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Imperial Tubing Bender Defective??

IowaRV9Dreamer

IowaRV9Dreamer

Well Known Member
I've been converting rolls of perfectly good soft aluminum tubing into scrap metal. The key tool in this educational and recreational process is an imperial tubing bender (model 386-FH, bends 1/4, 5/16. 3/8 tubes).

After a relatively short time, the black paint has chipped off of the 3/8 section on the movable part. Now it scuffs up the soft aluminum tubing pretty good.

Has this happened to anyone else? I'm still using it with some antichafe tape, but I may talk to ACS about this. Is it just me?
 
I used the -370 model Dave mentioned in his blog and it worked great. I had the black one and aside from some fairly simple bends, I used the -370 for the bulk of the tube bending.
 
Thanks Rob - great blog link. I wish I hadn't paid $49.50 for the cheap bender that you can apparently get at Home Depot for $20.:mad::mad::mad:

Even tough I'm through with the hard bends, I may return the piece of junk to Aircraft Spruce and get something better. Of course, then I'll have a big learning curve and need even more rolls of tubing :)
 
Tube Bending Manual

I have done a fair amount of tube bending over the years and have found that Swagelok makes by far the best hand tube benders. They also have some pretty good resources on bending. Here is the URL for their bending manual. It gives details and formula for bending accurate bends when you can not do them one bend at a time. There is a lot useful information in these publications I hope that some find them useful.

http://www.swagelok.com/downloads/webcatalogs/EN/MS-13-43.PDF

Bob Parry
 
Tube Bender

Cheap tools can usually be improved. If you can build an airplane, you can probably smooth and polish a bender. Check the bender for burrs, bumps or sharp edges that could be causing the damage you see. File any suspect areas smooth. Chain saw files are good for rounded surfaces. Then polish with your weapon of choice--fine sand paper, maroon pad, or such. A bit of oil on the contact surfaces of the bender also helps.
 
Thning that make you go Hmmmm...

IowaRV9Dreamer said:
I've been converting rolls of perfectly good soft aluminum tubing into scrap metal. The key tool in this educational and recreational process is an imperial tubing bender (model 386-FH, bends 1/4, 5/16. 3/8 tubes).

After a relatively short time, the black paint has chipped off of the 3/8 section on the movable part. Now it scuffs up the soft aluminum tubing pretty good.

Has this happened to anyone else? I'm still using it with some antichafe tape, but I may talk to ACS about this. Is it just me?
Click to expand...

We sell the 368-FH ($30.96) and have never had one complaint or return.
http://www.gen-aircraft-hardware.com/store.asp?alternate=368%2DFH

But then again we do not sell the rolled up aluminum tube, we sell the proper aircraft aluminum tube which starts straight and then gets bent as you choose. Not starts bent, gets straight, gets bent, and always looks like the air-conditioner tubing that it is.

I applaud people who can successfully craft it into something useful.

The WWT-700/4 50502 Tubing is soft enough to bend well with a bender.
http://www.gen-aircraft-hardware.com/store.asp?subcat_id=606&category=Seamless+Aluminum&breadCrumb=Seamless+Aluminum%20-%3E%20Tubing&menuID=274~275~275&id=276

Because I do not paint it, I put some silicone spray on a rag first and clean it off with that, leaving it silky smooth and clean.

I do the same with the bender.

Try the Aircraft grade tubing and this technique, I do not believe you will be disappointed.
 
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