VansAirForceForums  
Home > VansAirForceForums

- POSTING RULES
- Donate yearly (please).
- Advertise in here!

- Today's Posts | Insert Pics

  #1  
Old 04-20-2020, 05:18 AM
jim31886 jim31886 is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Grandview, Texas
Posts: 4
Default Need some 1? tubing bent

Not an RV project; but important to accomplish to be able to keep building my 7 and it’s kind of a neat project with home building implications.

We rescued my in-laws old porch chair/glider off the old homestead. It’s in rough shape. It’s got several complex shapes bent from 1” tubing.

I need to find somebody that I can take those tubing pieces to and have some new ones made. Somebody with a good tubing bender and knows how to use it.

The HF pipe bender isn’t going to do it. Borrowed one and played with it, it’s close, but this project demands a little better than what it can provide.

Who offers that kind of service in the DFW area?

Last edited by jim31886 : 04-20-2020 at 05:38 AM.
  #2  
Old 04-20-2020, 05:30 AM
Marc Bourget Marc Bourget is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Stockton, California
Posts: 296
Default

I assume your speaking of steel?

Ron Covell has a video where he bends 1-1/2" steel to a "custom" curve using a template. I watched him do this in person at the Santa Cruz Metal Meet.

FWIW
  #3  
Old 04-20-2020, 08:13 AM
cajunwings cajunwings is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: new iberia la
Posts: 768
Default Tubing benders

Lowe?s & Home Depot rent conduit benders in various sizes.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
  #4  
Old 04-20-2020, 09:07 AM
Mel's Avatar
Mel Mel is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Dallas area
Posts: 10,768
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by cajunwings View Post
Lowe?s & Home Depot rent conduit benders in various sizes.
Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
Be careful when using conduit benders. Remember, conduit size is based on ID, not OD.
__________________
Mel Asberry, DAR since the last century.
EAA Flight Advisor/Tech Counselor, Friend of the RV-1
Recipient of Tony Bingelis Award and Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award
USAF Vet, High School E-LSA Project Mentor.
RV-6 Flying since 1993 (sold)
<rvmel(at)icloud.com>
  #5  
Old 04-20-2020, 10:57 AM
wirejock's Avatar
wirejock wirejock is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Estes Park, CO
Posts: 3,947
Default Muffler shop

Find a reputable muffler shop. The one in our town is always excited to work or something other than exhaust pipe. Most are really good at duplicating bend. Mught even have the pipe/tubing.
__________________
Larry Larson
Estes Park, CO
http://wirejockrv7a.blogspot.com
wirejock at yahoo dot com
Donated 12/03/2019, plus a little extra.
RV-7A #73391, N511RV reserved (2,000+ hours)
HS SB, empennage, tanks, wings, fuse, working finishing kit
Disclaimer
I cannot be, nor will I be, held responsible if you try to do the same things I do and it does not work and/or causes you loss, injury, or even death in the process.
  #6  
Old 04-20-2020, 11:10 AM
Breezy Breezy is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Okeana, Ohio
Posts: 100
Default

Jim,

If you need close radius bends without wrinkling, look for a fab shop that has bending machines that pull an internal mandrel. They are expensive machines so it will be a large shop. A shop specializing in hydraulic lines for aircraft or process machinery. There was a shop near me at KHAO but it sold last year. They produced SS lines for Boeing and Cirrus.

Not sure how close you are to the DFW area, with all the aviation located there I'm guessing a shop exists somewhere close.

Don't know how familiar you are with the process and set up with these machines, so I will add this. Most perceive tube bending to be like the local exhaust shop. The comparison ends with they both can put a bend in a tube. If you are looking for close radius without impressions, the equipment requires considerable setup and may need multiple machines depending on the complexity of the piece. In other words costly.

Cheers!
__________________
Breezy
First offense RV-8; N594WR; 80594 (time served)
ECI TITAN IOX 360 A1A9N, G3X

Repeat Offender: 83137 (Flying 10/16)
N837DW; Superior IO 360; G3X Touch.
Exceptional Aircraft Award, Sun N Fun 2017; Best Homebuilt, Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-in 2017.

One More Time: 140359, -14 in process, IO-390 (Maybe)


KHAO (Hogan Field)
  #7  
Old 04-20-2020, 03:53 PM
lr172 lr172 is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 5,297
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Breezy View Post
Jim,

If you need close radius bends without wrinkling, look for a fab shop that has bending machines that pull an internal mandrel. They are expensive machines so it will be a large shop. A shop specializing in hydraulic lines for aircraft or process machinery. There was a shop near me at KHAO but it sold last year. They produced SS lines for Boeing and Cirrus.

Not sure how close you are to the DFW area, with all the aviation located there I'm guessing a shop exists somewhere close.

Don't know how familiar you are with the process and set up with these machines, so I will add this. Most perceive tube bending to be like the local exhaust shop. The comparison ends with they both can put a bend in a tube. If you are looking for close radius without impressions, the equipment requires considerable setup and may need multiple machines depending on the complexity of the piece. In other words costly.

Cheers!
modern exhaust shops that specialize in custom or high performance work will often have mandrel benders. However, I doubt that have dies and mandrels for 1" pipe.
__________________
N64LR - RV-6A / IO-320, Flying as of 8/2015
N11LR - RV-10, Flying as of 12/2019
  #8  
Old 04-20-2020, 03:59 PM
TS Flightlines TS Flightlines is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Ridgeland, SC
Posts: 2,589
Talking

Might look for sub contractors for heavy equipment. Lots of rigid tubes for both the heavy equipment, and trucking industries. WE have the CNC 3axis bender, but not the dies or the mandrel for 1 inche tubing. And Different wall thicknesses take different mandrels. Gets expensive. Know anyone at General Dynamics? Bet you they have several benders. Stratoflex in Ft Worth does, but you probably wont get in there.

Tom
__________________
Tom Swearengen, TS Flightlines LLC, AS Flightlines
Joint Venture with Aircraft Specialty
Teflon Hose Assemblies for Experimentals
Proud Vendor for RV1, Donator to VAF
RV7 Tail Kit Completed, Fuse started-Pay as I go Plan
Ridgeland, SC
www.tsflightlines.com, www.asflightlines.com
Closed Thread


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:49 AM.


The VAFForums come to you courtesy Delta Romeo, LLC. By viewing and participating in them you agree to build your plane using standardized methods and practices and to fly it safely and in accordance with the laws governing the country you are located in.