According to experienced craftsmen, it is most convenient to work with profile pipes with the lowest value of plastic resistance.
About cold bending
This method is suitable if you are working with pipes with a small section, namely 10 x 10 mm, 10 x 20 mm. In addition, the wall thickness of the profile should not exceed 1.5 mm. To deform the product, the muscular strength of a home craftsman is needed, which controls the state of the metal using a special template. This device measures the position of the pipe in the horizontal and vertical planes.
About preheating
If it is problematic for you to bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender, you can heat the product with a stove, gas burner or blowtorch. The workpiece to be processed should turn red. Having heated up, the metal will become more ductile and more pliable, which is essentialwill make the process easier. Now the pipe can be bent, depending on the configuration you have chosen. You need to warm up the profile pipe exactly in the place where you are going to bend it. Those who decide to use a burner or a lamp should be aware that if the metal is repeatedly heated strongly with further cooling, it becomes brittle. In addition, heated metal has a tendency to return to its original shape. Therefore, you will have to keep the hot, curved profile pipe energized until it has completely cooled down.
With internal content
Those who are interested in how to bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender themselves can be recommended to fill its inner cavity with sand, machine oil or water. In this case, the metal product is not deformed, the fold will be strong and even. Judging by the numerous reviews, due to the availability of the necessary materials, this method is quite simple and very effective. To bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender with your own hands, you first need to make two wedges from wood, which will later plug the cavity of the metal product. First, a wedge is driven into one end of the profile. Then the inside of the pipe is filled with sand. It is advisable to pre-sift and dry it. So that it does not spill out of the pipe, you need to plug its second end with a wooden wedge. After the desired area is heated and bending is performed. At the end of the work, the wedges are removed, and the sand is poured out. For those who decide to bend a profile pipe for a greenhouse without a pipe bender using water,experts recommend freezing it. This method is suitable in the cold season. You just need to fill the workpiece with water, and then hold it outside for a while until it freezes. The ice will not let the product collapse from high pressure. In this case, wooden wedges will not work. The home craftsman will have to weld both ends of the profile.
About sector cutting
For those who do not know how to bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender, we can recommend using an angle grinder (grinder) equipped with a cutting disc. The essence of the procedure is to make several transverse triangular cuts (cuts) in a metal product. Having cut out fragments from the profile, they are removed. After completing these steps, you can bend the profile pipe both at 90 degrees and at any other angle without any effort. Later, you will weld the edges of the cuts using thin electrodes. The number of slots depends on the bend radius. The larger it is, the fewer slots will be needed. Mostly you can limit yourself to only three. Judging by the numerous reviews, this procedure is rather laborious, but the result is good: curvature and deformation are not observed with this method of bending. At the very end, the area where they worked by welding is carefully polished, so that the product looks quite aesthetically pleasing. Although there are no surface wrinkles and no reduction in strength at the fold point, sector cuts do not provide perfect roundness. The fact is that the place of the foldrepresented by several straight sections that are located at an angle to each other.
Using a spring
Often, beginners are interested in how to properly bend a profile pipe so that it does not deform or burst. For this purpose, experts advise using a thin and long steel spring. It can be made from steel wire with a 2 mm cross section. In order for the product to move freely inside the pipe, it is necessary to bend the wire according to the shape of the profile so that each segment of the spring is smaller than the corresponding side. After the spring is ready, it is inserted into the profile, and a wire is tied to one end of it. This measure is necessary so that at the end of the work you do not have difficulty removing the spring from the profile. Next, the selected section of the pipe is heated and begin to bend. At the end of the work, experts do not recommend using water to cool the profile. Otherwise, cracks may appear on the surface of the product from sudden temperature changes. It is possible that in the future such a profile will burst. Judging by the numerous reviews, it is best to cool the profile pipe with used engine oil. For those who are interested in how to bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender, the following alternative methods can be recommended.
Forging
To carry out the bending, the foreman methodically strikes the selected section of the profile with strong blows with a hammer. You will have to work on an anvil with a rounded top. To prevent the workpiece from slipping, it is securely fixed with clamps. Afterperforming preparatory work proceed to bending. When working with a heavy hammer, you need to be as careful as possible. The fact is that from excessive force, the product can flatten. Judging by the numerous reviews, it is best to manage with a segment whose length does not exceed 1 meter.
According to the pattern
In this case, they work on a concrete, asph alt or tiled site. Before bending a profile pipe without a pipe bender, the base must first be equipped with an arc contour. This is done using reinforcing pins or thin steel pipes, which are driven into the platform with a sledgehammer. Next, the workpiece is fixed by welding to the first pin. Then they begin to gradually bend it, welding it to the next pins or pipes. After the elasticity of the profile pipe has become minimal, it can be removed from the base. The welded workpiece is dismantled using a grinder. It is enough to simply cut the product. The disadvantage of this method is the low bending accuracy. In addition, the master will have to make a lot of physical effort.
About rental under oppression
In order to form the pressure necessary for bending the profile pipe, in this case you will have to use a vehicle. It is important that its wheels are side-steered and without fenders. First of all, a groove is made in the concrete base from steel, in which the workpiece will be located. The essence of this method lies in the methodical rolling of the wheels along the profile pipe.
Using a mandrel
This method is suitable for profile products withwall height not more than 25 mm. You will have to work with the help of a special mandrel. They place it on a workbench. The main thing is that its surface is enough for such a device. The material for the mandrel will be a thick sheet of MDF or plywood. Once the desired shape is cut, you will have to think about how you will install it on the workbench. Experienced craftsmen make several holes on the edge of the table, through which the profile pipe will be attached to the surface with one end. Therefore, the same holes must be made at the end of the workpiece. The mandrel is fixed to the workbench with two clamps. Having completed the preparatory work, they begin to bend the pipe. Experts recommend doing this smoothly and without jerks, gradually increasing the pressure. It is better to work with several blanks on a metal mandrel made from a corner.
What do experts advise?
If the pipe has a profile height of less than 10 mm, it is not necessary to fill it with sand, water or a spring. Fillers are necessary in cases where products with a profile above 1 cm are bent. If you do not know whether to use cold bending or hot bending, then you need to test the metal product. According to experts, in the presence of a pipe bender, a cold one is also suitable. If this device was not at hand, experienced craftsmen do the following. First of all, one end of the workpiece is tightly clamped in a vice, and a pipe with a larger internal section is put on the second. Next, bending is attempted to be carried out manually. If the pipe begins to bend from physical impact, then you candispense with preheating. If you have any difficulties at this stage, then most likely you will have to heat the selected area on the workpiece. If this recommendation is neglected, then the profile pipe may flatten out.
Those who decide to use sand as a filler should first carefully sift it. First, a sieve is used for this purpose, the cells of which have a diameter of not more than 2.5 mm. This procedure is necessary so that gravel and small pebbles do not remain in the sand. After the sand is passed through 0.7 mm cells. If you leave everything as it is, then due to the presence of dust inclusions during heating, the sand will sinter. Judging by the reviews, it is almost impossible to manually bend profile pipes with a large diameter. In order not to waste your energy and not spoil the workpiece, it is best for you to purchase a special device, which is also called a pipe bender. This tool has a drive wheel that moves along the face, bending the profile in the desired direction. The pipe bender can be manual (the wheel is driven by a special handle) and electric.
In the latter case, products, judging by the reviews, are much smoother. In addition, it saves time. It is not necessary to buy a fixture if you do not plan to bend pipes professionally. It is best to rent a tool. If you have absolutely little experience, then it is better not to take risks, but to use the services of specialists.
