The Official Tube Bending Thread

I was just wondering....

We have aluminum bronze counter bend dies on our benders as well. I just have never heard of anyone using plastic bags for lubrication. I'm sure it protects your material. How well does the counter bend die hold up?

Plastic bag would be easier to clean up

 

Holds up well, except for the one that is subject to a weld getting pulled through it sometimes.

 

That is wild. Do you have any pictures?

 

subscibing

 

Here's a quick photo of the part subject to marking up the die. If the weld is perfect it just misses...we've made thousands of bends on this machine, still looks OK...it's part of a boat cart we make...not from a hotrod , sorry, but it is fabrication just the same...

 

Thanks for the pic! New info to me.

 

I spoke with another gentleman about this yesterday, still not sure about it though. Anyone else try this?

 

Got a quick question about benders in general. I've seen many benders that are available with both 90 and 180 degree dies. Why would someone get a 90 degree die when they could just buy the 180 and only bend 90 of it? Am I missing something here?

 

We sell both 90 and 180 dies.

The 90 degree dies are less money and weigh less for shipping. The 90 degree dies are very popular with the back yard off road fabricators.

 

Any of you guys using Bend tech software to design your tube chassis?

 

I fully intend to, once I get a Windows emulator for my Mac, and a bender. After reading their pages, features, and abilities it seems like one hell of a package both for the amateur and pro builder. Just gotta keep adding $ into the savings account and I'll have it one day soon! I'd like to design something similar to Rodrobb's '26 T chassis shown in the Tube Chassis thread.

 

Any other tube bending questions for the tube bending guru?

 

Wait, are you calling yourself the guru? You just sell the equipment, right? I can think of some tube bending guru's and you arent one of them. Please elaborate what makes you worthy of that title?

 

Well, where do I start?


I have years of experience bending tube, 8 to 10 hours a day, 6 days a week in my early 20's. Miles of tubing. Stainless, Hastelloy and many exotic metals. I worked at a company named Micro Motion in Colorado. I was a production tube bender and tig welder. I built flow sensors there for 10 years. Surrounded by manual and mandrel benders all day, every day.

I have also worked at Trick Tools for years prior to coming to Baileigh years ago. Dealing with the off road, race car, hot rod, chopper and industrial market on a daily basis, all day, every day. I am constantly helping people with custom and difficult bending applications, doing customer demos and test bending for customers all around the world. I can help you bend tube, pipe, square, rectangle and oval, heck..I can even help you bend square on edge like a diamond.

I have done many trade shows, SEMA, Hot Rod and Restoration and Off Road Expo just to name a few. I have used and sold just about about every bender on the market and can tell you the pros and cons of each, how they work, where they are made, and the name of the owners of the companies. I know most of them personally. I can explain the difference between open rotary draw bending, versus rotary compression bending, roll bending and ram bending. Want to know why you can't bend exhaust on an open rotary draw bender? Or why square will deform and how to minimize deformation? I can help any of you with wall thickness, vs. CLR (center line radius) I can explain why your bends are flat on the outside, or why you are getting wrinkles on the inside of the bend. I can explain the benefits of having elliptical dies vs. having a true radius die. Even if your questions are about handrail, ADA (Americans with disabilities act) and what specifications you need.

Tube bending, tube benders? I can answer your questions.......period. Even if it is not a Baileigh bender. I eat, sleep and breath tube bending.

Is that Guru enough for you?

 

That works for me dude.

 

Yes, can you tell me how to get people to stop calling it PIPE.

 

I deal with that same problem all day long.

 

Yep sure does, now post up some of your work.

 

it may sound nutty but it worked for us. To do exhaust stuffs we tack welded the 1.3/4" exhaust tubing to the die and obtained very nice bends. There is mild deformation but if a customer needs exhaust tubing bent and you have the correct size die- it is possible. Our use was for zoomie headers for a FED.

 

Not a problem......stay tuned

Pics will be posted.

 

Here is just a sample on what goes on here on a daily basis. Let me know if you need more examples.

 

I'm sure convinced

 

your the man, so i have been asked about bending polished stainless tube, 1-1/2" with a 1/16" wall, i'm pretty sure its going to need a little repolish afterwards, i've heard that other shops just will not do it? thanks

 

If your stainless tube or pipe has a #3 finish, it will bend up nice with standard tooling, like this.



If your stainless has a mirror # 8 finish, special tooling might be required.

With the correct tooling, a true radius die and a nylon or plastic counter bend die or plastic rollers, you can bend stainless with virtually no marks.

 

its for rear bumpers, boat radar mounts and truck racks, and its polished, not sure of the numbers, i have what i call brushed finished tube and it bends fine. thanks

 

I often deal with marine applications.....tuna towers, bow rails on yachts, radar towers. These types of applications work well with nylon tooling and give you a nice looking bend.

 

We've talked about using plastic strips for lube, but never heard of nylon tooling...could you tell us a little about it?

 

Notice there is not a counter bend die on this bender. They are actually nylon rollers. Bends up stainless real nice!

 

thanks, i just bought some 3" UHMW for a different boat peoject and i have enough left over to make some rollers, and i just saw a neat inside radius attachment for a lathe.

 

Cool man!

Let's see some pics and see how it turns out.