HF Compact Bender Modifications

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Ok guysAnyone mod their HF compact benders to bend tubes???  I have a need to bend 1/2" aluminum tubing and in looking around the net it seems their may be a few ways to design the dies to accomplish the same end result.1. hossfield type:  Figure 14   http://www.hossfeldbender.com/toolin...nd-od-tube.php2. this guy sells some of a different design:   http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...%3DI%26otn%3D2Any thoughts?Sorry if this has been discussed before i looked back aways but did not see anything.
Reply:Click on Search > Advanced Search > type Bender > click on Harbor Freight and let it search for you.  There is a lot of stuff about HF benders, but I don't know if your question is answered.America Needs AMERICA'S Oil!!!"Global warming is the greatest scam in history ...There is no run away climate change. The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic. Our planet is not in peril."--John Coleman, Founder of The Weather Channel
Reply:I have several round dies that I have made from old winch line pulleys off winch trucks. One bends 1/2" tube perfect. I welded washers on the sides of the pulleys that fit the pin on the bender.
Reply:The best modification for the HF bender and other similar benders is to throw them out! I know I will get flack for that comment on a board like this, but they really are useless.BUT, you actually want to bend something this piece of crap can handle. If you have a lathe, you can machine a die easily from some solid round stock. I made some dies for various benders including my JD2 model 3 bender. A little time consuming, but definately worht the work if you have the time.Granthttp://jackalopefab.com/MM210Synchrowave 200DXMiller XMT350 w/60series feederMiller Bobcat 250 with SGA 100 and spoolgunHTP PlasmaFull Machine shop with everything
Reply:Haha...If I had the money to buy a lathe I wouldn`t own a HF bender....and I realize that with a lathe I can spin dies....I could spin all sorts of stuff if I had a lathe or a mill with a 4th axis but what I was getting at more was design of the dies. Since there are at least a couple of ways to do it on this machine I was curious what people have actually made and how it works. Anyone have pictures of tube bending dies they have made????
Reply:Here are a few pics of a die I made for my JD2 bender. The pic of the die in the lathe is just one die out of a set of 3 used in a roll bender I am S L O W L Y building. Attached Imageshttp://jackalopefab.com/MM210Synchrowave 200DXMiller XMT350 w/60series feederMiller Bobcat 250 with SGA 100 and spoolgunHTP PlasmaFull Machine shop with everything
Reply:That is a piece of work my friend. I like your radius tool as well. I`m still in the process of figuring out if I`ll be able to machine this mod myself on a friends lathe or pay someone to do it. I only need to bend half in right now so I`m thinking I will buy some carbide and attempt to hand grind my radius and try to do it like that. I`m not a machinist though so I don`t even know if that will work. Will be a fun project.
Reply:Hey, Jackalope, howzabout a little more detail on your radius cutter??Did you make your own, or is it store bought?Rex
Reply:Originally Posted by rode2rouenHey, Jackalope, howzabout a little more detail on your radius cutter??Did you make your own, or is it store bought?Rex
Reply:Such sick tooling!!!!  jackalope you are the man.
Reply:Thanks Bryan! Nothing too fancy, just some stuff I was able to make when business slowed down. Sometimes you gotta jump on those opportunities and make the best of 'em. If you can get a hunk of aluminum, you could chuck it up in a lathe and turn it rather quickly. You aould not be able to make a 1/2" form tool and make the cut that way though. You would have terrible chatter and ruin the tool and possible work. Rather, get a parting tool and make a series of "stepped" cuts and then go back and slowly work in the radius eyeing it with a radius gage. You can finish cut the profile with a rat tail file and then fine tune it with a fine round file.Granthttp://jackalopefab.com/MM210Synchrowave 200DXMiller XMT350 w/60series feederMiller Bobcat 250 with SGA 100 and spoolgunHTP PlasmaFull Machine shop with everything
Reply:Very cool tools, Grant!Thanx for the extra pics!Rex
Reply:Grant,That is exactly what I`m doing right now....trying to figure out how to make more tooling while I`m out of work. Thanks for the pointers on technique. Kinda thought my idea may have issues....now I can kinda "fake it" while I attempt to make it.   Keep those picture coming too ....can`t see enough homemade tooling.
Reply:The pics of the ball turning attachment show the metal a very dark color. I "blued" the metal after everything was made. Just used some Oxpho Blue.Granthttp://jackalopefab.com/MM210Synchrowave 200DXMiller XMT350 w/60series feederMiller Bobcat 250 with SGA 100 and spoolgunHTP PlasmaFull Machine shop with everything