Today, obsolete metal products are being replaced by similar ones made of plastic. In this regard, many beginners are wondering if it is possible to bend a polypropylene pipe?
According to experts, knowing the technology, you can cope with this task at home. Judging by the numerous reviews, unlike iron pipes, polypropylene pipes are much more convenient to mount. This explains the fact that many home craftsmen prefer plastic for installing heating and plumbing. How to bend a polypropylene pipe, people who repair professionally know. Those who have mastered these skills will not be able to resort to the services of professionals in the future. Information on how to bend a polypropylene pipe at home is contained in this article.
Why bend?
Before talking about how to bend a polypropylene pipe, you need to figure outwhy it needs to be done. According to experts, the need to bend is due to the fact that in apartments and houses, plumbing and heating wiring often do not go in one straight line. Therefore, the master often has to go around corners and bring pipes to the right place. For this purpose, polypropylene products are bent. Some craftsmen perform wiring using fittings or adapters. According to the rules for performing installation work, the second option is more preferable. However, judging by the numerous reviews, it is much more convenient for craftsmen to bend pipes.
Ways
For those who are interested in how to bend a polypropylene pipe with their own hands, professionals recommend using the following methods. Pipes are easy to bend with a hot air gun, internal spring and wire. You can also use a special molding machine. A detailed description of the process of working with polypropylene products - later in the article.
About the application of molding machine
Judging by the numerous reviews, the use of this unit provides the easiest and most reliable bending of the product. For those who have acquired this device, but do not know how to bend a polypropylene pipe, experts recommend doing the following:
- First, you need to make a special frame, the shape of which is planned to be given to a plastic product. It can be made from fiberboard. The finished frame is carefully processed with sandpaper. It is important that the shape is free of nicks and burrs. Otherwise on the pipedents and chips will appear.
- Place the polypropylene product in the frame and fasten securely.
- In the frame, the pipe is installed in the molding machine. Next, the material is heated.
- You need to wait for the plastic to soften enough. Then he settles on the frame, thus acquiring the desired shape.
- Wait 10 minutes for the product to cool down.
- Remove structure.
At the very end of the already bent pipe, it takes some time for it to cool completely.
How to bend a polypropylene pipe with a hair dryer?
If this construction tool is not at hand, a gas burner will become an alternative. Before bending a polypropylene pipe, you need to prepare some solid object with the angle necessary for bending.
It will be used as a template. It will be possible to prevent dents and chips if it has a perfectly flat surface. The bending process itself is carried out as follows:
- The pipe at the place of its bend must first be heated evenly. As experienced craftsmen recommend, when performing this procedure, you should not be especially zealous, since plastic is a highly flammable material. Warm up should be at some distance from the source of fire, observing safety rules.
- The polypropylene pipe is bent when it becomes sufficiently plastic. To do this, the product must be pressed against the template and bent at a certain angle.
- In such a bent positionthe pipe is held until its surface is completely cured.
After performing the above steps, the polypropylene product should be given some time to cool completely. Only then can you start installation work.
With a spring
Often, beginners are interested in how to bend a polypropylene pipe into a ring, using a spring for this purpose. According to experienced craftsmen, in order to successfully bend plastic at home, you need to acquire a special device. On counters there are springs with internal and external diameter. Judging by the reviews, some home craftsmen are much more comfortable working with external springs. To do this, just put it on the place of the bend. Next, the pipe is heated with a building hair dryer or a gas burner. Polypropylene after a while becomes softer and more pliable. Now it can be bent. When the pipe has completely cooled down, the spring can be removed from it by rotating it clockwise. Also, the method using an internal spring is considered quite effective. When choosing this device, experts recommend paying attention to its diameter, namely, the sections of the spring and the polypropylene pipe must match.
The product is bent gradually. So that at the end of work there are no difficulties with extracting the spring, it is desirable that the adjacent surface of the pipe be thoroughly lubricated with oil. For this purpose, a used machine is suitable.
How to bend wire?
This method is one of the varieties of deformation of polypropylene pipes using a filler, which in this case will be a wire. Before work, it should be cut into several separate pieces. Then they need to fill the inner space of the pipe so that there are no voids left in it. This is a cold bending method, for which the warm-up procedure is not provided. The workpiece is wound up behind a round solid surface. Hold on to both ends. Being a fairly soft material, polypropylene will bend without thermal stress. So that the surface at the bend point does not burst, the home craftsman should accurately calculate the angle. According to experts, the use of wire is limited: if the bend has a too small radius, the master will have difficulty extracting the filler.
With sand
Those who are going to use sand as an aggregate should acquire the following tools and materials:
- Carefully sifted with dry sand.
- Two plastic plugs.
- Blowtorch or hot air gun.
- Carpentry vise.
The bending procedure is performed in stages:
- First you need to fill the inside of the polypropylene pipe.
- Plug both ends with plastic plugs.
- Fix the workpiece in a vise at some distance from the source of fire.
- Mark the bend point on the workpiece. Further in this place the pipewill warm up.
Judging by the reviews, it is difficult for some beginners to determine the degree of sand calcination. Experts recommend using paper for this. It is enough to bring it to the pipe. If the paper is charred, then the sand is already hot enough and the pipe can be bent.
In closing
The procedure for bending polypropylene pipes is not difficult. The work should be carried out in stages, adhering to the recommendations of experts. To prevent injury, you must follow standard safety rules: bend pipes in a specially designated place and wear protective gloves.
