Making a pipe bender with your own hands: design options and features of finished products. How to make a hydraulic pipe bender with your own hands - drawings The simplest pipe bender with your own hands drawings

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Application of bent pipes

You can bend it using a special device -. By performing this procedure you can get good quality products that are used in many areas of our lives.

Bent profile pipes are used for the manufacture of building structures, arches, greenhouses, fences, and gates. They are a decoration for elegant outdoor furniture: benches, chairs, tables. Bent profiles are used for the production of school desks, chairs, furniture for medicine, offices, and other institutions.

Features of hydraulic pipe benders

A hydraulic pipe bender, made by yourself according to your own sketches or drawings, or taken from the Internet, is a special device that can be used to bend pipes or rolled products at different bending angles, ranging from 0 to 180⁰.

You can buy a good hydraulic pipe bender in stores, or you can try to make it yourself, which in terms of quality of operation will be in no way inferior to factory products.

And since for self-made If available tools and materials are used, then the cost of such a bending structure will be much cheaper than serial devices. And the financial side of the manufacture of such a device, you see, for most of us, has great importance. Taking this into account, many craftsmen make universal structures with their own hands, with the help of which profile and round pipes with any bend radius can be easily and efficiently bent. And the Internet helps them, where you can choose not only the hydraulic pipe bender you like to make with your own hands, but also watch ready-made drawings, videos, listen to or read advice from experienced craftsmen.

Among factory analogues, the Stalex hydraulic manual pipe bender is very popular, with which it is easy to bend, as well as. It is convenient for professionals to work with such a tool, since pipes can be bent directly on the construction site, and very smoothly and accurately. The design of a mass-produced manual pipe bender is such that when using it, flattening or breaking is completely eliminated.

Peculiarities:

• creates a force equal to 12 tons;
• equipped with a hydraulic drive;
• equipped with a set of replaceable shoes;
• can operate in horizontal or vertical position;
• provided with automatic return of the slider;
• during operation, the entire stroke of the cylinder is involved;
• The bending radius is adjusted by vertical or horizontal supports (depending on the model).

Advantages

Among the many manual pipe benders, hydraulic type machines are considered the most popular and in demand. There are good reasons for this.

Hydraulic devices are capable of efficiently bending even a 3-inch round pipe. They are successfully used both by professionals to perform large volumes of work, and by novice amateurs who want to bend one or two profile or round pipes.

In addition to such advantages as:

• ease of manufacture;
• reliability;
• strength;
• low cost,

They are also valued for their impact power, thanks to which it is possible to process not only thick-walled ones, but also work with fairly large products made of other metals: aluminum, brass, bronze.

In addition, a special installation (jack) greatly facilitates the work of the operator, who makes a minimum of effort to obtain a large force of pressure on steel or other materials pipes.

Important! You cannot bend the pipe more than is provided for by the design of such a device, although there may be opportunities for this. This is due to possible invisible damage to the finished part, which will certainly appear a little later, during operation.

Preparation for production

Before making a manual pipe bender, you need to decide on the type of device. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with the drawings and photos, as well as diagrams possible designs made with your own hands, watch the video, remember what materials and available tools you have, and only then begin the manufacturing process. And most importantly: for what purpose and for what work will you need a structure with which you can bend the risers. Plus, it would be a good idea to consult with a more experienced neighbor or friend who has already dealt with the manufacture of this or a similar device. And if you are ready, then you can start making a device for bending profiles.

Manufacturing process

Before you start making a bending machine round pipe, you need to stock up on everything you need:

• a hydraulic jack from a car or tractor (more powerful ones can be used, if possible);
• channel (about 3 meters);
• 3 rollers with axes;
• metal plates.

When making a manual pipe bender, you should follow a simple algorithm:

1. Using a tape measure, measure the required length of the channel for the base and use a grinder to saw off 2 equal pieces, thanks to which the base of the future hydraulic pipe bender, and with it the frame (1), will be more stable.
2. Place the cut pieces of the channel tightly to each other, weld from below and from above along the joint line. Such a platform will be the basis of a pipe bending machine.
3. Weld side channels on both sides of the base at an angle of 110⁰.
4. Weld longer pieces to the top of the side channels, in which it is first necessary to drill several (from 2 to 8) holes, placed symmetrically on both sides of the future pipe bending machine. They are designed to install axles with pressure rollers, by rearranging which you can adjust the bending radius of the risers.
5. Secure the jack (3) to the base with plates with holes for bolts (2) with a diameter of 10-12 mm so that it does not move when working with steel or other pipes. To do this, you need to drill the base in certain places and secure the hydraulic device with strips and bolts.
6. Securely fasten the shoe (4) to the jack rod so that, if necessary, it can be easily removed and replaced with another one.

Scheme for making a manual pipe bender

That's it, the design is ready for work, and required dimensions, are indicated on the drawing of a pipe bender made by hand, although in the photo, no holes are drilled in the upper channels (there are 2 of them, one on each side of the side channels). Therefore, the manual hydraulic pipe bender shown is designed to bend parts with only one bend radius.

The height of the bending machine is determined by the parameters of the jack and the distance “a”. This means that to bend a half-inch steel pipe, this length should be approximately 2 cm (if the jack is not in use).

It should be noted that all the force from the punch is directed towards top part manual pipe bender. Therefore, there may be cases where the outer part of the bending part is subjected to too much stretch, which will contribute to a significant thinning of the wall of the round pipe. There are even tears in the riser. Therefore, it is not always possible to use the unit to bend thin-walled pipes.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated, and the design for bending a round pipe is reliable, durable and will last for decades. And most importantly, only available materials were used for its manufacture, which greatly reduced the cost of such a device.

Rolling version of a pipe bender with a rotating platform

The device is used for profile pipes. The principle of operation of this design is as follows: the rotary platform, driven by a jack and through which the bending angle is set, is connected to the main frame using a hinge. The profile is pulled as a result of rotation of the handle, which is attached to the intermediate shaft of the bending machine.

Bending machine

The base for a manual pipe bender and the stand are made of channels with a wall height of 125-200 mm. Bearing cages, the basis of the rollers, can be made from a steel pipe, and its diameter must match the diameter of the bearings.

The bending parameters can be adjusted in two ways: using a turntable and using rollers located on the edge.

For this purpose, it is necessary to drill the support plates and channel, which will ensure the mobility of the elements of the bending machine.

Both platforms of such a device are also made of channels. To raise the outer platform of a manual pipe bender, use a conventional automobile or tractor hydraulic jack.

For welding vertical stand from the channel it is necessary to retreat approximately 45-50 cm from the edge of one side of the base of the hydraulic pipe bender. To strengthen it, it is advisable to pair two pieces.

Using building level, it is necessary to achieve strict horizontality of the stationary platform homemade machine for bending, and then weld a stand to it at the back. Using profile pieces, build up the limiters to a height at least equal to or greater than the thickness of the profile or round pipes that will be bendable.

Using door hinges, connect the main frame of the manual pipe bender to the guide platform. Mount bearings on the edges of moving and stationary platforms, as well as on the limiters of such a device, using welding.

To strengthen the entire structure of the hydraulic pipe bender, it is necessary to use corners that are welded in separate places. Attach a handle to the middle shaft of the bending machine, and install bearings on the outer ones.

Place the jack from below under the guide platform, securely fasten it to the base using bolts, and the homemade pipe bender is ready for work.

By the way, you can also do the repair of a hydraulic pipe bender made by yourself, and here’s why: no one except you knows the features of its structure and operating principle. Therefore, only you yourself can make high-quality pipe bender repairs at home.

Bending technology

The bending process looks like this: first you need to install the steel pipe into the shoe and secure it on both sides. After this, you need to use a jack, thanks to which such a device (rod together with the shoe) will rise up. The force created by the hydraulic drive is instantly transferred to the rollers, after which the riser will begin to bend under the preset bending radius. After finishing the bending process, the device must be lowered and the finished product pulled out. The main thing is that such a bending machine can be stopped at any time, which eliminates the possibility of injury.

Important! If it is necessary to bend a very short profile pipe, and the distance between the rollers does not allow this, then both ends of the riser must be extended with scraps of pipes of the appropriate diameter.

Methods for bending pipes with a hydraulic machine

Before bending a profile or round pipe, it is advisable to listen to the advice of people experienced in this matter.

Firstly, homemade hydraulic pipe benders bend pipes made from any materials quite efficiently. It is very important that with the help of the device thick-walled products are bent without any kind of defects, which is beyond the capabilities of pipe benders of other structures made independently at home.

Secondly, the procedure can be carried out using hot and cold methods, which also makes such devices more popular and in demand.

The highlight of cold bending is that a steel or other metal pipe must be filled with something before performing the operation. Sand, salt, oil or oil refinery, and water are well suited for this. Thanks to such fillers, the quality of bending of steel pipes or pipes is significantly improved, and the occurrence of all kinds of unnecessary deformations is eliminated.

With the hot method, you need to preheat a certain section of the steel pipe, and then bend it in the same way as a cold workpiece, but without filler.

Thirdly, to receive quality product, thick-walled structures using a homemade hydraulic pipe bender are bent using the hot bending method.

Inexperienced operators think that bending with a DIY metal bending machine is a fairly simple operation. But it is not so.

If you handle a manual pipe bender incorrectly, you may experience unwanted defects:

• a change in the diameter of a round pipe, which is caused by the so-called crushing;
• the appearance of thinning of the original samples at the point of bending of a round pipe or profile analogue, which can lead to a deterioration in the strength characteristics of the part.

In order to minimize possible defects, it is necessary to be able to choose the right device and become thoroughly familiar with the principle of its operation.

If you need to perform bending identically to the template, then in order to prevent the profile or round pipe from slipping, which means that there is no difference between the template and the bent part in terms of size and configuration, it is necessary to replace the stops with metal hooks.

Typically, a homemade pipe bender with two rollers is used when bending structures of small radii, and with three – large ones.

In order to improve the design, it is necessary to make a pipe bender with your own hands so that the thrust rollers can move, which will allow you to instantly change the radii of bends.

Owners of private houses, as well as many home craftsmen, require pipes bent at certain angles for the manufacture of various elements of arched structures and pipelines. To do this, they use industrial, and more often homemade, pipe benders for round pipes. Professional factory pipe bending devices are expensive, so often such devices are made in-house, which allows you to save money.

Design and principle of operation of a pipe bender

The pipe bending procedure itself is practically not complicated, but it requires special attention. During the bending process, it can receive defects in the form of stretching of the wall and a decrease in its thickness at the bending point, which will lead to a decrease in the strength of the pipe. Also, the location of the bend can change the configuration of the cut and instead of round section take the shape of an ellipse, which significantly reduces the internal throughput liquid passing through the pipe.

Design Features

To ensure that bending defects are minimal, when choosing or manufacturing a pipe bender for work, you need to understand how it works. The manufacture of a pipe bending device consists of three stages:

Similar hand-held devices for bending tubular workpieces can be mechanically or hydraulically driven, and these two options are perfect for a home workshop.

The operating principle of almost all pipe bending devices is the same. The workpiece is fixed in special device and under a certain force takes the required bending angle.

There are various pipe bending devices, and, naturally, each of them uses its own force system. For example, in crossbow or hydraulic type devices, a point force is applied to the bending section of the pipe.

According to another scheme, bending is carried out using several rollers, between which the workpiece is rolled, obtaining a certain bending angle. Pipe benders equipped with special inserts for pipes (mandrels) work according to this scheme.

What is a mandrel used for?

To understand the purposes for which mandrels are used, you need to know what can happen to a pipe during bending if you do not use a mandrel. For example, when bending a workpiece, two opposing forces act on some of its sections at the bending point:

1. Compression of the wall of the inner radius, in which the metal, deforming, forms a wavy surface (corrugation).
2. Stretching. In this case, the metal wall of the outer bending radius is stretched, due to which it becomes thinner. Naturally, this can weaken the strength of the pipe in the area of ​​the bend by almost 50%.

If you do not use a mandrel, thin-walled copper, aluminum and other pipes made of soft materials can become especially deformed.

For the mandrel inserted inside the pipe before the flexible pipe, steel springs are usually used, selected for inner diameter bent pipes. Sometimes the surface of the springs is coated with polyurethane to provide better stabilization of the pipe walls.

Types and production of bending devices

There are not so many ways to bend a pipe, but there are quite a large number of devices for performing these actions. At the same time, they can be the most different types. In order to make a pipe bender for a round pipe correctly with your own hands, you can draw up drawings yourself or download them freely from the Internet.

Based on the principle of influencing a round pipe workpiece to bend it at a certain angle, there are various types of pipe benders.

Crossbow type model

These models of pipe bending devices are driven by hydraulic or screw drives. During the processing of the workpiece, the model is bent in the form of a crossbow arm, from which the name of the bending device comes.

The design of a crossbow pipe bender has some difficulties in manufacturing, but its power and technical capabilities are quite large. The device itself can be made with several functions, for example, using it as a bending machine and a hydraulic press.

Depending on the design of the rigid metal frame, the machine can operate in a horizontal position (the jack or other power device is located horizontally) and in a vertical position.

The design consists of a rigid frame and two rollers mounted on special racks welded to the platform. A jack is located in the center between the racks, and clamps are attached to the axes of the rollers, ensuring free fixation of the workpiece that is placed on them.

A punch for a pipe bender (shoe, template) can be made from old rollers, pulleys, or bent and cut along pipes.

The work of the crossbow machine is carried out in this way:

1. The pipe blank is placed on the rollers and secured with clamps.
2. A shoe (a template with a certain bending angle) is attached to the jack.
3. The jack presses on the center of the workpiece with a shoe and smoothly bends it to a given angle.

Using the same technique, you can make a small manual pipe bender, with which you can easily bend durable thick-walled pipes of medium and small diameter. For this purpose, you will need to purchase a small hydraulic jack, two rollers, make a punch and a durable T-shaped metal nozzle for the jack.

The entire design of the “crossbow” mechanism must have a large margin of safety. Otherwise, if the workpiece falls out of the fixing brackets under the pressure of the jack, the operator may be injured.

Roller system

Such pipe bending models are also called rolling models. Using this system, you can bend round or profile pipes, as well as steel reinforcement to a large radius. An ideal device for preparing arcs for canopies or greenhouses.

The main elements of this type of device are three metal rollers, matched to the diameter of the pipe workpiece being bent. The workpiece is placed on two outer rollers and the third, located in the center, is rolled along the pipe. Under its force, the part gradually bends, acquiring a certain bending radius.

The system can be driven by a hand crank or an electric motor through a special gearbox for a pipe bender. The quality of the resulting product processed using this device is quite high, and the pipe itself, in contact with the metal rollers, receives virtually no damage.

The advantage of a rolling pipe bender is its small size, due to which the tool takes up little space in any home workshop and can easily be mounted on a workbench or wall. And due to the fact that it is made entirely of metal, the workpiece can be heated with a blowtorch or gas torch during its bending to facilitate work.

The simplest device

For urgent work that requires a manual round pipe bender to quickly bend an angled elbow, such as for a home plumbing project, a simple bending device can be made using the tools at hand. To do this, you should prepare a lever from a piece of metal round pipe with a diameter of approximately 32-42 mm or thick, preferably smooth fittings. The length of the lever should be between 1-1.5 m, depending on the workpiece being bent.

A ring of thick-walled pipe trim approximately 30-40 mm wide is welded to one end of the lever. The inner diameter of the ring must be larger than the outer diameter of the workpiece prepared for bending.

Instead of a ring, you can weld two rods from a thick smooth rod to the lever. The rods are welded perpendicular to the lever and parallel to each other. The distance between them must be greater than the outer size of the workpiece prepared for bending.

The bending process is carried out as follows: P

1. The workpiece is laid on a hard, flat surface, it can be asphalt, concrete floor, reinforced concrete panel or thick board.
2. The tubular blank prepared for bending is threaded into the ring of the manufactured device or inserted between its pins, after which, acting on the lever with muscular force, it is bent.

Winding machine

Pipe bending machines of this type differ from other bending devices in that the pressure roller presses the workpiece directly against the template itself, as if winding the pipe around it. This allows you to bend ring-shaped and spiral parts from workpieces, which is completely impossible to do on conventional pipe bending machines.

During operation, the roller itself is stationary, but the template, to which the end of the workpiece is rigidly attached, rotates around its axis, winding the pipe around itself, which is why machines of this type are called winding machines.

The drive on such devices is most often electric, since twisting the pipe into a ring requires a lot of force. The mandrel for the template must be removable, otherwise it will be quite difficult to remove the spiral-curved workpiece from it. The template can be made of wood, PCB or metal.

The advantage of the winding machine is its simple design, but the disadvantage is some limitation in the size of the template and the need for a powerful lever.

Wooden conductor

This design can be considered a break-in device, and the difference is that there is no pressure roller. To make this device you will need thick plywood or boards; you can use a workbench or a massive chipboard slab as a base.

A template is made from a thick board, one side of which is rounded to a certain radius. It is rigidly fixed to the edge of the workbench in such a way that the workpiece prepared for bending can be freely wrapped around it.

The end of the workpiece can be fixed with a primitive wooden stop made of timber or by cutting the same board from which the template was made. The pipe is bent using muscular force smoothly, without sudden movements, then its damage will be insignificant, and the acquired geometric shape It will turn out accurate and even.

To prevent the bent part from jumping off the template (punch), it is advisable to make a semicircular recess around the perimeter of its rounded part, treating the end with a round rasp.

Fixing the pipe on the template can be done in another way by stuffing a rounded piece of plywood on top of it, which should protrude beyond its edge within 6-10 mm. True, this option is well suited if the tube has thin walls, since bending parts with thick walls requires more powerful forces, and the wooden punch may simply collapse.

Before you start bending the pipe, it is recommended to pour dry sand into it and plug both ends with wooden plugs.

This will help to avoid the appearance of waves (corrugations) on the workpiece on the inside of the curved section, and large stretching of the metal on the outer wall of the bend.

Of all the existing pipe bending machines, the most widely used is the self-made pipe bender, which operates on the principle of a rolling device. This model of pipe bender has virtually no disadvantages; it is light in weight and size, can be easily transported and takes up little space during storage.

It’s not that difficult to make a homemade or even a professional pipe bender with your own hands in order to be able to bend pipes at a given angle and, importantly, with a given bending radius.

Contrary to popular belief that this device is most often used when performing plumbing work, in such cases various fittings and elbows are usually used - pre-bent sections of pipes manufactured in industrial conditions. However, there are restrictions on the use of bends, which are determined by their standard characteristics:

• rotation angles (can be 45, 60, 90 and 180 degrees);
• bending radii (bends with bending radii of 1.0 DN and 1.5 DN are available);
• use of welding.

Not in all situations such parameters can satisfy those who need to give a pipe structure the required shape. It is in such cases that a mechanical pipe bender (or manual pipe bender) comes to the rescue.

Those owners of dachas and private houses who are going to independently manufacture various arched structures, greenhouses, and fences cannot do without a machine for bending steel pipes non-standard shape and much more.

In this article we will thoroughly examine how to make a pipe bender with your own hands. After all, a homemade pipe bender can be used not only at home, but also in semi-professional activities, since its design is not sky-high in complexity, and commercial devices for bending pipes are quite expensive. Therefore, by making a manual pipe bender with your own hands, you will save a lot of money.

Classification of pipe bending devices

Devices for bending steel pipes are classified:

• by degree of mobility (stationary and portable);
• by type of drive (manual, electric, hydraulic, electrohydraulic);
• according to the method of influence (running in (roller), winding, impact with a rod (crossbow), rolling).

The essence of how a pipe bender influences a pipe is as follows.

Run-in

With this method, one end of the pipe is clamped, and a stationary template is used to give it the required bend. Pressure rollers are used to roll the product around the template.

Winding

In such a device, the pipe is pressed against a movable template (roller), on which it is wound, stretching between a rotating roller and a special stop installed at the beginning of the bending point.

Crossbow pipe benders

In such a pipe bender, the pipe rests on two stationary rollers, and bending is performed by a template, which is attached to a movable rod. The template presses on the middle of the fixed section of the pipe, thereby giving it the required bending angle.

Diagram of a crossbow pipe bender: 2 - jack, 3 - shoe (punch)

Rolling or rolling

The required bending radius is obtained using a three-roll device, the basis of which is two support rollers and one central roller. The central roller exerts pressure on the pipe, the position of which determines the radius of its bend. is more universal; in all other machines the bending radius depends on the template used.

The manufacture of a pipe bender operating on the winding principle is not simple, so such a device is made mainly in an industrial way. The crossbow method has another significant drawback: the pressure from the rod with a template attached to it, called a shoe, is concentrated in its upper part. This method of acting on the pipe leads to its significant stretching along the outer radius of the bend, which may be accompanied by a decrease in wall thickness and even its rupture. It is especially not recommended to use the crossbow method for bending thin-walled products.

An example of a homemade rolling (rolling) type pipe bender

A machine operating on the principle of rolling (rolling) practically does not have all of the above-mentioned disadvantages; this technology is used in the production of bends in the factory.

A DIY pipe bending machine can have different design. You should choose its type based on what radius you need. There is a list of recommendations in accordance with which the choice is made specific model devices for bending steel pipes. Important parameters that need to be taken into account are the thickness of the pipe walls and its overall diameter. Before starting to work with a pipe bender, it would not hurt to familiarize yourself with the data in the table showing the maximum possible radii for bending steel pipes.

To obtain a bend radius smaller than that specified in such recommendations, it is necessary to use either hot rolling, which is used mainly in production conditions. A device with a mandrel is more difficult to create at home, so they are much less likely to be made independently, giving preference to rolling ones.

In order to independently hot-roll a pipe, you can resort to using a home-made pipe bender, but provided that it is made entirely of metal and its frame is highly reliable. To perform such a technological operation, you will additionally need a blowtorch or gas burner.

Making a simple template-type pipe bender

A simple rolling pipe bending machine can even be made from wood. Naturally, this will be a manual pipe bender, the design of which may not even include a pressure roller if it is used for thin-walled products. The template for such a device is made from a wooden board, the thickness of which should be such that it exceeds the diameter of the pipe itself.

For ease of work, it makes sense to consider profiling the template from its end in order to avoid the pipe jumping off during bending. For these purposes, you can fold two boards, first sawing one edge at a time, thus creating a kind of gutter. A pre-drawn drawing will help avoid mistakes.

When using such a pipe bender, the template is attached to a reliable base, and a stop is attached to the left side of it (for right-handers). The pipe that needs to be bent to the required radius is placed between the template and the stop and carefully bent, making sure that it does not jump off the template.

With the help of such a pipe bender, made from scrap materials, you can bend along a large bend radius. You can avoid making a wooden template and simplify the device by replacing it with metal hooks fixed to the base, located in a circle with the required bend radius. This device is convenient in that the dimensions of the bend can be changed at any time by placing the stop hooks around a circle with a different radius.

Armed with a manual winch, you can significantly expand the range of work performed due to a noticeable increase in traction force for bending pipes.

Pipe benders with pressure roller

A more complex design is a manual pipe bender, which uses a pressure roller. To make such a device, you can use both wood and metal.

For pipes made of soft materials(for example, copper) the best option rollers are made of wood, since they do not cause metal deformation. It’s not at all difficult to make such rollers at home if you use photos or drawings of similar devices, large quantities posted on the Internet. The manufacturing material can be thick boards or several layers of plywood.

Homemade pipe bender A similar design, the basis of which is made up of rollers - movable (pressing) and fixed - allows bending of round pipes, even with a significant diameter.

In order to understand that such a device is simple in design and use, just look at its photo or drawing. Depending on what loads are expected for a pipe bender of this type, the base for it is made of metal or durable plywood. The U-shaped holder on which the central and pressure rollers will be placed is made of metal.

Relative to the axis of the central roller, securely fixed to the base, such a holder must be able to rotate. WITH reverse side a handle, which is a lever, is attached to the holder from the central roller, so the force created directly depends on its length. This lever pipe bender allows you to perform operations with different bending radii of pipes.

Many people wonder whether it is possible to make a winding-type pipe bender with your own hands. Naturally, it is first advisable to study a drawing or photo of such a device, which does not have a stop on the base. The design of this type of pipe bender is based on two pulleys, a frame with a lever and a pressure roller, and a reliable base. Bending using such a device is carried out due to the fact that the pipe, placed in the groove of a stationary pulley and clamped with a clamp, is wrapped around a template using a lever and a movable roller.

Pipe bender for soft pipes with two different bend radii

For small and soft products (aluminum or copper), a homemade pipe bender is suitable, allowing bending with two different radii. Photos of such a device are easy to find on the Internet. This pipe bender uses one pressure roller and the template is made with two radii at the same time on one plate. Naturally, for each bending option, the pipe bender handle must be reinstalled, for which two holes are provided on its base.

Winding type pipe benders

Examples of such devices are hydraulic pipe benders, which are used to bend round pipes. The design of such a device has a powerful pulley to which the pipe is attached at the bending point. This pulley is fixed on a reliable frame, and at its base there is a rod, which is driven by a jack. A significant force is created on the rod using a jack, which is transmitted to a lever that rotates the pulley and winds the pipe onto it. The lever can rotate freely around the axis of the pulley and is connected to it using holes located around its circumference.

A working example of such a pipe bender can be seen in the video below:

You can also make a similar mechanical pipe bender yourself using a rack-and-pinion jack. More physical effort is required when using this device.

Example of work on video:

Examples of fixtures similar type These include homemade pipe benders, the rollers of which are made of wood. When working with such devices for bending round pipes, it is necessary to apply significant physical effort, which is reduced by a movable rotating roller.

An example in the video below:

Crossbow type pipe benders

These pipe benders got their name because of their resemblance to a crossbow. The basis of the design of such a device is a frame made by welding from corners and channels. Inside such a frame, on which two movable rollers are mounted, there is a jack, which, using a special shoe, creates a force directed at the pipe. Pipe benders with movable rollers and a pressure shoe are used primarily for bending round pipes, since they can simply deform any other type of product.

A rugged, no-frills crossbow pipe bender

The most popular options for homemade pipe benders

The most technologically advanced and versatile are pipe benders that operate on the rolling principle. It is these devices, often equipped with an electric drive, that are used by professionals who are constantly faced with the need to bend pipes from various materials, including stainless steel.

The design of such a device is based on three rotating rollers, one of which is a pressure roller. Thanks to the gradually increasing pressure of the pressure roller and rolling repeated for each new position of the roller, bending of the pipe is carried out in the most gentle way, its walls are subjected to tensile manipulations very evenly.

Computer model pipe bender Drawing of the clamping screw Drawings of the shafts
Ring drawing Pipe bender components Assembly process
Motor driven

Rolled steel pipe profiles are widely in demand when laying spatial engineering communications, manufacturing greenhouses and greenhouses, and in various household projects. This is facilitated by high section rigidity with low weight per linear meter.

In many situations, there is no need to purchase expensive drive devices, since you can make a simple manual pipe bender with your own hands.

Pipe bending is not one of the energy-intensive stamping operations, so the effort required when manually bending is low. The difficulty lies in the fact that unless certain conditions are met, the cross-section of the bent pipe is deformed, and the quality of the bend is low. This happens for the following reasons:

• When bending at an angle exceeding 10...150, the internal areas of the section are under the influence of compressive stresses, and the external ones are under tension. Therefore, folds and/or cracks appear on the surface of the pipe;
• Pipes made of medium carbon steel (grades 40 and higher) have increased elasticity. This manifests itself in the springing effect of the bent profile when its dimensions do not correspond to the specified ones. When bending along a complex spatial contour, springback can reach 15...20%;
• Without forced fixation of the end of the pipe, its end is distorted, and its boundary loses its perpendicularity to the axis. As a result, difficulties arise with the installation of adjacent parts.

Taking this into account, it is necessary to select blanks from pipes made from ductile steel grades. Cold-formed pipes bend worse than hot-rolled pipes. Overall, under manual bending Seamless steel pipes in accordance with GOST 8732-76 are more suitable, as well as pipes made of ductile non-ferrous metals and alloys - aluminum, brass, copper, etc.

Bending a profile pipe without using a pipe bender at home
Metal pipe square section considered universal building material for arched and semicircular structures. An example would be semicircular arch for a greenhouse, bent canopy made of...

To exclude negative influence stress concentrators, all external surfaces of the material must be cleaned of scale and rust.

General diagram of a manual pipe bender

How to make a pipe bender? Regardless of the bending method - open or semi-closed - a homemade pipe bender should include:

1. Replaceable profiled roller along which compression will be carried out.
2. A deforming lever used to bend the pipe.
3. Fixation of one of the ends.
4. Adjustable template or lever travel limiter.
5. Protective cover.
6. Base.

Some designs of homemade pipe benders for pipes may have a drive that allows deformation of thick-walled materials. Hydraulic motors are used for this: they are silent, autonomous and perform bending with increased precision.

Vertical axes with equipment are placed in rolling bearings. The device is attached to mechanic's workbench or other supporting surface.

In simple cases (ratio R/d > 20; here R is the outer bending radius, d is outside diameter round pipe or side size - for a square one) a pipe bender is not required, since the deforming forces are insignificant. To bend them, it is enough to place the tubular blank in a composite template, the parts of which are sequentially moved in the required direction.

Accounting for springback (in degrees) when bending medium-carbon steels at angles of 90...1800 is carried out using the following table:

Pipe outer diameter, mm	Pipe wall thickness, mm
Up to 0.5 mm	Up to 1.0 mm	Up to 1.5 mm	Up to 2.0 mm
Up to 10 mm	2…3	3…4	4…5	5…6
Up to 20 mm	3…4	4…5	5…6	6…8
Up to 30 mm	4…5	5…6	6…8	8…10
Up to 50 mm	5…6	6…8	8…10	10…12
Over 50 mm	6…10	8…10	10…12	12…15

Below are designs that can be made at home. Drawings of such pipe benders are available on the Internet, so homemade products are always made using improvised means.

DIY template pipe bender

Manual bending using a template is the simplest technology any (including spatial) bending of pipes. It is often used with a workpiece heated at the bending point (for example, a gas-flame torch or a blowtorch): the plasticity of the metal increases, and the deformation force decreases.

Description of the template pipe bender:

1. An anchor-shaped clamp into which the pipe is inserted.
2. A movable/replaceable stop, along the axis of which there is a recess corresponding to the arc of the outer diameter of the pipe.
3. Plate with mounting holes.

On the opposite side of the stop, a bevel is made, the angle of which corresponds to the required (after bending!) value of the bending angle.

All parts can be made from ordinary structural steel (for example, steel 45), but the stop will last longer if it is made from tool steel type U10A steel.

The step-by-step installation is as follows. A clamp is installed on the base plate, then the stop is attached coaxially to it. The distance between parts must be taken taking into account the known range of R/d ratios. It is very important to maintain the recommended value of the radius of curvature when moving to the curved part of the pipe.

In accordance with GOST 17685-71, they are accepted as follows:

• S/d< 0,03 – не менее 4d;
• S/d< 0,06 – не менее 3,6d;
• S/d< 0,11 – не менее 30d;
• S/d< 0,16 – не менее 2d.

These restrictions apply to cold bending. By heating the deformable part (no more than 1500C), the given values ​​can be reduced by 12...15%. Maximum angle this type the pipe bender does not limit, however, at angles exceeding 450, folds form on the workpiece, and the pipe cross-section loses its original shape.

Homemade roller pipe bender

The advantages of roller pipe benders are expanded technological capabilities and increased bending accuracy. The design of the device is simple:

1. A profiled replaceable roller that rotates freely on a vertical (less often horizontal) axis.
2. Swivel lever with handle.
3. A bending replaceable roller mounted on the opposite arm of the lever.
4. Emphasis-wiring.
5. Bed.

To reduce the force, both rollers must rotate freely, for which they are installed in rolling bearings. Since each pair of rollers is adapted for bending pipes with a certain outer diameter, they must be quick-changeable.

The material of the parts is chosen for the same reasons as for the previous version. In order to increase rigidity, the stop-wire can be welded to the body. The bending radius (selected according to the above relationships) will be equal to the radius of the bending roller profile.

To ensure proper quality of deformation, the radial runout of the roller axes must be minimal, and their axes must be strictly parallel to each other.

Manufacturing of winding pipe bender

The principle of operation of such a pipe bender is similar to the previous one, but instead of a rotary roller, the workpiece is bent by a moving stop that slides along horizontal guides.

The winding pipe bender contains:

1. A profiled sector, the angle of which determines the maximum permissible bending angle.
2. A short vertical axis that can rotate freely in a ball bearing assembly.
3. Two adjacent rollers forming a movable stop.
4. One-way guides.
5. Stop travel limiter, which prevents its spontaneous displacement during operation.
6. A safety fork that covers the profiled sector, increasing the accuracy of workpiece positioning.

Structurally, the device is more complex, but it allows deformation in limited space, and the angle can be changed not by changing rollers, but by simply adjusting the initial position of the clamping device. This pipe bender is available with a hydraulic or electric drive option.

Making a crossbow pipe bender

The crossbow pipe bender is the most compact, although it is characterized by increased manufacturing complexity. The sequence of operation of the device is that the tubular workpiece to be bent is pressed against two steel rollers rigidly fixed on the frame, the distance between which is determined by the radius. A manual hydraulic cylinder is built into the body of the pipe bender (a brake cylinder from a car is often used). By pressing the trigger, liquid is injected into one of the cavities of the cylinder high pressure, under the influence of which the piston rod begins to move towards the deformed workpiece. Since the rollers and cylinder are installed on the same base plate, the accuracy of the crossbow pipe bender will depend only on the quality of manufacturing and assembly.

The advantage of the device is the elimination of physical stress applied by the user (a regular jack can be used as a pressure source). The disadvantage is the increased complexity of work in the house when assembling and setting up the device: it is necessary to make a supporting frame, carefully adjust it to the existing dimensions of the jack, ensure the alignment of the rollers and the perpendicularity of the movement of the rod to the axis of the original workpiece.

A hydraulic drive that provides the necessary force can be assembled in another way. A conventional car jack is installed on a frame made of channels and is equipped with two symmetrically located stops (they can be provided as adjustable).

A replaceable nozzle is attached to the jack screw, the profile of which corresponds to the diameter of the arc of the outer section of the pipe. The distance between the frame ribs depends on the bending angle. To implement the process, a jack is placed on top of the deformed workpiece, first fixing it on the stops.

Homemade hydraulic pipe bender is ready for use. Particularly large pipes are additionally secured with bolts for safety. Next, rotate the screw and deform to the desired value.

DIY hydraulic pipe bender

Jacking hydraulic pipe bender – good decision, allowing you to use the existing one in your arsenal home handyman car jack. Disadvantages - low productivity and restrictions on the length of the workpiece (for long pipes, the dimensions of the frame will increase significantly).

Snail pipe bender

In such a pipe bender, the movement of the pressure roller is ensured by a fork sliding in guides, which are equipped with limiters. Holes are drilled in the fork for installing two rollers - a small one, which will perform deformation, and a large one, for fixing the tubular workpiece. To move the fork from the opposite side, a working handle is provided.

Work order:

1. Make a clamping fork.
2. Grind the pressure rollers (possibly with replaceable inserts that will determine the outer diameter of the pipe).
3. Insert and secure the rollers on the fork (you can also use cotter pins, but it is better to provide a threaded connection).
4. Make a base from sheet metal with a thickness of at least 8 mm, providing holes for fasteners in it.
5. Attach the fork travel stops to the base.

The disadvantage of a volute pipe bender is its low productivity, since the stroke of the fork is determined by the size of the deformed part of the pipe, as well as the maximum deformation force. But volute pipe benders take up little space and are easy to change: just move the large roller to a new position.

Roller pipe bender for car hubs

The limitation of homemade roller pipe benders is the difficulty of producing replaceable profiled rollers. You can get around this complexity if you use car hubs as sectors. The dimensions of the device will increase, but in return its reliability and stability will increase, which is important when bending long and thick-walled pipes. For production you will need:

1. Three automobile hubs: two movable, located in a cantilever, and one fixed, which is placed longitudinally to the axis of the device.
2. Two short axles that are assembled on a rigid welded bracket.
3. A rotary mechanism of cam or eccentric types, with which you can change the distance between the hubs.
4. An axial longitudinal guide, which can be used in size from a cold-rolled channel.
5. Flat travel stops.
6. Internal guide channel with holes for bolting stops.
7. Rotary handle.

This design is justified in the manufacture of spatial tubular elements of complex shape. The presence of two hubs, the disks of which are spaced on opposite parts of the base, allows you to apply force locally, only to that part of the pipe that is in this moment bends. This makes up for such design shortcomings as the complexity of installation and adjustment, as well as increased overall dimensions.

Features of a profile pipe bender

How to make a profile pipe bender with your own hands? Distortion of the profile of such pipes during normal deformation affects not only their external appearance, but also causes difficulties in the subsequent process. We do not consider the option of cutting the profile at the bending points and then welding the notch, due to a significant weakening of the strength of the section.

The simplest profile pipe bender consists of the following elements:

1. The frames are in the form of a rectangular channel, the cross-section of which allows you to easily place the pipe there along the axis.
2. Pairs of flat feed rollers that are installed at the ends of the frame.
3. A screw feed mechanism, which includes a power screw with a handle, a bending punch and two supports installed in the center of the frame.
4. Feed handle, which is connected to the rollers.

All parts are fastened with bolts, the frame itself is mounted on a workbench. The pipe is placed on top of the rollers, and by rotating the feed handle it is installed opposite the axis of symmetry of the punch. Next, rotate the screw and bend it, visually checking the required angle.

To avoid cross-section deformation, use one of the techniques described in the next paragraph.

Technology of working with homemade pipe benders

The main failures of using self-made pipe benders are the significant deformation of the cross-section of the pipe, which is observed with any deformation pattern. Loss of cross-sectional stability can be minimized or eliminated by creating back pressure from inside the pipe.

There are several ways to do this:

• The pipe is filled with fine-grained sand, and sealed plugs are inserted into the holes. Since the sand does not compress, the internal pressure will balance the external pressure, and cross-sectional deformation will not occur;
• The use of ordinary water for similar purposes, which should be completely frozen before use. The method is inconvenient, but quite acceptable in the cold season;
• Using a tension spring as a source of backpressure with suitable diameter. The spring is placed inside the pipe, then the workpiece is deformed;
• Filling the pipe with metal washers with a diameter 1...2 mm smaller than the internal diameter. The parts are strung on a steel cable, which is passed through the pipe and secured somewhere outside the pipe bender. When bending, the washers are able to move freely along the axis of the pipe. Possessing high rigidity, they prevent wall deformation.

When bending at small angles (up to 12...150), there is no need for the described techniques.

Conclusion

This article systematizes and discusses the most common designs of pipe benders, mainly with manual drive. All of them can be made using non-scarce materials, components and tools available to home craftsmen. Without pretending to fully cover the issue, we expect new effective designs of these devices from users.

A pipe bender is a device with a mechanical or hydraulic operating principle for bending pipes, angles, rods and other metal products. It is possible to make a pipe bender for a profile pipe with your own hands, which allows you to bend most types of profiles.

There are several main types of pipe benders: volute, manual roller and jack. It’s more difficult to make hydraulic and electric models yourself, so let’s look at mechanical models.

Required Tools

To assemble a pipe bender, you need at least the following tools:

• welding inverter;
• lathe (or purchase of finished parts);
• vice;
• hammer;
• metal file;
• sandpaper;
• ruler;
• drill.

But the most important thing is the pipe bender drawings. The mechanism must be manufactured strictly according to the drawing. You can take finished drawing from of this material or find another one and adapt it to the desired size.

But, without a drawing it is impossible to make a pipe bender, since you need accurate calculations to ensure the operation of mechanical parts.

Snail pipe bender

The peculiarity of this type of pipe bender is the ability to bend a part along its entire length at the same time, and not in a specific place. This makes the tool more versatile.

Materials for volute pipe bender

When making such a pipe bender with your own hands, the dimensions of the parts must be selected to suit individual needs, since this model does not have a specific working diameter. This is also an advantage, since it allows the use of available materials.

To assemble the structure you need:

• meter channel;
• Sheet steel;
• 3 shafts;
• 2 stars;
• steel chain;
• 6 bearings;
• a two-meter pipe with a diameter of 12.7 mm for the production of cranks;
• screw for clamping;
• bushing with internal thread.

Making a volute pipe bender

The pipe bender should be assembled strictly according to the diagram. Check out the photo of a DIY pipe bender and different options drawings. Select a suitable diagram and adjust the dimensions if necessary.

• Weld the frame from channels (can be replaced with a thick steel plate or 1 channel of sufficient width).
• Mount the bearings on the shafts, which are then welded to the frame.
• Place the sprockets on the shafts and mount the chain on them.
• Cut out the guides for the clamping mechanism and weld them onto the frame.
• Mount the bearings on the clamp shaft and assemble the press mechanism. Use channels or thick steel strips as side restraints.
• Make a base for the bushing and weld it to the structure. Screw in the clamp screw.
• Weld a tubular driver to the upper end of the screw and the shaft.
• Lubricate the bearings and check the operation of the mechanism.

Manual pipe bender on a roller mechanism

Making a manual pipe bender on rollers with your own hands is somewhat easier, since there are fewer mechanical elements. The device allows you to bend pipes in certain places.

The device must have a long lever, since direct manual force is required to bend the products.

Materials for making a roller pipe bender

To assemble the mechanism you need:

• 2 steel rollers 10 cm and 6 cm in diameter. Inner radius – 12.7 mm, thickness – 35 mm;
• 1.5-inch thick-walled (from 3 mm) steel pipe for the construction of a lever (length from 1.5 m);
• 4 steel strips 15x6 cm, about 5 mm thick. The mechanism for fastening the device in a vice. Also used for the construction of handles and lever supports;
• steel strip 6 cm wide and 3 mm thick;
• 2 bolts – 60 mm 17.78 mm and 40 mm 12.7 mm. For fixing the rollers;
• steel plate 30x30 cm (thickness from 3 mm);

Manufacturing a manual pipe bender on a roller mechanism

How to make a pipe bender with your own hands at home - step-by-step instructions:

Make 2 holes with a diameter of 12.7 mm and 17.78 mm at an interval of 80 cm (or other, based on your drawing). The frame has a 19.05 mm hole. Install the appropriate bolt into it and secure it with welding.

Weld a U-shaped part from 15x6 cm plates, a 12.7 mm bolt, a small roller and a 35x60 cm strip of steel. Pre-mount the roller using a bolt in the previously prepared holes. Weld the bolt to the plates. As a result, you will get a product that resembles a spear.

Weld a tube that acts as a handle to the base of the assembled part. Weld the pipe support strip to the base of the entire product. Between the bar and the main bolt there should be a distance equal to the radius of the main roller (which has larger size according to your drawing) with the addition of 12.7 mm.

At the bottom of the base, weld a 15x6 cm strip, with which the structure is secured in a vice. Mount the main roller into the rod part. Place the latter on the main bolt and secure with a nut. Secure the device in a vice and test it in action.

Jack pipe bender

Simple and convenient device for bending profile pipes. For production you need the following materials:

• jack;
• 4 corners 40 cm long with equal shelves of 50 mm each;
• 2 rollers with grooves for belts. There should be through holes in the center. If they are missing, drill, measuring the middle;
• equipment for a jack in the shape of a semicircle with a recess inside;
• 2 channels 60 cm long and 10 cm wide;
• bed;
• 2 mounting bolts.

Construction of a pipe jack bender

Weld the corners vertically onto the station. Make holes in the channels for installing rollers.

Weld channels onto the corners (2 corners - 1 channel). Place the channels with the platforms facing each other. The spacing between parts should correspond to the length of the rollers. Mount the rollers in the prepared holes and secure with bolts.

Mount the equipment in the shape of a semicircle on the jack and place it in the central part of the base between the channel structures.

DIY pipe bender photo