6 replies to this topic

[pn6]

What kind of benders are available and what are you using? Need help.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul 

[Larry Horner]

RGEO makes a nice one. I have one of these and like it when I want larger radius bends or bends over 90 degrees:

https://rgeoproducts...ng-machine-std/.

 

And DU-BRO also makes one that is good for really sharp exact bends:

https://www.dubro.co...IxtfVv1EVZm7MRc.

 

But sometimes I find the best bends come from a pair of needle nose pliers.

 

Hope that helps,

Larry

[Bill from NH]

The benders Larry mentioned work well for solid rods but not necessarily for all tubing bends. For round tubing, I think it was Steve Okeefe who posted on here to cut two 1"-1 !/2" pieces of the next bigger tubing than you want to bend. Slip then on the piece you want to bend, spaced about 1/8" apart on the area you want to bend. Hold one still & bend the other piece the angle you want. Slip the two cut pieces off & you should have the bend you want without a lot of tube collapsing. I personally haven't used Steve's procedure but coming from Steve, I have little doubt that it works

 

Slight angles in square tubing can be bent using hand pliers without tubing wall collapse.

 

When scratchbuilding I would confine my bends to piano wire & brass rods & limit those using tubing.

[Martin]

If I have more than a few parts to make. I have made my benders so the parts are consistent. This bender is made from a block of 1/2'' aluminum and has removable 1/8'' pins (axles) so I can change the design, but keep the hinge to guide the same distance.

Not hard to make if you have a drill press.

 

 

 

These are the 3 variations I bent on the same bending tool.

I typically bend Brass, Nickle or Piano wire. In the order of easy to hard to bend. 

 

 

As Larry suggests plier's work.

If its a one off part a good range of jewelers pliers will do the job.

 

[zipper]

Missing these, a dentist's first weapon to bend orthodontic wires.

 

[pn6]

Martin I have a drawer that looks just like that. You can never have enough tools but my wire bending skills have diminished over time so I thought a bender would be nice. Thank you all for the suggestions. I think I'll make one like Martins. I think I have some 1/8 dowel pins somewhere too. If that fails I like the look of that Dubro bender.

 

 

Paul

[Martin]

Would love to see what you are working on Paul. 

 

I think I may have to buy the Du-Bro tubing bender, that looks like a handy tool. Thanks a lot Larry, now I want another tool.

 

For under $20 how can you go wrong. 

 

https://www.amazon.c...HOK/ref=sr_1_1?

dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dey5Wr4SfLacRvkTEMzmvrmwF3llTyTk0WA9FsjYXCSYF

 

This bender looks interesting too, I like my tooling to be made of metal not plastic. Check this one out. Although I do not see how it bends tubing without collapsing 

 

https://www.amazon.c...9HeWVvsCDC0OvfH