DIY pipe bending device. The simplest pipe benders for a round pipe with your own hands. Bending pipes without using a pipe bender

It happens that you need to bend a metal pipe, but there is nothing to do it with. Human strength is not enough to make a bend evenly without damaging the structure itself. To do this, you need a tool - a pipe bender, which is sold in stores and the construction market. But it’s possible to make it yourself in a garage with a minimum of equipment.

Even budget versions cost more than homemade ones. And if you need a homemade pipe bender for a profile pipe for specific work and will no longer need it, there is no point in buying it.

What is a pipe bender and where is it needed?

Before installing a pipe bender for a profile pipe, you need to learn more about the tool. This is old equipment used for pipe bending. Why can't this be done with ordinary human power? Metal is easily deformed if pressure is applied to it from the sides. The span of human hands is simply not enough to make it possible to deform a pipe in a particular section of the pipeline.

A machine for bending a profile pipe with your own hands not only makes the bend correctly. It accurately determines the angle of inclination. You can set the parameters depending on your specific needs. This procedure does not require much effort.

The equipment can be made of metal. It is advisable to take steel as it meets the standard of hardness and strength that we need. Aluminum has a shorter service life. But if there are no other materials at hand, it will do. You definitely can’t use plastic, as its strength will not be enough to resist the pressure of the metal.

You can make the equipment for yourself. Several types are available to the homemaker, differing in type of design. The angle can be fixed during assembly. Typically, in factory models it corresponds to a range of up to one hundred and eighty degrees.

Kinds

A bending machine for profile pipes, even in a garage, can be of several types. You can use materials that are not needed in everyday life.

Structurally, they have the following differences:

Hydraulic

A type of machine that operates on fluid power. Allows you to bend pipes with a diameter of up to 8 centimeters, so it is often found in production. It is rarely used at home, since we do not need such indicators. But when installing a metal heating pipeline it will be useful. A hydraulic pipe bender is not suitable for thin-walled round pipes, since its deformation method is too rough.

Manual

Popular for home use, but cannot be used for bending wide pipes. Simple design built on elementary physics. Everyone has the components for assembly in their garage. Suitable for non-hardened steel, low-carbon ferroalloys, non-ferrous metals (aluminum, copper, various types of their alloys).

Electromechanical

They are difficult to assemble on their own, but have high performance. They create pinpoint precision and can bend thin-walled tubes without damaging the walls.

Hybrid

They represent a combination of electric and hydraulic axes.

Bending Methods

Additionally, the method of bending itself differs:

Crossbow. For bending, a pre-prepared shape is used, which is suitable for a specific type of pipe. Do-it-yourself crossbow profile bending is a common machine in garages.
Spring. The spring mechanism provides not only high-quality bending, but also does not create destructive deformations.
Segmental. It differs in that bending occurs with the help of a segment that pulls the pipe towards itself.
Bezdornovy. Deformation occurs by winding the profile onto a roller.
Dornovy. The mechanism is similar to the previous one. The main difference is the installation of additional filler, which prevents corrugation from forming.

Necessary materials

A hydraulic pipe bender for a round pipe is designed in a very simple way. You can use ready-made drawings that the Internet is filled with. Under They are available for any garage size. There are many designs, the choice of which is determined by the available materials. If you don’t want to go to a hardware store and spend money, look in the bins. Some parts can be ordered from turners and milling machines.

Often, homebuilders choose a frontal design, which is inexpensive and easy to assemble.

It consists of:

Three rollers – metal;
Drive chain;
Axes for rotation;
The mechanism of movement, which will produce bending;
Metal profile to make the frame.

DIYers, in order to save money, install rollers from available materials like wood, plastic or polyurethane. The problem here is the theory of cutting. Metal is much stronger and denser. Therefore, the roller may not withstand the pressure and crack. There is no need to save money and install metal ones.

To understand how a pipe bender for a profile pipe bends with your own hands, you need to understand the technology. Often, conventional types of rolling and rolling are used. They allow you to work even with thin-walled tubes without destroying them and leaving them suitable for use.

To make a bend, the pipe must be installed between the rollers. Next, you need to turn the handle, after which deformation will be carried out according to the specified parameters.

You can make pipe benders for profile pipes from a jack. If it is in the garage, you already have half of the machine ready. After assembly, the jack can be removed.

To do this you will need:

Car jack;
Frame;
Springs (necessarily high-precision);
Three rollers;
Drive chain;
Consumables.

You can watch the video below to see how a manual profile bender works. To obtain the result, the installed pipe is bent using rollers. By turning the handle, the drive chain is set in motion, which produces the bend itself.

Instructions for making a pipe bender

Manufacturing the bender is simple if you follow these instructions:

Gears, bearings and rings are attached to the pressure shaft, which are connected to each other using a key. Before assembly, you need to draw up a thorough drawing with the prescribed indicators of all elements. Often they have to be turned separately. If you don't know how to use a lathe, trust a turner. You will need a total of three separate shafts. 2. Holes are made in the rings. They will be needed for grooves and threaded connections.
You need to install a shelf. A steel channel is best, which will provide sufficient pressure on the shaft.
After this you will need to assemble the entire structure. If possible, use a welding machine. The welding connection is the most reliable solution. It does not vibrate. If you don't have a welder, you can use bolts. In some areas, thick steel perforated plates will be required.
The penultimate stage is the installation of the shelf. A pressure roller is installed on it through a spring. Residual rollers are mounted on the sides. A handle is attached to one of them.
Lastly, the jack is installed.

Some nuances:

The roller is installed on a shelf, to which a nut for the spring is first welded;
Tension must be done using a magnetic corner, which largely acts as a holder;
The jack is mounted on a hinged platform (if you want to use it separately, use bolted fastenings).

Hydraulic work bender - instructions

Pipe bender for metal-plastic pipes with hydraulic traction you can also do it yourself. The disadvantage is the complexity of assembly.

You will need:

A jack with a lifting capacity of at least five tons;
Shoe platform;
Shafts;
Massive channel;
Thick steel sheets and consumables.

To produce the device, you need to install a hydraulic jack in the shoe. You need to fix it correctly on both sides. To do this, you can use a welding machine or bolts.

After this, the pressure on the jack ensures high-quality bending of the pipe. Having achieved the required angle, it is enough to remove the product and use it for its intended purpose. To make a device, you need to adhere to the following plan:

Make a detailed drawing. It needs to describe the dimensions of each individual element. Their production can be ordered from a turner.
The lower platform acts as a platform for the jack. To use it in the future, fasten it with bolts, not welding.
Rollers are an important part of the design. Its problem is that they have strict requirements for accuracy. You can make them yourself. The shoe is mounted lower, and their ratio determines the permissible bending angle.

Making a compact snail pipe bender

Products made from the “Snail” profile pipe received this name because it acts as a force template. This is a stencil that is needed specifically to obtain the correct shape of a flat spiral.

In the process, the tube is pressed tightly against the stencil, forming even spiral shapes. In their design, they resemble machines for sealing glass jars.

A snail is a flat steel plastic (at least four millimeters thick). A stencil part in the form of a spiral is installed on it. The problem is that its production requires at least milling machine or a good hand router. You can't do without a propane cutter. This is a type of torch that allows you to heat metal and then bend it.

Factory models are equipped with a pin and bolt system. Each part is replaceable, allowing you to make different bends.

Types of methods

A pipe bender for metal-plastic pipes is a basic machine that operates on one mechanics. The machine is indispensable for pipelines, including thick-walled and metal-plastic ones. It can work with different types of metal (steel, aluminum, copper, zinc and their alloys). For greater productivity, the bend areas can be pre-red to release the metal, relieve internal stress and make it softer.

Cold method

Common in garage craftsmanship. If you don’t have a blowtorch or burner, you can use it. The disadvantage is that it requires more effort. Cold metal is harder and can crack. Therefore only suitable for raw steel and soft non-ferrous metals. Safer compared to hot rolling, since you don’t have to work with high temperatures.

Hot method

Requires a torch and blowtorch. Heating relieves stress from the metal and therefore it becomes more pliable, but this is only relevant for thin-walled pipes. Thick-walled tubes cannot be heated to more than 300 degrees in a garage.

You learned how to make a pipe bender with your own hands. But it is better to follow a few additional tips:

To work with different pipe profiles, make removable shafts. To bend thick-walled steel, you will need hardened shafts. Only the top layer can be processed.
If the pipe slips when working with the template, install securing hooks on the sides.
To bend large-diameter pipes with thick walls, install at least three rollers, which will be enough for comfortable work. It is desirable that they be harder than the material being bent. To do this, you can harden the surface of the steel roller.

Read in the article

How to make a homemade pipe bender for a profile pipe

There are several ways to bend a profiled pipe along a given radius:

Rolling a profiled pipe blank heated with a gas burner around a template blank or in a special clamp. This type of pipe bender can be assembled in 10 minutes; you only need to fill the pipe with sand and select the correct caliber of the blank on which the bend is formed;
On a homemade pipe bender of a lever-roller design. In this case, the profiled pipe is bent in separate sectors. The design of the pipe bender is very simple to manufacture, but when forming an arc, a certain skill in work will be required so that the same radius of curvature is maintained throughout the entire profiled pipe;
Using a rolling roller pipe bender. The advantage of such a scheme is the ability to maintain the radius of curvature as accurately as possible, so it is possible to produce the required number of curved profiled sections of almost any length.

For your information! Using manual and lever pipe benders, it is possible to bend a profiled pipe blank in the most complex way, but it is extremely difficult to produce two segments of equal curvature.

Therefore, both manual and lever-roller pipe benders are used for individual production of all kinds of parts and adapters, for example, when repairing water supply systems and simple building structures. The rolling-roller design of the pipe bender allows you to bend relatively simple products from a profiled pipe, but in an unlimited number of times.

The manual method of bending a heated profile pipe on a calibrated blank has been used since time immemorial and gives good results. It is best to bend a regular pipe; for a profiled one, you will need to double the number of bending transitions so that the formation of ripples or waves does not occur on the edges. Before heating, the pipe is filled with clean and dry calcined sand. The ends are welded or pressed with metal plugs.

Design features

Regardless of whether you plan to purchase a pipe bender in a store or make it yourself, it may have different designs, which is determined by its type and purpose.

Each such device is characterized by certain elements that are presented in the design of any model of pipe bender:

rigid frame;
hydraulic cylinder;
metal strips;
strong supports
rollers for pipe bender.

If you plan to assemble a pipe bender with your own hands, then it must necessarily include the above elements. Pipe bender frame can be performed indoors or open version. The element that will bear the main power load will be the hydraulic cylinder. A homemade pipe bending machine must certainly be equipped with a pressure device, for the placement of which a place is selected on the extreme part of the body.

In addition to this, it is important to take care of the presence of a bypass valve and a handle, which will provide convenience when bending pipes. . To simplify the process of servicing a hydraulic cylinder, it is useful to include in the design an element such as a plug that will allow oil to be filled

Rollers will simplify the bending process.

To simplify the process of servicing a hydraulic cylinder, it is useful to include in the design an element such as a plug that will allow oil to be filled. Rollers will simplify the bending process.

To avoid mistakes when bending pipes, you must ensure that the profile or round pipe is rigidly fixed.

The key role in pipe bending will be played not by rollers, but retractable rod, and it must have the ability to return to its original position. This problem can be solved by equipping the tool with a strong spring.

The upper and lower metal strips must be securely fastened, for which it is recommended to use welding. An important role in this device is given to the stop, for which the presence of a strong and reliable design, withstanding significant loads.

Most often, the design of one or another pipe bender with or without rollers provides for certain design features, which must be given in the drawing for it. Create reliable pipe bender you can do it yourself, provided that you have, in addition to a correctly drawn up drawing, the necessary structural elements for this.

Two options for the simplest homemade profile benders

A manual device for bending metal profiles of various sections, as mentioned above, is easy to make with your own hands. A profile bender can be useful in many everyday situations. A homemade device that can be used to bend profiles of small cross-sections will help you independently make or repair structures that use pipes or profiles bent at different angles.

Before you start manufacturing, you need to accurately determine the design of your homemade profile bender and make at least the simplest drawing. At this stage, numerous photos and videos of similar devices that can be found on the Internet can help.

Let's start with the simplest designs, the simplicity of which automatically means that the functionality of such devices will be very limited. But in a number of cases, the capabilities of such devices are quite sufficient, and the simplicity and low cost of their production will allow you to start working in a short time.

In order to make a device for bending pipes with a diameter of up to 20 mm, you don’t even have to watch a training video. This type of profile bender has a very simple design, consisting of a concrete base and steel pins fixed in it, between which bending is carried out.

Profile bender: side view

First of all, it is necessary to compact a small area of soil, cover it with crushed stone and level it. Then this area must be filled with concrete mortar, which is prepared from a mixture of sand and cement (in a ratio of 4:1). Before you start pouring the concrete solution, you need to strengthen several sections of channels or pipes with a diameter of at least 70 mm on the prepared base. In this case, they must be fixed so that they make an angle of 90° with the surface of the base, and a distance of about 4–5 cm is maintained between the exposed metal sections.

Unpretentious in appearance, but quite functional homemade product

After the concrete solution is poured, it is necessary to wait a certain time. After 2-3 days, you can already use such a homemade pipe bender. The bent pipe or profile is placed between the pins protruding above the concrete base and bent to the required angle. Conveniently, this type can be successfully used for bending stainless steel products.

If you need to bend pipes with a diameter of more than 20 mm, then a homemade device for this will look a little more complicated. To do this, you also need to pour a concrete base and fix two round metal rods in it. In this case, the pins will serve as axes for placing rollers on them, the dimensions of the grooves of which must correspond to the diameter of the pipe being bent. This profile bending machine is used in the following way: the pipe is inserted between the rollers and one end is securely fixed. The second end is attached to a manual or electric winch using a metal cable, which creates the necessary force to perform the bend.

A simple manual profile bender for bending corrugated pipes at an angle of 90°

There is another option for a simple device that will allow you to manually bend profile pipes at an angle of 90°. Its design is quite clear from the photo; it is only worth noting that a low groove on the bend will significantly simplify the work and reduce the necessary force that will need to be applied when bending profile pipes.

Bending pipes without using a pipe bender

If a one-time operation is planned or it is not possible to collect necessary design, you can bend a round pipe without using special installations.

To do this, a blank is cut out of wood, the shape of which corresponds to the planned radius of curvature finished product. The pipe is bent in clamps against the workpiece. It is also possible to replace such a template with ones driven into wooden stand pins or hooks arranged according to the principle of the first pipe bender described in the article.

You can also preheat the sand-filled pipe bending area or, if the work is done in the cold, fill it with water. After the sand is heated or the water hardens, the pipe is also bent around a template of the appropriate curvature.

Another way is to make cuts of the appropriate width in the pipe at the site of the future internal radius, then bend the pipe (the edges of the cuts should align) and restore the integrity of the pipe using electric welding. Using this technology, pipes of any size and in any direction can be bent.

3 Manufacturing of a rolling pipe bender

Its principle of operation differs significantly from clamp-type devices:

The profile is laid on the lower support rollers. The third roller, descending from above, presses the profile, securely securing it in a given position.
When the handle rotates, the applied force is transferred to the upper roller, it begins to move and the product moves in the longitudinal direction back and forth. If the rotation is transmitted to the side shafts, then they are connected by a chain through sprockets of the same diameter.
To give the required radius, the upper roller is pressed, constantly rolling the profile. The feed speed and clamping force are selected experimentally.

When starting assembly, use a section of steel channel 80x80x4 as the base.

Since turning equipment is needed to manufacture rollers and bearing races, it is better to entrust this operation to a specialist. You will also need to machine three shafts, two of which are fixed to the base, and the third (upper) is suspended on springs.

A shelf is made from a 50 mm channel in the form of a rectangle with side dimensions of 100x30 cm, with holes for attaching the upper shaft. A thread is cut on top for a screw to move the shaft and adjust the position of the pressure roller. We begin to manufacture the body of the screw mechanism, focusing on the attached drawing.

All parts are connected to each other by bolted connections using welding. The shelf with the pressure shaft is secured with springs. The clamping force can be transmitted through the screw by rotating the handle or using a jack, the main condition is to ensure ease of adjustment. The assembly of the pipe bender for the profile pipe is now complete.

Run-in pipe bender

It is the simplest design and is positioned as a hand-held mobile device. Structurally, it consists of a solid base on which a fixed template of a certain diameter is fixed. A frame lever with a rolling movable roller is attached to the central axis of the template.

The operating principle of this mechanism is simple. To begin with, the workpiece is firmly fixed on a stationary template. Next, using a lever and a crimping roller, they begin to roll the pipe tightly around the template so that it completely follows the bend radius of the template.

The disadvantage of such devices is that the bending radius corresponds to the diameter of the fixed template. This can be partially solved by changing the diameter sizes, by replacing the stationary template and crimping roller, so you can bend pipes with a nominal diameter from 15 to 32 mm.

Factory models are produced that have three templates of different diameters in their design and, accordingly, three rolling rollers designed for bending gas pipes of the main standard sizes.

The advantage of a rolling manual pipe bender is its versatility in use due to the simplicity of the design, which does not take up much space and allows its installation as mechanic's workbench, and to almost any temporary surface under construction conditions. Therefore, a rolling pipe bender for a round pipe is most often made by hand than other types of devices.

How does a pipe bender work?

The specific design of the device depends, first of all, on its purpose, however, a pipe bender must include:

frame;
a pair of pipe stops;
hydraulic cylinder;
strips (upper/lower).

Note also that the frame can be either open or closed. As for the hydraulic cylinder, it is the main part of the device that performs the power function.

Also in the do-it-yourself pipe bender circuit there is a pressure device, which is located on the back of the body; The bypass valve screw and handle are located in the same place. But on top of the cylinder there is a plug through which oil is poured inside and its level is checked. The unit strip located below is screwed onto the thread located in front of the housing, and then pressed with a special fixing nut. Additionally, the bar is secured with a lock and a pair of screws.

For manual reinforcement, a retractable rod is used, which returns back thanks to a spring located in the cylinder. The pipe bender bars are made as a welded structure. The transverse plates have holes through which stops are installed. At the bottom of the case there are also threaded holes for mounting bolts, adjustable in height.

Note! The stop is made in the form of a pin, and the stops, which are located at its ends, are inserted into the holes on the slats. The bent product will rest on a stream located in the middle of the stop

The bending elements are made of precision cast steel.

When considering a pipe bender with your own hands, one cannot help but note the fact that profile pipes with thin walls are used in last years becoming increasingly popular, moreover, they make it possible to create durable and attractive designs, as well as save on construction work. It is from these pipes that greenhouses and various canopies are made today. What is the difference between a profile pipe and an ordinary one? First of all, the cross section, which in this case is not round, but oval, rectangular or square. This is precisely what explains the design features of a pipe bender for this type of pipe - the rollers must be of the same cross-section as the products being bent, otherwise the cross-section of the latter may be deformed.

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.

Drawings of a rolling pipe bender

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.

Diagram of a pipe bender operating on the winding principle

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.

Compact size manual rolling pipe bender

The manufacture of a pipe bender operating on the winding principle is not simple, so such a device is mainly made industrially. 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 a 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 of a specific model of device for bending steel pipes is made. 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.

Dependence of the bending radius on the diameter and wall thickness of the pipe

To obtain a bend radius smaller than that specified in such recommendations, it is necessary to use 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.

Homemade pipe bending devices

The low cost of such devices is due to the fact that the design can be created using used spare parts from various equipment and scrap materials. Moreover, in some cases, to make a pipe bender for a round pipe with your own hands, drawings may not be required at all. The best illustration of this thesis is the following example of a manual type device.

Its basis is a concrete slab. Holes are drilled into it, into which one-inch metal pins are driven (we are talking about their diameter).

Important! The distance between adjacent elements from each other should not exceed 50 cm. Having fixed one end of the pipe between the pins, you can begin manual bending, applying pressure to the other end.

After obtaining the required form, leave it in a tense state. To prevent the product from returning to its original state, insert a metal pin into both opposite holes and weld a temporary jumper to them.

Having fixed one end of the pipe between the pins, you can begin manual bending, applying pressure to the other end. After obtaining the required form, leave it in a tense state. To prevent the product from returning to its original state, insert a metal pin into both opposite holes and weld a temporary jumper to them.

Everything is intuitive and, as we see, a drawing was not required to make a homemade pipe bender for a round pipe. Of course, the most primitive design is described above. You can create more complex products with your own hands. Let's briefly look at some of them.

The simplest template manual pipe bender

The method is running. Material – wood. Drive – manual.
A template is made from wood. In the drawing and in actual execution, its shape must correspond to the required bending radius, and its thickness must exceed the diameter of the pipe. The convenience of the work will be facilitated by profiling the end of the template. You can create the required profile by using 2 boards with a cutting line beveled inward.

The template is attached to a fixed base. A stop is screwed to the same base on one side and a pipe is attached. If the lever is insufficient, you can increase it with a piece of reinforcement. Bend should be done slowly, so as to prevent the pipe from slipping off the template.

It is also impossible to classify such a homemade hand tool as high-tech equipment. However, it also has the right to life, especially if you need to bend a pipe with a large bending diameter with your own hands at the lowest cost.

The pipe bending template must be firmly fixed to the base

Steel rolling pipe bender

Among homemade devices This device has become most widespread. Used pulleys from the engine are used as blanks. However, some home craftsmen order such parts from a familiar turner or assemble them from washers with different diameters. And in this case, you can do without a drawing of a pipe bender for a round pipe, but it’s better to still make one. At least to indicate to the turner the dimensions of the required part.

A self-made steel rolling pipe bender can be seen in the garage or shed of almost every skilled home owner. Devices of this type are suitable for working with plumbing pipes of all common sizes. The lever can be strengthened by lengthening it to any reasonable extent.

Manual winding machine.

Its design is similar to the previous product. However, a winding pipe bender provides the ability to bend the workpiece into a ring. It is difficult to do this using other adaptation options. You can easily find a drawing of the device on the World Wide Web.

When studying it, pay attention to the fact that the cheeks of the template pulley are removable. This design allows you to pull out a workpiece closed in a circle

Helpful information! To make a winding machine with your own hands, in principle, you can use any material, from wood to metal and textolite.

Crossbow type pipe bender

Homemade pipe bender A hydraulic one for a round pipe can easily be made from a regular bottle-type car jack with a telescopic rod. You just need to take into account that you will need a jack with a telescopic rod and a force of more than 5 tons. It is not suitable for bending thin-walled pipes - only for thick-walled ones, over 1 mm. The diameter of the pipe is also chosen to be greater than 25 mm; thin pipes can be easily bent on a template or using the rolling method. Hydraulics can simply flatten the thin wall, break it or tear it along the seam.

How a crossbow hydraulic pipe bender works can be seen in the video:

The main expenses will go to the purchase of a jack. If you have such a tool in your garage, then you can use it for periodic work. But if you need to bend pipes often and in large quantities, you need to buy your own jack of the required power for the machine.

Practice shows that homemade machines are often not inferior to industrial machines in terms of capabilities, but are much cheaper when made by hand. In their design, you can use various surplus and improvised materials that have been waiting in the wings for years in a garage or shed. But you need to approach the manufacture of your own designs carefully and responsibly, having first studied the experience of other amateur designers.

Sometimes on the Internet or in literature you can find very ingenious solutions to complex technical problems that, for one reason or another, are not used by professional designers. But there are also a number of completely non-working solutions that only create the appearance full-fledged work installations. It is necessary to approach information from the Internet with a sufficient degree of criticality and consider several design options before attempting to implement one of them or create your own based on them.

Features of profiled pipe

Let me start, perhaps, with how a pipe with a rectangular cross-section is generally obtained:

A few words about the production process

Stages of manufacturing a profile pipe

At the first stage a conventional cylindrical blank is created electric welding or seamless method;

An example of manufacturing a hot-rolled cylindrical product

The cylinder is then placed in a special machine where undergoing molding, acquiring a rectangular cross-section;

Forming a cylindrical blank

The last step is heat treatment already profiled sample, during which its tension is relieved and its strength properties increase.

Beware of buying products from small private companies for serious projects, as they very often lack the third stage of processing, as a result of which the pipes do not have the strength that you would expect.

And what's the trick?

So why do I prefer to build metal structures from a profile pipe rather than from a cylindrical one? In this case, we are not talking about pipelines, but specifically about structures that perform functions other than transporting liquids. It's all about stiffening rib, which prevents the product from bending, being pressed and undergoing other deformations that can be caused by mechanical influences of any kind.

Thus, if, for example, we apply pressure to a regular pipe, we will get the following result:

Schematic example of the deformation of a classic tubular product after compression

That is, the cross-section of the sample will simply change its shape to oval, or some other shape. This will depend on the direction of the forces acting on it. Rounded walls will not be able to provide adequate resistance. In general, this is exactly the result, in fact, that we observe at the second stage of creating profile products.

The presence of a flat stiffener allows the pipe withstand mechanical pressure, completely preserving its outlines:

Diagram of the counteraction lines that the stiffening ribs provide to the applied pressure

And now I want to put together the advantages of products of this type that come from all the described ones:

Strengths

Amazing high strength indicators, the reason for which I have already described. Ready-made designs will be able to withstand enormous loads, while avoiding even the slightest deformation;
Ease of storage and transportation. Parallelepipeds fold much more compactly and lie more securely than cylinders;

Folded square pipes

Acceptable price. Despite the fact that the production process of profile pipes has more stages than the production of products with a round cross-section, in the end corner shapes allow you to significantly save on material;
Available instructions for performing assembly work. In order to fix various structural elements welding, bolts or couplings can be used. Otherwise, the process is similar to playing with a children's construction set;

Assembling a gate from profile pipes using a welding machine

High reliability of connections. Here we are not talking about the joining method, but about the fact that it will be carried out by two flat surfaces, which is much more reliable than the contact of two cylinders;

Wide joining area for all elements

Durability. If corrosion does not affect the steel, it will serve you for tens or even hundreds of years. And, based on the high strength qualities, we can safely say that the created structure will not fall apart over even such an impressive period.

If you plan to install a structure that is intended to be under open air, then I recommend choosing profiled pipes made of galvanized or stainless steel for this purpose. Although they are more expensive, they will effectively protect the structure from atmospheric precipitation and other possible contacts with water that are harmful to metal.

Disputed side

It is controversial, and not just negative. We are talking about the difficulty of bending products with a rectangular cross-section, which is hampered by that very stiffening rib

That is, the most important advantage of profiled pipes in this situation presents some complications, but:

Firstly, if your plan does not include rounded elements, then you can completely forget about this annoying nuance;
Secondly, bending can still be done even at home, although it is not easy to do. I will further focus on this issue later.

Samples suitable for the construction of arched structures

Design and principle of operation of a manual pipe bender

A manual pipe bender is quite simple in design and operating principle, so a home craftsman can easily cope with its production yourself. The main elements in any pipe bending device is the pressure plate. A special mechanism presses on it with a certain force, and it transmits the force to the pipe being processed.

Both an electric motor or a hydraulic pump, and a spring with clamps are used as a pressing mechanism.

To perform bending, the corrugation is installed between the pressure plate and several shafts, which act as stabilizers. Also, with the help of shafts, you can adjust the bending radius, since their position is adjustable.

So, to bend a pipe along a small radius, the shafts are placed fairly close to each other, and if it is necessary to increase the radius, then they are moved further away from each other.

The main elements in pipe benders are crescent-shaped shafts

To bend a round pipe, crescent-shaped shafts are installed on pipe benders.

Manual device

A homemade manual pipe bender, which is used to bend round pipes, consists of two machined pulleys, one of which is fixed motionless, and the second rotates around the first at a distance of the diameter of the pipe being processed. The principle of its operation is simple: A pipe is placed between two pulleys and by rotating the movable pulley, the round pipe is bent to the desired angle.

A manual pipe bender in the hands of a skillful owner may be needed at any time, therefore it is worthwhile to approach its manufacture thoroughly, so that it can bend pipes of various diameters.

This design will require two triple pulleys instead of single pulleys: one pair will be used for bending 1/2″ pipe, one for bending 3/4″ pipe, and one for inch pipe.

It is unlikely that you will be able to buy such devices on the market, so you will need to order them from a turning workshop. A recess is made at the ends of the shafts, which in size coincides with half the diameter of the corrugation.

A manual pipe bender consisting of two pulleys, one of which is fixedly fixed

Another important point that needs to be taken into account when manufacturing shafts is that the stationary pulley should be minimal in size, since the minimum possible bending radius of the product depends on this. Optimal size The moving shaft is twice the diameter of the stationary one.

What materials to choose

It is recommended to choose profiled pipes with a wall thickness of at least 2 mm. You should not choose overly thick products. In stores they are most often offered by kilograms, so they are usually quite expensive.

Even if it is necessary to use round pipes, it is recommended to still focus on the wall thickness indicated above. Such products are more difficult to install, but it is still quite possible to cope with this work if you have certain skills and experience. Round professional pipes are less expensive than rectangular ones.

Some people prefer to use metal corners. However, such a product should be thicker than the pipe (recommended thickness is from 25 to 30 mm), since the corners are less rigid. These building elements are very well suited for cladding.

Profiled corners and pipes are not only steel, but also aluminum

Aluminum is lighter than steel - this advantage is very important when creating a collapsible structure. However, higher prices are usually set for such materials - not all owners of summer cottages can afford such a gazebo

Features of bending

If you are planning to create a structure with rounded shapes, then this stage of assembly work will definitely be on your way to achieving your goal. Therefore, I will analyze it separately.

There are several methods for bending a profile pipe; choose the one that is most convenient for you:

The easiest way in terms of labor costs is to go to the factory, which has the appropriate equipment, and order there the operation you need. Industrial machines can easily and quickly bend any metal products. But there are two important obstacles worth noting:

- Firstly, a plant with suitable equipment simply may not be nearby;
- Secondly, such an order will cost money, which will hit the family budget somewhat;

Industrial pipe bending

Buy home compact pipe bender. The portable machine can be easily installed on the site or in the workshop and, although it does not have the same power as its industrial counterparts, it can handle the products that you will use at home. But, of course, you should understand that such a unit is not cheap;

I recommend purchasing the described machine if you plan to produce any structures in large quantities for the purpose of their subsequent sale. Then it will quickly pay for itself and, with successful marketing, even begin to make a profit.

Example home machine for pipe bending

Use a grinder and a welding machine. This, again, will require some tools, but on the other hand, if you are going to assemble metal structures, then you should have an angle grinder and a welder. True, for me personally this method I don’t really like it because of the appearance of seams in the bends. You will now understand what we are talking about from the description of its implementation:

- In the place of the future bend, three slits are made using a grinder: one in the middle and two with some indentation to the sides;
- Next, the pipe is bent in the prepared place;
- At the last stage, the seams are welded. It is this moment that I don’t really like, since, for example, on an elegant arch they are completely out of place;

Profile pipe bent using a grinder and a welding machine

Apply knowledge of physics and sand. This is my favorite method, which will make you tinker a little, but does not require any special equipment. It consists of the following:

- One edge of the product is clogged with a wooden plug;
- Then the pipe is filled with sand and its second edge is closed;
- After such manipulations, the sample can be bent in the same way as ordinary cylindrical products; thanks to the sand, the pressure is distributed evenly over its entire surface, eliminating the resistance of the stiffening ribs.

Regular sand the right approach helps cope with incredibly strong steel stiffeners

How to make a snail pipe bender

Making your own volute pipe bender may seem difficult. In fact, this device is no more difficult to assemble than a roller pipe bender. The process differs only in the parts used and assembly time.

A volute pipe bender allows you to bend a profile along its entire length at once, and not just in one place. For this property, it gained popularity among installers.

Required materials and tools

Since the described roller pipe bender does not have a specific working diameter and can be made from any available materials, the proposed materials will not contain specific part sizes. The thickness of all metal structural elements should be 4, or preferably 5 mm. To make a pipe bender you will need:

Channel – 1 meter.
Sheet iron.
Three shafts.
Two stars.
Metal chain.
Six bearings.
Metal 0.5-inch pipe for making gates - 2 meters.
Bushing with internal thread.
Pressure screw.

Particular attention is paid to the dimensions of sprockets, shafts and bearings, which must match each other. Sprockets can be taken from old bicycles, but they must be exactly the same size

Steel plates and profiles for making a pipe bender should not be deeply rusted, because they will bear high loads during operation

Before selecting and purchasing all materials, you need to draw a drawing with a schematic representation of all structural elements, so as not to purchase them additionally during the manufacturing process of the pipe bender.

Scroll pipe bender assembly process

The assembly of any equipment begins with drawing up a drawing diagram. After this, you can proceed to the main work processes, which are demonstrated in the photo instructions.

Weld the base of the tool from two parallel channels. If desired, you can simply use a 5 mm thick metal plate or one wide channel.
Place bearings on the shafts and weld two such structures to the base. It is advisable to limit the shafts with metal strips or place them in the internal cavity of the channels.
Put on the sprockets and weld them, first stretching the chain between them.
Cut and weld the side guides of the clamping mechanism to the base.
Place the bearings on the pressure shaft and assemble the press structure with side stops from strips or channels.
Make a base for the bushing and weld it to the plate. Screw in the clamping screw.
Weld to the top edge of the clamping screw and to the drive shaft of the pipe gate.
Lubricate the bearings with machine oil.

Some useful tips.

Image gallery

Instead of using channels, you can weld the pipe bender to an existing metal frame

There is a strong shear pressure on the shaft, so the external weld must be strong

If the chain breaks, it can be made a little looser and put on already welded sprockets

The guide bars must be strictly parallel, otherwise the press will constantly jam

Pieces of the remaining channel can be used as guides for the pressure roller

The bushing and screw must have a wide and deep thread so that it does not slip off after just a few presses

It is better not to skimp on the length of the lever handle: the longer it is, the more torque you can develop

Welding two channels together

Welding the shaft to the base of the pipe bender

Putting the chain on the sprockets

Welding the vertical guide bar

Assembling a pressure shaft from a channel

Welding the threaded bushing to the plate

Gate on screw and drive roller

Scroll pipe bender at work

After assembling the pipe bender and testing it, you can paint the structure with anti-corrosion paint to better preserve the welding seams. To increase ease of use, a spring is additionally attached to the guides to return the press to the upper position.

What are pipe benders used for?

Profile pipes with various cuts are considered the most popular today metal products and are used in the construction of greenhouses, sheds, garages, for creating fences, during pipeline laying, and so on. And in the manufacture of most of these products, pipes must be bent at one angle or another, and without special equipment there is no way to cope with this.

So, a pipe bender is a special device through which, in most cases, pipes are bent, and the bending angle can be different (within 0-180 degrees). The drive of a modern pipe bender is often electromechanical or hydraulic.

Note! Using the device described in the article, you can bend products of any configuration (boiler, gas and water supply; moreover, pipes can be either steel, copper, aluminum or metal-plastic). .

The scope of application of a pipe bender is quite wide - it can be found on construction sites, when creating heating/water supply networks, at industrial facilities, etc. A pipe bender made with one’s own hands is an irreplaceable thing in the household that can be used for the most various works. If, for example, you intend to install an air conditioner yourself, equip a ventilation or heating system, then it will not be easy to do without this unit.

Calculation part

Guided by a pre-developed drawing, you can easily calculate the amount of materials and select the tools necessary for the job.

Necessary materials

Regardless of the chosen bench design, the following materials must be prepared to manufacture the product:

profile pipe, the cross-section of which corresponds to the developed documentation. The material is used to make the power frame of the bench;

The cross section of the metal profile can be different

planks 20–30 mm thick, made of wood coniferous species. Boards or bars are necessary to form the base and back;

It is necessary to prepare blanks of equal length

galvanized screws with M6-M8 threads and a length of 80–100 mm, as well as nuts and washers. Hardware with a semicircular head is used to attach planks to a tubular frame.

The square bearing does not allow the screw to turn when tightening the nut

Let's calculate the amount of materials for making a simple bench.

Manufacturing requires a minimum of materials

To make a bench measuring 2.3x0.6x0.45, prepare:

square pipe 30x30 mm with a total length of 10 meters;
pine boards 30 mm thick and 100 mm wide - 5 pieces 230 cm long;
bolts with a semicircular head M8x80 with nuts and washers - 10 sets.

The range of materials used for the manufacture of a bench with a back differs slightly.

The need for materials is determined by the design of the bench

For self-built benches 1.5x0.44x0.9 you will need:

rectangular pipe 40x20 mm - a total of 12 meters;
bars 30x30 mm - 9 pieces of 150 cm;
M8x100 countersunk head screws with nuts and washers - 18 sets;
steel thrust bearings 2 mm thick, size 50x50 mm, under the bench legs - 4 pieces.

The profiled pipe should be pre-cut into blanks corresponding to the drawing dimensions.

To increase the service life of manufactured products you will need:

paint to protect the metal frame of the bench from corrosion;
material for antiseptic treatment of wood;
stain or varnish for finishing wooden planks.

These materials will increase the resistance of the bench frame to corrosion and ensure the safety of the wood when used in conditions of high humidity.

Tools and equipment used

To carry out work on making a bench of any level of complexity, you will need the following equipment and tools:

welding machine complete with electrodes with a diameter of 3 millimeters;
grinder with cutting wheel for metal;
electric drill with drills;
grinding machine (you can use a file and sandpaper);
roulette;
building level.

If radius blanks are used in the design of the future bench, then it is necessary to prepare a device for bending profile pipes.

The device allows you to smoothly bend the profile pipe

Types of pipe benders

The design under consideration can be classified according to a fairly large number of characteristics. Available for sale universal options execution, as well as for highly targeted applications. The device differs in the following ways:

By drive type. An important design element is the drive, which can be hydraulic, electric, manual or electro-hydraulic. Recently, the electric drive has become more widespread, as it is compact and very efficient. Hydraulic is more efficient, but it is difficult to operate, takes up a lot of free space and requires periodic maintenance. A manual pipe bender is distinguished by the presence of a mechanism that significantly increases the applied force. If we consider homemade options, then they make a manual pipe bender with their own hands. In addition, you can create an electric pipe bender with your own hands. But it’s almost impossible to make a hydraulic version yourself.
Classification is also carried out according to the degree of mobility. There are stationary and portable design options. In most cases, a universal manual pipe bender is designed as a portable structure. A homemade pipe bender for a round pipe can be attached to the base in various ways. It is worth considering that during the execution of work, part of the resulting stress is transferred precisely to the base. Therefore, when creating a homemade version, you need to ensure reliable fixation of the device.
According to the method of influence on the workpiece - the main sign of classification. For example, a crossbow-type pipe bender has its own special design, which is suitable for bending metal or metal-plastic pipes. In addition, there is a design that works on the principle of running, winding or rolling.

DIY pipe bender

A homemade pipe bender for metal-plastic pipes can be of various types, but most often they create a mechanical type, when, due to a special design, the transmitted force increases several times.

Do-it-yourself bench from a profile pipe, step-by-step manufacturing instructions

Using an ordinary shop as an example, let’s look at the manufacturing technology.

Making such a bench is quite simple.

The bench shown in the photograph, made of square steel pipe measuring 30x30 mm, is a simple structure of two supports rectangular section, connected by two jumpers.

Carry out the manufacture and assembly of bench elements, following the given sequence of operations:

Mark the prepared material, which will speed up the manufacturing process and avoid mistakes.

A special template will make marking easier

Cut the profile pipe into pieces of the required dimensions, ensuring the required angle in the cut area.

Using a grinder significantly speeds up the manufacturing process

Arrange the cut parts according to standard sizes, check compliance with the requirements of the drawing.

After checking the dimensions, you can start welding

Tack the prepared workpieces for two rectangular supports.

A special device will facilitate the welding process

Check for right angles by matching the diagonals of the rectangle.

Finally fix the elements of the rectangular structure of the supports by welding.

Overlapping pipe welding option

Weld two jumpers to the supports, ensuring compliance with the drawing dimensions.

This seam will ensure reliable fastening.

Clean the welds thoroughly using a grinder.
Cut wooden blocks to match the dimensions of the supporting metal structure.

Mark the attachment points for the wooden blocks, drill holes for their attachment, and remove burrs.

There are no burrs on the holes after cleaning

Soak the wooden seating blanks with an antiseptic; after drying, you can use stain or varnish.

Cover the metal frame with primer, followed by a layer of protective enamel.

A brush can be used to apply the protective coating

Secure the wooden seat parts using a hardware kit.

Having mastered the basic technology of making an ordinary bench, it is not difficult to make a bench with a back. The algorithm for performing the work is completely similar, with the exception of the need for additional fastening of the backrest slats, installation of armrests (if they are provided for in the documentation) and footrests.

Drawings for making a homemade bending device

In order to make a high-quality and efficient pipe bender, it is best to use a drawing (you can either draw it or find it on the Internet). As an example, consider the diagram of one of these devices, which you can make with your own hands for bending pipes or rectangular cross-sections.

Drawing of a manual profile bender with three rollers

A simplified homemade version of the above drawing

The main elements of such a device are three rollers, two of which are used as supports, and the third is the working shaft. To facilitate pipe bending, the working roller of the profile bender deforms it gradually until a bend with the required parameters is obtained. The gradual effect on the bent pipe is ensured by the fact that the working shaft has some free play, which is limited by special guides.

Diagram of a factory-made profile bender, which can be used as a basis for a homemade device

Appearance of a finished factory profile bender

The design of such a homemade pipe bender includes the following elements:

plates 5–8 mm thick;
massive supporting plate;
four corners 30 cm long, with shelves measuring 5 cm;
auxiliary rollers.

Two corners are welded onto the massive plate, which will act as guides, and the auxiliary rollers are fixed with bolts. To give it greater rigidity, two corners are welded to the bottom of the base. A plate with a hole is welded to the upper ends of the guide angles, the diameter of which must be larger than the cross-section of the screw used to exert the required pressure on the pipe being bent.

Drawing of another version of the profile bender (click to enlarge)

Option with channel base

Finally, all that remains is to install the working screw, the lower part of which is rigidly connected to the working roller, which forms the required bend of the pipe. In order for the processed pipe to move along the auxiliary rollers, you can use a manual (using a special handle) or electric drive.

When the profile bender is assembled according to the drawing, you can do a trial bending to adjust the operation of all its elements, and only after that use it for its intended purpose.

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.

Homemade pipe bender option

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.

Homemade electric pipe bender, made by yourself

Computer model of a pipe bender Drawing of a pressure screw Drawings of shafts Drawing of a ring Pipe bender components Assembly process Motor driven View from the shafts Ready assembled pipe bender

The most important thing that such a pipe bender allows you to do is adjust the bending radius of the workpiece. There can be several design options for such a universal device: on the elements of the frame structure there are rotating thrust rollers, as well as a wheel with which the pipe is rolled; The side supporting surfaces and the base are made of sheet metal, and a screw drive is used to move the pressure roller. On devices of the second type, the minimum bending radius can be changed, which is achieved by changing the position of the support rollers.

The shafts of this pipe bender allow you to comfortably work not only with round pipes, but also with profile ones

The supporting structure for such a pipe bender can be made of wood. The roller axles, rod, fasteners and handle for turning the rollers, which can also be made of wood or polymer materials, will remain metal.

Above we looked at pipe benders in which the pulling process is ensured by rotating the pressure roller. There is also a category of devices in which the movement of the pipe is controlled by rotating support rollers.

Option with screw jack

An electric or manual pipe bender, in which rotation is transmitted to one roller, has limited capabilities. For a pipe bender in which both support rollers rotate, more complex design, since it is necessary to transfer rotation to two elements at once.

More convenient, according to many experts, is a pipe bender in which the pressure roller is located at the bottom. Some craftsmen are of the opinion that it is much easier to control the bending of pipes on it; they are not blocked by the upper supporting structure.

Pipe bender with electric motor and drive via two chains

Any device for bending pipes is a fairly simple device, the operation of which is based on the elementary laws of mechanics. If the need for bending stainless steel, metal-plastic pipes, as well as pipes from other materials arises infrequently, then you can limit yourself to a manual device.

If you need a more serious device for professional activity, then it is better to build an electro-hydraulic pipe bender, which will save physical labor using the power of a hydraulic jack, and save time by driving the working shafts from an electric motor.

Pipe bending on a template

The easiest way to bend a pipe with a given radius of curvature, including a fairly small one. But most often this method is used for the manufacture of relatively large structural elements:

arcs of arched greenhouses;
supporting structures, garage roofs and sheds;
the tops of fences.

The template can be made from boards 40 mm thick, knocking down a shield from them and cutting out an arc of the required radius from it. The pipe is fixed on one side and slowly bent along the cut to the other. At the same time, it covers the end surface of the template and takes its shape. The disadvantage of this method is that, if it is necessary to make an arc of a different radius, you will have to make another template.

A more advanced do-it-yourself pipe bender with a variable bending radius can also be made from wood using metal stops, which are aligned along the required trajectory. For stops, hooks or regular pins are used, protruding above the plane of the shield by 4 - 7 cm, depending on the diameter of the pipe.

Rows of holes are drilled throughout the entire shield, forming arcs of the required radius; rearranging the stops is a matter of a few minutes. You can see what this template with hooks looks like in the photo. Without the use of jacks and winches, it can bend pipes with a diameter of up to 30 mm with a wall thickness of 1 - 2 mm. If a cable is attached to the free end of the pipe manual winch or a screw tensioning mechanism, you can handle pipes up to 40 mm.

Sequence of manufacturing a pipe bender structure

So, now directly about the stages of work that are performed independently:

After the shafts are ordered, they begin to manufacture the base for a homemade pipe bender. A thick square metal plate (at least 10 mm) is suitable for it. To attach the base to the table, you need to drill four holes in the corners of the plate, or weld it to a metal post embedded in the floor;
in the center of the plate, a pin of the same diameter as the small triple shaft is attached by welding;
next step it is necessary to make a rotating mechanism. To do this, three metal plates are welded in the shape of the letter P (the width of the plates is more than 50 mm), and the height of the structure depends on the diameters of the large and small shaft: this height should accommodate a fully movable pulley and half a stationary one;
To mount the shafts, you will need to drill several holes. The legs of the letter P are located at a distance from each other, slightly greater than the height of the shafts. A handle about 25 cm long is welded to the top bar of the structure, onto which a lever tube is subsequently placed;
the large pin is mounted first and secured with cotter pins behind the plate in the shape of the letter P, and the small shaft is put on together with the entire structure;
to equip the pipe stopper, another pin installed vertically is welded to the frame. It will serve as a stop.

After the homemade pipe bender is assembled, it is necessary to carry out tests.

After manufacturing the pipe bender, it is necessary to test it

To do this, it is best to use remnants of corrugation rather than new material.

If you need to bend a pipe without flattening the bend, then fill it with sand.
Thin-walled products bend easily when cold, while inch-sized ones are best heated up.

How to make a pipe bender with your own hands? (video)

Lightweight pipe bender models

There are several ways to make a simpler homemade pipe bender. For the first version of the device, with which you can easily bend steel and aluminum pipes, you will need a wooden template, slightly thicker than the corrugation being processed.

To make a template, boards are used, which are cut at an angle. This is necessary to ensure that the material being bent does not slip out of the template. The connected boards are fixed on the surface of the table or other convenient base. A stop is also attached to it, with the help of which the bending will be made.

For thin-walled pipes, you can make a wooden pipe bender

The material to be processed is placed between the template and the stop, then slowly bent from the opposite end. To make work easier, you can use a lever that is inserted either into the pipe itself or on top of it. It is not recommended to bend the pipe in the center of the template, as it may break. This is the simplest pipe bender design.

The second method is similar to the previous one, only metal hooks are used as a template, which are fixed on top of the plywood sheet along the line of the intended bend. The advantage of this design is that the hooks can be rearranged to change the radius of the pipe.

Advantages and disadvantages of manual pipe benders

Main advantages hand-held devices:

A manual pipe bender has small overall dimensions and weight. Pipe bending with their help is possible almost anywhere: in the workshop, on summer cottage, in a garage or on a construction site. As a rule, the need for a pipe bender for round pipes arises in places where utility systems are laid.
Another advantage is that with the help of such devices it is easy to bend soft metal pipes or thin-walled products.
The manual unit is quite mobile: if necessary, it can be easily moved to any place.
Even the most inexperienced user can handle working with a manual pipe bender: the principle of its operation is so simple that it is simply impossible not to understand it.

A manual pipe bender has a lot of advantages, but it cannot bend large diameter pipes.

However, along with the advantages, there are also disadvantages of using such a device. One of the most important: the inability to bend a large diameter pipe. Bending thick walls will also be difficult.

To carry out construction and installation work, especially when it comes to pipelines, pipes with different bending angles are often required, and the use of fittings may not be justified at all.

Pipe bending in such cases is carried out using pipe benders. These are portable, industrial and for home use.

Contents of the article

Design and principle of operation of a manual pipe bender

Both an electric motor or a hydraulic pump, and a spring with clamps are used as a pressing mechanism.

So, to bend a pipe along a small radius, the shafts are placed fairly close to each other, and if it is necessary to increase the radius, then they are moved further away from each other.

To bend a round pipe, crescent-shaped shafts are installed on pipe benders.

Manual device

A manual pipe bender in the hands of a skillful owner may be needed at any time, therefore it is worthwhile to approach its manufacture thoroughly, so that it can bend pipes of various diameters.

This design will require two triple pulleys instead of single pulleys: one pair will be used for bending 1/2″ pipe, one for bending 3/4″ pipe, and one for inch pipe.

Another important point that needs to be taken into account when manufacturing shafts is that the stationary pulley should be minimal in size, since the minimum possible bending radius of the product depends on this. The optimal size of the moving shaft is twice the diameter of the stationary one.

Sequence of manufacturing a pipe bender structure

So, now directly about the stages of work that are performed independently:

After the shafts are ordered, they begin to manufacture the base for a homemade pipe bender. A thick square metal plate (at least 10 mm) is suitable for it. To attach the base to the table, you need to drill four holes in the corners of the plate, or weld it to a metal post embedded in the floor;
in the center of the plate, a pin of the same diameter as the small triple shaft is attached by welding;
next step it is necessary to make a rotating mechanism. To do this, three metal plates are welded in the shape of the letter P (the width of the plates is more than 50 mm), and the height of the structure depends on the diameters of the large and small shaft: this height should accommodate a fully movable pulley and half a stationary one;
To mount the shafts, you will need to drill several holes. The legs of the letter P are located at a distance from each other, slightly greater than the height of the shafts. A handle about 25 cm long is welded to the top bar of the structure, onto which a lever tube is subsequently placed;
the large pin is mounted first and secured with cotter pins behind the plate in the shape of the letter P, and the small shaft is put on together with the entire structure;
to equip the pipe stopper, another pin installed vertically is welded to the frame. It will serve as a stop.

Advantages and disadvantages of manual pipe benders

The main advantages of hand-held devices:

has small overall dimensions and weight. With their help, pipe bending is possible almost anywhere: in a workshop, at a summer cottage, in a garage or on a construction site. As a rule, the need for a pipe bender for round pipes arises in places where utility systems are laid.
Another advantage is that with the help of such devices it is easy to bend pipes made of soft metal or.
The manual unit is quite mobile: if necessary, it can be easily moved to any place.
Even the most inexperienced user can handle working with a manual pipe bender: the principle of its operation is so simple that it is simply impossible not to understand it.

However, along with the advantages, there are also disadvantages of using such a device. One of the most important: the inability to bend a large diameter pipe. It will also be difficult to bend thick-walled materials.

Reading time: 14 minutes. Published 11/19/2018

Bending a pipe - a hollow cylinder with a certain wall thickness - is associated with a number of inconveniences. It is known from a physics course that a tube made of any material is almost as strong as a solid rod. But it is much superior to it in terms of material consumption and weight.

Therefore, pipes are used very often in construction and the manufacture of various structures. And just as often, this pipe needs to be bent so that it can perform its assigned function. For this purpose, a device such as a pipe bender was invented. What is it, what is its design and is it possible to make a pipe bender with your own hands?

What is it and what is it for?

With breaking frame

No less popular when making it yourself is a pipe bender with a breaking frame. Structurally, it differs in that all the rollers in it are stationary, that is, they only rotate, but move up and down.

Pressure on the pipe occurs by lifting the part of the frame where one of the outer rollers is mounted. The assembly process is similar to the previous one, but has its own nuances:

Make the frame for the fracture bender not one-piece, but consisting of two parts. The two parts can be connected with a hairpin and two nuts.
It is very convenient to lift the end roller using a screw lifting device or a jack.
To rotate the sprockets, some craftsmen adapt an electric motor alternating current or even gasoline, removed from a walk-behind tractor or fuel generator.

But most often, such units still use the user’s muscular strength. In this case, they require virtually no resources. This is their value: it is very easy to put such a device in the trunk of a car and bring it to a construction site where there is no electricity yet.

Below are the drawings and dimensions of a homemade pipe bender:

Another example:

Simple pipe bender

In a home workshop, you can make several types of pipe benders. Much here depends on the needs of the device user. In a situation where a person needs to constantly bend copper tube small diameter at a right angle, the manufacture of a stationary pipe bender with a breaking frame based on a jack seems to be an unnecessary waste of time and effort.

Below are the simplest and easiest to manufacture types of pipe benders for various needs.

For round pipe

The key feature of this pipe bender is the rollers, which either compress the pipe by rolling over it, or squeeze it from different sides. Depending on the cross-section of the rollers, the device will be tailored for a round or profile pipe.

In the first case inner surface the roller between two ridges will be concave, in the second - flat.

From the jack

A hydraulic jack is convenient to use for pressing a pipe. Its use is justified with round and profile steel pipes, large diameters or with thick walls. Considering that a hydraulic jack can lift more than three tons, it turns out that the diameter and thickness of the pipe that you can bend is limited rather by the design of the system itself and whether you can rotate the lever while pulling the workpiece.

With a sufficient length of the lever for rotating the rollers, this type of pipe bender requires the least physical strength when working with serious materials.

Crossbow type

A crossbow-type pipe bender does not have a profile pulling mechanism.

It is used when the product is bent to a short length.

The pipe bender got its name from the metal triangular frame located parallel to the ground.

At the tops of this frame there are two supports oriented towards a round or profile pipe (this depends on the shape of the notch on the supports). At the third vertex there is a rod with a punch, that is, an arc curved outward. A hydraulic cylinder is usually used to press the punch against the pipe, which is deformed between two stops. In everyday life, it is easiest to replace it with a hydraulic jack.

Thus, to make a crossbow pipe bender equipped with a hydraulic jack, you need to weld a triangular frame, at the vertices of which stops and a pressure rod will be located.

Manufacturing a compact snail pipe bender

The snail pipe bender got its name because of the part that serves as a force stencil when bending the pipe.

During the bending process, the pipe is pressed against the volute with a special roller, which describes a circle.

In general, the design of such a pipe bender resembles a seaming machine for glass jars.

The snail of a homemade unit can be a circle of steel 3-4 mm thick, onto which a spirally twisted thick steel strip is welded edgewise. In the manufacture of such a snail, one cannot do without a propane cutter, which is used to heat the workpieces in order to bend them, and then harden them.

In factory units, the volute is divided into segments connected by pins or bolts. Each part of the snail can bend, which gives a steeper and more beautiful bend.

Using a snail pipe bender, you can bend not only a pipe, but also rods and fittings, primarily for decoration and for curls.

An example can be seen in the drawing:

Conclusion

A pipe bender is a useful tool that can be useful when laying metal pipelines in heating and air conditioning systems, manufacturing metal frames all kinds and much more.

The high cost of factory devices encourages people with skills manual labor, to independent production of pipe benders. Self-made devices are in no way inferior to factory ones and can have a wide variety of configurations.

Owners country houses or personal plots, when updating a pipeline or carrying out any construction work, robots are often faced with the need to bend a round or profile pipe at a certain angle.

If such a process has to be carried out frequently, it is better to purchase special equipment. But if such a need arises rarely, then you can make pipe benders for a round pipe with your own hands using simple manipulations; video lessons and drawings of this design will be presented in the article below.

In this publication we will talk about how to make a pipe bender at home from improvised means for bending round and profile pipes. However, before starting the description step-by-step production, in the introductory part, let's look at what this tool is and for what purposes it is used on the farm.

What is a pipe bender and what is it for?

It is a design that makes it possible to bend profile or round pipe materials at the desired angle. They are divided into:

- hydraulic;

- mechanical;

- manual.

The first type copes with bending large sizes, mechanical models are used for medium-sized ones, and manual ones are considered an ideal option for diameters up to 3 cm and profile ones up to 4 cm.

According to their own design features, functionality and operating principle they are divided into:

- crossbow;

- segmental;

- spring.

The operating technology of any pipe bender is the ability to correctly bend the product to the required radius. If no attention is paid when bending Special attention quality of the result, then homemade designs will cope with this task 100%.

Made from a metal pipe and nut

This type of bending device is considered the most elementary. It is made from a piece of rigid round pipe (metal rod) with a nut attached at the base.

We make a template for the future bend from wire;
We take measurements of the template and transfer them to the pipe;
The pipe is installed on a flat floor with a hard surface;
The pipe is inserted into the pipe bender nut, comparing its direction with the measurements on the pipe;
With your foot, resting on the pipe that is on the floor, we press it harder, and bend the second edge, slowly pulling the handle of the pipe bender towards you. Such manipulations allow it to be bent by 10˚.
Moving the pipe along the hole of the nut, the procedure is repeated several times until the bend eventually takes the desired shape.

Wood pipe bender

To bend a round pipe yourself, you can make a pipe bender from wood with your own hands. From a technical point of view, such a device is the simplest; operation does not require additional parts, such as a hydraulic cylinder.

We start by knocking together several boards of dense wood and cutting out half a circle of the appropriate diameter. For cutting, you can use the simplest hand saw, the main thing is to ensure that the slope is maintained closer to the base.

The resulting workpiece is attached to a solid base in the form of a tabletop or wall. An additional block of wood is also attached to the base to create additional support.

When choosing a tree, pay attention to the fact that its thickness must be greater than the diameter of the pipe, otherwise during the process of bending the sample, it may slip and cause injury.

To easily make a wooden pipe bender for a round pipe with your own hands, you can familiarize yourself with the video lessons below. This will help you understand all the nuances of this process.

How to work with it?

We place the pipe in the recess between the wooden semicircle and the thrust block and carefully begin to press on it with reverse side, bending to the desired shape.

The main thing is that it fits easily into the opening. This wooden device bends aluminum and steel products well. Moreover, its production requires minimal costs.

Pipe bender made of metal hooks

To make it you will need to carry out the following simple steps:

buy high-quality metal hooks at any hardware store;
we fasten them on a stable base in increments of no more than 5 cm. However, the distance of one hook from the other will depend on the size of the product that needs to be bent;
as a result we get a semicircular template;
An additional stop is attached to one side of the device.

The bending process will be reminiscent of working with a wooden template, but in this case there is no need to make a new template for different diameters; just move the distance between the hooks.

Pipe bender made of cylinder and rollers

Video 1. Making a manual hydraulic pipe bender for round pipe rolling with your own hands

Video 2. Scheme - drawing.

Video 3. Do it yourself

It consists of rollers and a cylinder and is a more complex unit. But it allows bending at any angle up to 360˚. In fact, it is possible to create a pipe bender for a profile pipe with your own hands, which, in terms of technical characteristics, is as similar as possible to hydraulic equipment.

The sample is fixed using rollers, and a freely moving cylinder gently bends it to the desired angle. To make such a unit with your own hands you will need:

two steel plates 30 cm long and no more than 10 millimeters thick;
four steel corners with shelves measuring 5x5 cm;
a template is knocked out of wooden boards, the thickness of which should not exceed 3 cm;
the steel plate is attached to the underside of the wooden template;
on the base, in order to give greater strength to the structure, it is advisable to attach corners;
a second steel plate is attached to the top;
in the latter a hole is made of the same diameter as the screw that will be installed there;
the bolt serves as a support for the bent pipe;
Angles and rollers are attached to the top plate, which are oriented inside the pipe bender;

This type of design makes it possible to bend any profile product at any angle.

Video 4. Homemade hydraulic pipe bending machine. Bend with a jack

Rules for using homemade manual pipe benders

In order for the manufactured device to perform its job efficiently and correctly, you need to adhere to a few simple rules for its operation.