Author Topic: Tubing bender  (Read 27441 times)

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #25 on: March 22, 2009, 03:36:20 PM »
Nice one Ralph  :thumbup:

Ther's a few bits on their I havn't seen before or was I asleep some time:-  can you sleep surf the net  :scratch:

Any way keep up the good work looking forward to seeing those spinning balls.

Stew
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Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #26 on: March 22, 2009, 08:00:16 PM »
Quote
That's looking very shiny Ralph.....
  Yep! It is a little.... But I haven't polished any of it yet..... just a bit of emery  :)



Quote
Ther's a few bits on their I havn't seen before or was I asleep some time:-  can you sleep surf the net
 
Seen before at all.... Probably because I made a few bits to my own design/tastes! ..... But that's what your meant to do with plans right? Change tham to suit you!  :dremel:
Sleep surfing.... Well I usually fall asleep while surfing! I'm obviously working too hard.... Or staying up too late.... Or getting old!!!  Maybe a little of all three!?



Quote
Any way keep up the good work looking forward to seeing those spinning balls.
  What! I haven't got a party trick!  :scratch:          :lol:   



All good things Stew, all good things  :)




Ralph.
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Offline ozzie46

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #27 on: March 22, 2009, 10:24:42 PM »


   Nice work Ralph or should I say good play time instead of "work" :thumbup:

  Ron

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #28 on: March 23, 2009, 08:43:22 PM »
Thank you Ron. "Play time" ....Stress relief in my book!  Good tunes and machinery.... Takes away all those niggling thoughts about everyday life  :med:

Speaking of which.....


Got a little done tonight... Still got the base and a few bits to experiment with but....

The first, larger roll.


The two rolls for todays test.... Didn't even measure the dia! Just wanted one larger than the other  :)


Right. The set up for cutting the relief for the tube.  I couldn't quite remember what John said about the height of the cutter so, I put my cell to work and figured that if it was just slightly above centre then it would cut with the face of the end mill and then when the RT was turned the other way it would take off any slight ridges and leave a nice finish.... I used my mill stop to make sure that the two cuts lined up once mounted in the main tool.  Seemed to work to plan anyhow!  :thumbup:


Direction of rotation of the part was clockwise as you face the chuck (part moving upwards as turned) This shows the first 0.25mm cut coming round.


Then a shot of the large roll just about there. The last clockwise cut was followed by a rotation anti-clockwise to clean off any small grooves left by my turning of the RT handle.


The view from the side. See how the mill stop lighty touches the face.... I know it's in the right place :)  (sounds obvious but... To get the big roll in and up to the stop which can't be moved ....Cause it's a stop! I just opened the chuck jaws much wider than the roll size and slid it in between the sides of the jaws then held it steady while I closed the jaws and held it lightly to the stop.)


The rolls ready for use. If your wondering why the masive height of the rolls.... They will have another relief cut into the top half too.... Multi use (Idea a la Boggie!) I recon I could do upto 10mm anealed copper tubing in this..... Might try it one day?


And to prove it works.... Even if I haven't made the base bit or the end of the handle....


And the reason for the various roll sizes..



Well that's it till at least Thursday evening.... But I'm happy  :D 




Ralph.


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bogstandard

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #29 on: March 23, 2009, 09:20:11 PM »
Nice one Ralph :clap: :clap:

It looks like it works really well.

I have the cutter slightly lower than centre (only say 1/2mm), otherwise you won't get the true depth of groove from touching on. I have the roller turning so that the roller is being fed from the cutter bottom towards the top.
I also made a mandrel to put the rollers on in the RT. So you just cut one groove, flip it over end to end, change cutter size and cut the next groove. That way they will all be perfectly in line with each other.
Also, if you are only ever bending soft copper and brass, the rollers could be made from something as soft as ali. I used brass for mine, and show no signs of damage or wear.

Now wasn't that an easy tool to make?

I think this design must be the easiest one to make, but is actually a lot more versatile than some of the more complicated ones.

Again, nice job

Bogs

Offline Bernd

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #30 on: March 23, 2009, 10:41:57 PM »
Nice one Ralph. :thumbup:

Looks like that's the next project for me after i get my indexhead done.

BTW, like the tunes in the background. :headbang:

Bernd
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Offline SPiN Racing

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #31 on: March 23, 2009, 11:54:20 PM »
Very Cool tool!!

I dont need to bend small tubing much YET... but I am seriously keeping that in mind.

When I was doing the R/C thing in high school and early college I usually bent copper tubing for fuel systems with a spring around it. Or braided steel line inside to prevent a crush, or by hand. But it worked well for the application inside a fuel tank.

For the race cars I have a really shoddy plastic screw together tubing bender to bend brake lines, and or up to 1/2" fuel system lines.

And I DO need to make some bends in the new fuel system lines..... I might need to look into making a bender sooner rather than later.

grr  :proj:  LOL

VERY NICE TOOL  :thumbup:
SPiN Racing

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #32 on: March 24, 2009, 02:06:34 AM »
Well done that man  :ddb: :ddb: :ddb: :ddb: :ddb: :ddb:


Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the road
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Location:- Crewe Cheshire

Offline Twinsquirrel

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #33 on: March 24, 2009, 04:18:12 AM »
Brilliant! nice job Ralph.

Good to see your workshop is almost as messy as mine :headbang:

David
« Last Edit: March 24, 2009, 04:43:17 AM by Twinsquirrel »
So many ideas, so little skill

Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #34 on: March 24, 2009, 04:38:58 AM »
Well done, & well shown Ralph.....    :thumbup: :clap:
David.

Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline Darren

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #35 on: March 24, 2009, 04:50:46 AM »
People keep showing me nice shiny objects to make..... :dremel:

Well done Ralph, that works really nicely, simply and results in a tidy job....

I wonder if it can be scaled up to solids..... :scratch:
You will find it a distinct help… if you know and look as if you know what you are doing. (IRS training manual)

bogstandard

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #36 on: March 24, 2009, 05:01:54 AM »
Darren,

I think I have plans for a vice held solid bender somewhere, let me have a root in my 'bunker' magazine collection, and I will get back to you. I think it uses the same easy sort of build and principle.

John

Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #37 on: March 24, 2009, 11:16:27 AM »
Nice job!   :bow:

I gotta get into the shop.

Eric
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Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #38 on: March 25, 2009, 03:58:45 AM »
Thank you fellas  :)


I am sure that many different designs will pop up soon.... It's easy as always to change things around the important "core" measurments, you don't have to make it a 10mm thumb screw.(even though that's not on the plans at all!!)  If to have big hands or a crappy grip, make it 25mm!  :thumbup:


John, fun and not too tough to build... I always make stuff look too dificult in my mind.... Then I start to make it and it all turns out ok! (usually!!)
point noted about the tool position, I will adjust accordingly for the next run  :)

Bernd.... Tunes, Got to have some good tunes playing  :headbang:

Davd, messy workshop.....?  Don't know what you mean.... :scratch:  That's tidy!  :bugeye:

Darren, solids, you might have to re-design the clamping method for greater force, it can slip backwards if not enough pressure applied!  But that's what a Madmodder should do isn't it??  :borg:




Still got to finish it..... Later in the week  :thumbup:




Ralph.
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Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #39 on: April 15, 2009, 07:41:04 PM »
Ok then.... Finally here is the finished article (except for any and all the rollers I might make!)

A bit of aluminium for the vice block, tapped for the pivot pin and the securing screw.




A tidy up of the roller frame rear end.




and of course.....



The knob for the handle  :headbang:


So a few shots of the end product and then the next time you should see this is in a vid (if I make one?) or the Aeolipile thread  :thumbup:








Oh, that big chunk of brass.... Soon to be made into a roller for the Aeolipile project  :dremel:




Ralph.
I know what I know and need to know more!!!

Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #40 on: April 15, 2009, 08:11:26 PM »
 :clap: :clap: Nice one Ralph!  :clap: :clap:
Science is fun.

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Offline Bernd

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #41 on: April 15, 2009, 09:35:07 PM »
Very nice Ralph.  :thumbup:

Waiting to see the first bent tubes coming off of it.  :whip:  :headbang:

Bernd
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Offline sbwhart

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #42 on: April 16, 2009, 01:46:04 AM »
Good Job Ralph
 :clap: :clap:

next step  :poke: Aeliopile

Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the road
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Location:- Crewe Cheshire

Offline Darren

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #43 on: April 16, 2009, 03:06:38 AM »
Nice going Ralph,

Tidy workshop, looks just like mine  :lol:
You will find it a distinct help… if you know and look as if you know what you are doing. (IRS training manual)

Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #44 on: April 16, 2009, 03:24:59 AM »
Blummin well done Ralph.  :clap:

An` I can`t see nowt wrong wi yer workshop.......  :wave:

David D

David.

Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline Darren

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #45 on: April 16, 2009, 03:28:39 AM »


An` I can`t see nowt wrong wi yer workshop.......  :wave:



Can't be, he has the same high standards as me  :lol:
You will find it a distinct help… if you know and look as if you know what you are doing. (IRS training manual)

Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Tubing bender
« Reply #46 on: April 16, 2009, 03:49:53 PM »
Thank you guys :thumbup:

I tried really hard but just had to sparkle it a little!!  ::)


Tidy.... That is quite good for the end of a project.... Plus I'd been making some little bits for other people inbetween.... It all makes clutter!

It'll all be tidied off soon.... Got to take the Aeolipile and finger engine trays out and get some more done! plus replace the name on this tray with power feed  :D


Right, now I'm off outside for a bit :thumbup:



Ralph.
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