scratch built pipe bender

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im thinking about building a hydraulic pipe bender from scratch im needing some advice on how big of a hydraulic ram to get and how to make the main die i have also considered making that bender more like an ironworker and attaching differnt work stations like various shears and im also trying to make a hydraulic ring roller so maybe a combination pipe bender ring roller shearing ironworker? any advice would be welcome and if nothing else a good brand of roller and bender thanks for your time
Reply:It would help if you said what size pipe you were planning on bending. Bigger the pipe the bigger the cylinder.ChrisAuction Addict
Reply:What he said.
Reply:If by pipe you mean thin wall tubing and it's a one off kind of thing and, big and, you like to make things just to be making things, you can do it out of wood.  I've seen some examples made out of wood over the years created by some exceptionally crafty individuals that worked for one particular bend and material.  There are too many cheap alternatives out there to make one unless you just want to make one because you can, best motivation ever.life is good
Reply:I've bult many failed pipe benders before buying cheap ones and modifying them.  Even then I probably would still be better off buying one and the dies you need.  Don't try to design it around a hydraulic cylinder.  The cheapest one I built (for pipe only) is a cheap harbor frieght one modified to run with an air/hydraulic enerpac pump.
Reply:harbour freight has a cheap air over hyd cylinder all in oneHigh Octane Welding
Reply:I started with the harbor frieght pump, it lasted a year or so.  I use that setup for hundreds of bends so I invested in a better pump. Many folks down talk that bender, but if you look up my posts you will see what it is capable of, as long as you use PIPE.  I use it for flat, round and channel iron as well, but it will not do tube.  I have not tried pipe sized tube which was suggested to me.
Reply:I was thinking about using mine to bend some 2 inch heavy wall pipe and maybe some chrome moly steel tubing
Reply:I just use my knee and some elbow grease, every bend comes out perfect, every time...
Reply:Originally Posted by cweldorI was thinking about using mine to bend some 2 inch heavy wall pipe and maybe some chrome moly steel tubing
Reply:thanks guys this has been very helpful now my next question would the bender from www.gottrikes.com do heavy wall 2 inch pipe as chrome moly tubing if you modify the it im sure im not the only one who wants to know this has any one on this website devated form those plans so it would bend 2 inch pipe and chromoly
Reply:I think if you've got the money to buy chrome moly, you've probably got the money to buy a decent tubing bender.  But that's just me.  My HF pipe bender bends oil pipe nicely, it's made me money but I'm going to be scrapping the jack and the frame and making my own with a hydraulic cylinder to speed things up.  Northern tool sells the bender with a air/hydraulic setup, but I haven't been able to find this air/hydraulic jack that fits the pipe bender people have mentioned here through HF.  The one for cherry pickers is too big, I've got a 25 ton one that is too short.  I needed this pipe bender ASAP at the time, otherwise I would've ordered the one from Northern Tool.
Reply:My $.02, you are not going to get by with anything less than a JD2 model 3 type bender, preferably the model 4.  They're priced so reasonably, in all honesty, it's not even worth the aggravation to try to clone or build one, or their dies.
Reply:Originally Posted by AntiblingI think if you've got the money to buy chrome moly, you've probably got the money to buy a decent tubing bender.  But that's just me.  My HF pipe bender bends oil pipe nicely, it's made me money but I'm going to be scrapping the jack and the frame and making my own with a hydraulic cylinder to speed things up.  Northern tool sells the bender with a air/hydraulic setup, but I haven't been able to find this air/hydraulic jack that fits the pipe bender people have mentioned here through HF.  The one for cherry pickers is too big, I've got a 25 ton one that is too short.  I needed this pipe bender ASAP at the time, otherwise I would've ordered the one from Northern Tool.
Reply:The bender is the cheap part. Personally I run the JD2 model 3 for building chassis. You can go with the model 32 for a bigger center pin and larger capacity. The key is in the dies. Stress proof followers to keep from tearing  up the tube. And machined slightly narrow to prevent crushing on the inside radius. I have a 14" portapower 10 ton air over hydraulic but swag offroad has an adapter to run a harbor freight hydraulic unit instead. Dies from 150 to 350 depending on size. Don't halfass it you will regret it. Bends chromemoly without problems. Probably the oddest one I've bent was 1\4 wall 1 3/4 aluminum no problems. Spend the money you will come out money ahead in the long run
Reply:Got wood?  "Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:Looks like a lot of work to make this, not so sure it will last either after watching the 'movement' of the parts as it bends.
Reply:Yep. his spindles are the weak link for the size of tube he bends,  trailers spindle would be more suited for this .
Reply:Pipe vs. Tubing. Not sure everyone knows the difference. I have warned some youngsters that the HF pipe bender will not get the results they want with it. They never listen. They buy it to prove me wrong. Then they come over and ask to bend tubing at my place. I got the JD2 Model 4. The most expensive part seems to be the dies. Because I never have enough dies.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain