benders?

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Hey guys, I was posting this here thinking I could get some examples of work. So Im looking to add some type of bender to my shop to open the design window a bit. I know the first question is going to be well what do I do? Im a home hobbiest along with an avid car fanatic. I have made some furniture such as end tables, fireplace doors, log rack etc... some random projects for the shop.So with that being said everything I make is cut on my band saw or plasma wich means I have no way to put a radius or arch in something such as round stock, square or round tube etc... Everything I have done has either square or mitered corners ya know what I mean? I know there is ring rollers, then tubing benders with the big wheel , and also the bender that you mount on the floor for flat stock / scrolling and other bending. So what have you guys got and wich has been most beneficial for you guys? Sorry for the babble any input would be great. Also guys Im not looking to spend a ton of money thanks in advance.
Reply:Get a Hossfeld, or knock off. I have an American bender   www.americanbender.com/   Get a #2 with tooling for about $800. You can add hydraulics if you want and bend larger diameter tube as well.
Reply:If all you want is simple radius work, keep your money for other tools and fab up some simple manual benders. Tooling for a Hossfeld, or clone such as the American Bender, will put you in the poor house. Any of the following pictures and your armstrong power will give you adequate bends without spending an arm and a leg.If you do want to spend an arm and a leg, you can go with something like this one I have.Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:Yeah 800 is more than I want to spend right now anyway, at least until I did some experimenting to see if it was practical for me anyway. Im all for the manual one has anyone had any input on the harbor freight one? I know , I know hf but for someone who does this just for fun right now anyway it may be a good entry level no ? Scroll would be nice and square tube ability would be grear also.
Reply:Plenty of threads here on the Harbor Freight benders and conversions done to them. Instead of repeating what has been said, why don't you try the search feature using a search parameter something like 'Harbor freight bender' and see the wealth of information available.Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:Seems like you could make a few benders.  From you description you need multiples ones anyway.  You can probably cut radii from sheets with you plasma cutter.  There is a lot of information on here about benders.  Hf's pipe bender is a pretty useful and modifiable tool for making radii.  It is cheap.
Reply:Probably the best bang for the buck in the cheap end is the HF tube roller and then the square tube dies from Swage off road But yer still looking at a couple hundred bucks and that system will only do arches and large radius bends. No tight 90 degree bends.No scroll work either.http://www.swagoffroad.com/Harbor-Fr...Dies_p_51.htmlYou can also buy decorative pieces from King Metalshttp://www.kingmetals.com/Home.aspxEd Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Yes, I agree with the multiple benders thing thats why I was looking for a bender that maybe did more than one thing. I am aware I could cut arches etc... out of sheets with my plasma i was specificaly meaning round stock, and tubing sorry should have specified that. Like I said this is not going to be for one thing in particular, Just something to open another door to the creativity world is all. I will do a search on benders here and see what I come up with.Broccoli! That last tool you have listed in your avatar by far the most important!!
Reply:As a Hossfeld owner I'd recommend either a Shop Outfitter or one of the JD2 style benders if you are doing mostly tube. Greater repeatability.Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:You may want to check out these too. it comes with several dies and is cheaper than the others mentioned.http://www.metalbendingtool.com/rhin.../rhino-package