Often in the household there is a need to bend metal profile pipes. Not a single construction on the site can do without giving the profile the necessary shape, regardless of whether it is a greenhouse, a canopy or a pipeline of complex configuration. It is impossible to do such work accurately and evenly without the use of a special device.
Many people use industrial equipment for these purposes, but this is not a cheap solution. Therefore, craftsmen are trying to make a home-made pipe bender for a profile pipe with their own hands, which can fully meet the requirements of the owner. Such a device will avoid bending and deformation of the pipe, if necessary, give it a certain bending radius.
Features of profile pipe bending
Regardless of the profile of rolled metal, the essence of its bending is to give the material a certain shape. Full or partial bending of a profile pipe is carried out mainly in two ways: by exerting only pressure on the required sectionmaterial or by preheating the section of pipe to be bent.
When performing the bending process, the metal pipe is simultaneously affected by:
- compressive force that is directed to the inner surface of the material;
- stretching force acting from the outside of the bend section.
Under the action of these multidirectional forces, certain difficulties arise that are characteristic of a profile-type material:
- The outer wall of the metal pipe is subjected to tension. At some point, there is a danger that it may not withstand and break.
- On the inner side of the pipe, under the influence of the compressive force, folds resembling corrugations can occur, which significantly reduce the conductivity of the material.
- Possibility of losing the correct location axis. Separate parts of the pipe after bending may be in different planes of the product.
Therefore, when bending a profile pipe, it is necessary to take into account not only the mechanical characteristics of the material, but also the cross section, wall thickness and the required bending radius.
Pipe bending methods
Heating the bend with a gas burner increases the plasticity of the metal pipe. But regarding the heating of the pipe bending place, there are regulatory recommendations only for a circular section. But when determining the method of bending pipes of rectangular or square section, one has to rely on the experience and advice of experienced craftsmen. So:
- Profile pipes up to 10 mm high can be bent withoutpreheating of the bend.
- If the profile is more than 40 mm, the metal will need to be heated before bending the pipe.
Cold tube bending
You can bend profiled thin-walled pipes without preheating manually. To avoid unwanted deformation of the pipe, these operations are recommended to be carried out using sand filler, which is poured into the pipe and protects it from fracture. It is also possible to insert the spring into the pipe cavity, which increases the working efficiency.
But in practice, masters try to use home-made pipe benders for a profile pipe, which allow you to get almost any bending radius of the material without much physical effort.
Device Features
From the name "pipe bender" it follows that this device is designed to help a person bend pipe parts regardless of the material (steel, plastic, aluminum and others). The bending angle can be adjusted up to 180 degrees.
A homemade pipe bender for a profile pipe with your own hands can be made based on the drawings and diagrams of professional devices. However, every craftsman is able to make some changes to the design aimed at improving the quality of the operation.
The main criteria for bending a profile pipe are: the method of bending and the type of drive device.
Classification of units by drive type
One of the most importantThe criteria by which home-made pipe benders can be divided is the type of unit according to the type of drive device.
The following devices exist:
- Units of electromechanical type. They are considered the most convenient to work with. With their help, you can get the most accurate bending radius, while with minimal profile deformation. The electronic devices present in such pipe bender systems allow you to calculate the required pressing force with great accuracy.
- Hydraulic devices. They can be stationary and manual. They are used more often in industrial plants, since hydraulic homemade pipe benders for large diameter pipes are very difficult to maintain at home.
- Bending of profile pipes of small cross section is more often carried out with manual devices. It is these units that are easiest to do with your own hands. They use hand operated mechanisms to apply force to the pipe.
Bending Methods
According to the necessary impact on the product during work, hand-made pipe benders for a profile pipe can be classified according to the following methods:
- A winding method in which the pipe is pressed against the roller of the device, and then a thrust element is installed at the bend. When the roller rotates, the pipe is wound between it and the stop. The template itself and the workpiece to be bent must be movable.
- The easiest way to bend a profile pipe is by running in. template in thisdevice remains stationary. The workpiece is firmly clamped, and the pressure roller rotates to bend the pipe.
- The rolling or rolling method is more complex. It involves the use of a central roller and two support ones. The central roller is installed relative to the supporting elements in accordance with the expected bending radius and presses firmly on the profile pipe.
- With the crossbow method, the workpiece is pressed against two stationary rollers and bent using a template placed on the rod.
All these methods, except for rolling, can lead to a rupture of a thin-walled pipe, therefore, when performing work, special care and accurate calculation of bending parameters are required.
Making a simple fixture
The simplest homemade pipe bender is a template type device. It is a wooden structure, since the template for it is made of wooden boards, which are 2–3 cm thicker than the size of the bent workpiece.
Boards must be cut with a slight slope so that the profile does not slip when pressed. The size of the semicircle is selected in accordance with the bending radius. Prepared boards are attached to each other and to the base in any convenient way. At the same time, a stop element is installed on the edge of the template, on which the pipe will rest. The gap between them should be slightly larger than the profile size.
Of course, plus homemadepipe bender (pictured) is its simplicity and cheapness, however, if you need to bend the pipe at a different angle, you need to make another template.
The principle of operation of the device
After making a homemade manual pipe bender, you need:
- Insert one end of the profile pipe between the template and the stop.
- Take hold of the other end of the workpiece and gently bend it according to the pattern.
- To strengthen the workpiece, you can insert a strong rod or put on a pipe of a larger diameter. This will create additional leverage and make the bend more precise and precise.
To avoid breaking the pipe, do not start bending from the center of the template.
Another way to use a simple template is to use metal hooks instead of a wooden semicircle. A positive quality of such a device is the ability to rearrange the hooks, which will allow you to change the bending radius.
The simple template device is used mainly for working with aluminum or copper profiles. If necessary, you can use a hand winch to process a steel thick-walled billet of a homemade pipe bender.
Manual snail pipe bender
Bending technology in such a device involves the use of a circular bending method, which can eliminate the risk of cracks or creases in the profile pipe. The bending of the pipe occurs when a roller is rolled along it, which presses the workpiece against the main wheel.
Homemade manual profilesnail pipe bender consists of several parts:
- pressure roller;
- impeller;
- carrier fork;
- tool base.
Step-by-step production of the device
Having prepared all the necessary materials for work according to a pre-designed drawing, you can proceed directly to the assembly of the device.
In order to avoid some inaccuracies and mistakes, you need to make a homemade pipe bender with your own hands in stages:
- First of all, it is necessary to turn the roller and the impeller on the lathe. It is not worth saving on these details, you need to make a groove for a large section of the profile, as well as a bearing socket.
- In the same way, you need to prepare the shafts for these devices. The thickness of the rollers must match the diameter of the bearing used. You can make a device without a bearing, but in this case it will be more difficult to work with a homemade pipe bender.
- The next step will be the production of sheet metal of the back wall and side surfaces, as well as a lever for the mechanism.
- Then you need to drill holes for the roller and wheel, as well as weld all the parts of the fork, paying particular attention to the squareness of the structure. The lever of the device is best welded from a pipe.
- The final step will be to mount this structure on a massive base, it is first necessary to weld the axis of the stationary impeller. And the fork assembly is installed on this frame.
- For the profile retainer device, you need to weld a small squarepiece of metal.
Hydraulic profile bending machine
The process of making a homemade pipe bender for a hydraulic type profile pipe is quite laborious. To make such a device with your own hands, you will need:
- shoe;
- hydraulic jack;
- channel;
- metal plates;
- three videos.
First, you need to make a structure from a channel, equipped with a shoe and a roller. Then the frame of the device is made. The platform of the machine is reinforced with metal plates. After that, the jack is installed and fastened.
The rollers are placed in the channel at the same height and are bolted. A shoe is installed at the very bottom. All these elements are placed depending on the required bending radius.
Technology for pipe bending
The very process of working on such a machine cannot be called too complicated. You will need to perform only a few actions in a certain sequence:
- Insert the blank into the shoe and fasten it on both sides.
- Next, slowly turn the jack handle.
- The force from the hydraulic device is transmitted to the pressure roller, which bends the workpiece.
The bending operation can be interrupted at any time. To release the workpiece, turn the jack handle a few turns in the opposite direction.
Of course, name the pipe bender manufacturing processsimple cannot be. This will require a lot of technical knowledge and the ability to use welding. But still, a self-made device for bending a profile pipe will bring a lot of positive emotions to the master.
