In fact, making a pipe bender with your own hands is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Many people think that such a device is only suitable for those who often do plumbing work. However, various fittings and bends are most often used here - these are parts that initially had a certain angle of rotation. But it also happens that the specified parameter is not enough or it is inconvenient. In such cases, a do-it-yourself pipe bender helps.
Product varieties
Today, this equipment can be divided into several classes according to the following parameters:
- degree of equipment mobility;
- type of drive used;
- method of influence.
It is worth considering in more detail the methods of influencing the pipe in order to understand which one you need to make a pipe bender with your own hands.
Types of impact on material
The first method is called running. The essence of the method is that one end of the pipe will be clamped with a vice or any other device, and in order to give it the desired look, a suitablesample. In order to carry out the running-in operation around the template, pressure-type rollers are used.
The second way to influence the pipe is winding. In this case, the material will be pressed against the movable template or roller. On the same element, it will be stretched. To carry out the tension, it is necessary that the pipe passes between another rotating roller and a special stop. This stop is placed at the starting point of the pipe bend.
You can make a pipe bender with your own hands with a crossbow method of influencing the workpiece. In this case, the pipe is attached to two fixed-type rollers. The bending of the raw material will be carried out due to the action of the template, which is installed on the movable rod. The template will press on the middle of the pipe section that is used as a blank. This is how the desired bend is achieved.
Another method is called rolling or rolling. In this case, it is important to make do-it-yourself pipe bender drawings before proceeding with assembly, since further work is highly dependent on this process. A three-roll device is used here. The basis of such a device is one central and two auxiliary rollers. It is the central roller that will create the pressure, it will also be responsible for the bending angle of the workpiece. Here it is worth adding that this device is considered the most versatile, since here it is possible to adjust the angle of inclination independently, while in others it is determined by the template.
Production of machine tools according tomode of action
How to make a manual pipe bender? If you put the question this way, then you should immediately say that, for example, the winding principle is quite complicated, and therefore such a device is not manufactured independently. If we talk about the crossbow method, then there is also a drawback here. The pressure from the rod to the pipe, transmitted through a certain part, will cause a significant expansion of the pipe. In some cases, this even causes the workpiece to break. Not recommended for thin-walled pipes.
If we talk about rolling, rolling, then this method is practically devoid of all the disadvantages that are indicated above, and therefore the use of a three-roll device during the manufacture of bends in factories is quite common. You need to choose the type of construction for home-made devices, based on what bending radius of the steel pipe is needed in the end.
The simplest pipe bender design
How to make a manual pipe bender? You can even assemble the simplest model of a rolling type from wood. It should be added right away that in this design it is not necessary to provide for the presence of a pressure roller, in the event that it will be used to bend thin-walled pipes. Another important nuance is that the wood template that will be used during work must be thicker than the diameter of the pipe.
Working with a pipe bender
In order to create more convenience while working with this type of homemade round pipe bender,it is recommended to take care of profiling the template from the side of its end. This will help to avoid such trouble as the pipe jumping off during operation. To do this, you can connect two boards together, thereby creating a gutter. For the materials used, you must first cut one edge at a time. It is best to first create a drawing of a pipe bender with your own hands, so as not to make a mistake in assembling such small parts.
If this type of homemade device is to be used, then the work template must be fixed on a very secure basis. In addition, the stop must be fixed on the left side of the template. There is one nuance here, such an assembly will be convenient for right-handers, respectively, for left-handers you need to do the opposite. The workpiece to be bent must be passed between the template and the stop. During operation, it is very important to ensure that the pipe does not fly off.
Tube bender with roller
What to make a pipe bender from? Here you can use a variety of options for materials, it all depends on the goals. For example, if in the first case it was possible to get by with wood, then for the manufacture of a manual structure with a pressure roller, it is already recommended to use metal. Although, of course, no one forbids taking wood again as a basis.
In addition, the choice of material depends on which pipes you have to work with. If the workpieces are thin-walled, then it is best to use a pressure roller made of wood, as it will not cause deformation of the metal. To make this item, you canuse ready-made drawings, or you can make your own. Either plywood or thick boards can be used as feedstock.
Device design
The center roller must be securely attached to the base of the device. A holder with the ability to rotate must be located relative to its axis. On the reverse side of the central roller, a handle will be attached to the holder. This lever will be used to rotate the element, and therefore the length of the lever directly affects the force generated. Due to this, it is possible to work even with thick pipes. Another important fact. Regardless of what material the body is made of, wood or metal, the holder must be U-shaped and made of metal.
Homemade pipe bender from a jack
It's worth saying right away that the assembly has a rather high level of complexity, but the power capabilities of the final unit are quite impressive. In order to successfully create a frame, you will have to use electric welding. In addition, it is possible to make two devices in one - a hydraulic press and a pipe bender.
A jack can initially be almost anything, the main thing is that its carrying capacity isranging from 5 to 12 tons. It is also best if it is a separate tool so that there is no need to constantly disassemble the structure and put it in the car. This is justified by the fact that the hydraulic part must be securely fixed and its constant assembly / disassembly is a long and tedious process.
It is necessary to make such a part as a punch. To do this, you can use either a pre-bent piece of pipe or an old pulley. If you need to have multifunctional equipment at hand, then there can be several punches with different diameters in order to work with different pipe diameters. The workpiece itself must be supported by rollers that are mounted on axles along the edges of the frame. The jack will create pressure on the workpiece with the help of a punch. The main pressure will be on the center of the pipe, which will allow a smooth bend.
