Help wanted

[Jeep450r]

Does anybody here know their way around a tube bender? I just purchased a pro-tools 105 bender and will be building tube bumpers, doors, and then a roll cage.

Is there anyone out there who could teach me some tips either in person or through this thread/IM/phone ect?

Located in Pleasanton

Any help/info will be greatly appreciated.
-Jeep450r

 

[SeansXJ]

have you thought about takin some classes at your local JC? its a start!

 

[Alex E]

I've got a fair amount of time behind a welder and tube bender but I will admit my fabricating skills still need lots of work. I've got custom tube bumpers on my Jeep that turned out pretty decent but thats 90 percent thanks to my friend who does that type of stuff for his business. With that being said take my advice with a grain of salt. What I've found is get some crap metal and just start working with the stuff, kind of study how the metal works when you bend it or weld it. Fabricating isn't rocket science but it definitely takes practice, time, some know how and a little bit of art. Try looking on the net for tube bending software, there is this one program we use so for example if you want to make a hoop you give the width of where you want all your bends and the program tells you where to put all your marks on the tube and how many degrees to bend at each mark and it turns out 100 percent each time. Its way easy after you've done it a few times ALSO there is this tool that clamps to tube and it has a 360 degree level indicator on it. GET IT, you just zero it on the tube when you start it on the bender and keep it at zero for every bend and your hoops or what ever will turn out straight each time and not twisted. All I know from working on cars for years as a profession whether its car repair or fabing just invest in good tools and you'll get great results and it will make your life way easier. As for the JC and learning a thing or two I believe some where in Dublin or Livermore is a pretty reputable trade school for metal working. Not sure on the name but that would be sweet to take some classes.

 

[Ivan]

Here's a pretty good tutorial from pirate4x4, appropriately named "Tube bending 101".

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/bendin_tube/index.html

There's also some other tubing related articles in the "Tech Garage" section.

 

[MONSTERxbla]

I am an electrician so I figured bending tubing you be easy as I bent miles of rigid conduit. Well I found out its a little different but with the right tools anybody can do it. I bought the bend tech pro software and that made things much easier, in fact I still have the bend specs for my cage (1998), if you need some ideas. Remember your tubing is going to spring back a bit after you bend it, so figure what that spring back is and add this to the degree (I think I had about 3-4*, so a 30* bend would actually be bent to 34*). you need a good protractor (trick tools has a nice one). you can never have too many levels. Another person or two doesn't hurt (this is advice I never follow, thats why my projects take so long). And it's only metal, you can usually take bend out or add a little if you need to, you just may have to get creative

 

[Letterman]

It would be cool to hang out and show you some stuff but I am out of town for a few weeks. If you are still wanting some help after the 10th of July hit me up!

 

[Jeep450r]

It would be cool to hang out and show you some stuff but I am out of town for a few weeks. If you are still wanting some help after the 10th of July hit me up!

Ill be sure to get in touch with you when that time comes around. Thanks for the offer!

Thanks for all the help guys. Is there any cheap tube bending software out there? I know of Bendtech Pro.. but thats a little expensive.

 

[JP]

Here's a pretty good tutorial from pirate4x4, appropriately named "Tube bending 101".

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/bendin_tube/index.html

There's also some other tubing related articles in the "Tech Garage" section.

That's what we used to build my buddies buggy and my cage. He is more talented than I and a few mistakes were made along the way but its a pretty good start.

 

[Phil]

Here's a pretty good tutorial from pirate4x4, appropriately named "Tube bending 101".

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/bendin_tube/index.html

There's also some other tubing related articles in the "Tech Garage" section.

That's what we used to build my buddies buggy and my cage. He is more talented than I and a few mistakes were made along the way but its a pretty good start.

Tube Bending 101 is all you really need.

If you don't want to drill anchors into your garage floor or sidewalk, mount it to a piece of plywood. Mount it so you're standing on the plywood when you pull on the handle. It'll work just fine.

A welding blanket or probably old sheet will work for tube layout if you don't want to draw on the concrete. And when you change your ideas, you can flip the sheet/blanket/plywood over.