Would this tubing bender here give similar results to mandrel bending?

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http://www.xtremecrawlers.com/catalo...der-p-216.htmlFor bending intercooler aluminum tubing and stainless steel tubing?  Thank you for any information.
Reply:Never mind, it's the same one as the pro-tools one in the previous pipe bender thread.  Still, would it give results similar/as good as mandrel bent tubing?  Thanks and sorry for the repeated link!
Reply:It should give you very good results. When you get the dies for it, you will see the min. thickness for ea. radius. Smaller radius CLR require thicker tubing wall. I use a JD Squared, and it works very well.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Crap, I just noticed the biggest size is 2" (I'm looking at 2.5" for intercooler and 3" for testpipe and downpipe).... and I also noticed the price of the dies!!!  I guess for a one-time project, I might as well buy some already bent pieces.
Reply:You could make your own tubing bender pretty easy if you could get the dies.
Reply:Originally Posted by x1riderCrap, I just noticed the biggest size is 2" (I'm looking at 2.5" for intercooler and 3" for testpipe and downpipe).... and I also noticed the price of the dies!!!  I guess for a one-time project, I might as well buy some already bent pieces.
Reply:Originally Posted by 65535You could make your own tubing bender pretty easy if you could get the dies.
Reply:Originally Posted by RojodiabloHEHEHE... Yeah, a lot of my friends say "I'll just buy a bender, and make my own rollcages and bumpers. Until they find out I have over $2000 in dies alone! Then, they just come over and bend stuff at my place.LOL.... You can get good quality SS tubing already bent to 45/ 90 degrees, in any size from several shops. Just fit them in, and weld them up. MUCH less expensive way to do it. That is how I do exhaust systems for guys.
Reply:You may want to give Race Parts Solutions a call.  Fantastic prices, and they specialize in the stuff your looking for, including silicon elbows, etc.  Darren's a good guy.
Reply:I've seen 3" SS exhaust tubing bent in a rotary draw bender - not too pretty!Rotary draw benders (JD2, Pro-Tools, etc...) are for thicker walled tube and pipe.  The thin stuff needs to be supported by an internal mandrel.
Reply:Originally Posted by SupeYou may want to give Race Parts Solutions a call.  Fantastic prices, and they specialize in the stuff your looking for, including silicon elbows, etc.  Darren's a good guy.
Reply:if air is going through it (or exhaust) then you will end up needing a larger diameter crush bent pipe than a mandrel, since the mandrel keeps the same volume when you bend it.
Reply:Just pour some salt in the pipe pack it tightly around where you are bending put some type of plug on either side when you are done remove the plugs and remove the salt, perfect bends with any bender.
Reply:Salt???  That's a new one!I seen people use sand
Reply:Salt won't scratch your nice clean SS  parts. Sand does work but you run the risk of either scratching the SS or if you are bending really thin pieces to a really tight radius then it could  punch through.
Reply:Unfortunately there are no low cost solutions for a machine that will create tight bends in thin walled tubing.  The most inexpensive machine I know of is made by Rusch Machine Design and sold by Baliegh - and it's starting price is in the $30,000 area.  Guess what - you'll add another $6000 - $8000 for ONE SET of full mandrel tooling to that price before you can make a bend!  Full mandrel tooling is expensive!  If you want to get an idea of what it involves look at www.bendtooling.com.  That's where I buy most of mine.  For some mandrel bending machine and project pics got to my website at http://tubularfab.com/Gallery
Reply:I made my bender and got an 1 3/4" die. My bender works great, I have contemplated making some headers
Reply:Originally Posted by fordmanI made my bender and got an 1 3/4" die. My bender works great, I have contemplated making some headers
Reply:Originally Posted by TSORYou could but, your die is at most a 5" clr.  That's usually too large of a radius for a typical header.  You will also have to use heavier tubing.
Reply:When I put the stroker in my race car I found I had to have custom headers as the "off the shelf" models wouldn't go around the steering, suspension and structural tubes. I ended up making my own. The mandral bent stuff is spendy but way cheaper than tooling up to make your own, even if you made lots and lots of custom headers, it would take quite a while to justify buying all the dies you'd need. Unless of course you bought only one or two sizes and built only that sized tube headers.I bought my stuff prebent. I got it and other exhaust stuff from Shoenfeld Headers. Here's a link to their website.http://www.schoenfeldheaders.com/Enjoy,Wayne