Best Way to Bend Aluminum Tube ???

[twocik]

I'm looking to bend sections of 3 - 5 ft 1" - 2" aluminum tubing, what's the best way to do so ?

I've seen the little manual machines, but they bend only a small radius from what I see. I've also heard about using sand and patio door springs (not sure they make them this big). Here's a picture of what I'm trying to achieve, any tips or links would be great.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._collapsed.jpg

http://www.cinemagadgets.com/images/D015.gif

[Clementvs]

Hello,

The sand is suppose to avoid crunching of the alluminium. It's often a good solution. There are some tube bending machine that will be motorised (sand may ask more power)

I know Picot in france (www.ambpicot.com), or Hydroil that makes kind of a "swiss army knife" machine tool, to make all kind of shape. you may ask them name of a customer who can do it for you. http://www.hydroil.com/hten/

I used them and they are very fun.

good luck

Clem

[Clementvs]

Hello,

The sand is suppose to avoid crunching of the alluminium. It's often a good solution. There are some tube bending machine that will be motorised (sand may ask more power)

I know Picot in france (www.ambpicot.com), or Hydroil that makes kind of a "swiss army knife" machine tool, to make all kind of shape. you may ask them name of a customer who can do it for you. http://www.hydroil.com/hten/

I used them and they are very fun.

good luck

Clem

[Superman]

Not really sure of what it is called.

pipe rolling machine ( side view has 2 cylinders set parallel to each other, another cylinder set above and central to the lower 2, bar is passed thru the middle .... argh ...bugger it, look at the link )

[Truss uk]

Hi

The machine you require is called a section roller, you can roll round tube, box tube, angles and even flat bar.

There is no need to fill the tubes with sand or anything as long as you are using the correct form rollers.

We do this kind of work quite a bit ourselves.

Where are you based as i know a company in the UK who can provide this service and they are very resonable.

Mike

[r44astro]

If you live near someone who makes boat poling platforms or other aluminum items for boats they can bend it for you. Or you buy a cheap bender from harbor Freight, but you then would need special dies for tubing. The ones that come with bender are for pipe. Hope this helps. The other ways discussed will not work well.
Bill

[Harrybaldacc]

I think I can help you with your tube problem, e-mail me
On this address, hbaldacc@bigpond.net.au as it will take a bit of space
I need more time to explain.

[monte55]

Originally Posted by twocik I'm looking to bend sections of 3 - 5 ft 1" - 2" aluminum tubing, what's the best way to do so ? I've seen the little manual machines, but they bend only a small radius from what I see. I've also heard about using sand and patio door springs (not sure they make them this big). Here's a picture of what I'm trying to achieve, any tips or links would be great. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._collapsed.jpg http://www.cinemagadgets.com/images/D015.gif

Harbor Freight has a tubing roller that comes with 3 sets of round dies
1"..1.5" & 2" .......for $159. For another $50 you'll get a set of 1/2" dies
for square. I plan to open up my square dies to a larger size on my lathe. This is not a production tool but it has its place. If $159 isn't the price you like you can buy the roller Eastwood has for $800.

[r44astro]

The dies you get from harbor frieght are pipe dies. Tubing dies are OD pipe is ID if I remember correctly.
Bill

[monte55]

My dies fit 1", 1.5", and 2" OD tubing. I guess that's why they call it a tubing
roller.

[r44astro]

Sorry I miss read post. Have not seen Harbor's tubing bender.

Bill

[bladders1960]

Hi twocik,
what you are looking for is a section roller, be careful about the dies, most section rollers will be for pipe and are designated to i.d. sizes as they follow after pipe benders, tubing is measured o.d., the stuff you are looking at being aluminum square tube can be either metric or imperial and that will be the problem.

Most gate and fence manufacturers who do pool fencing will have a tube roller for the square tube you want to roll, the dies will sometimes be hard nylon (or similar) heat coated over the centre, this allows the die to absorb stress instead of ruining the aly, also allows for the tube to break out easier at the end of the roll. Even big professional rolling machines worth in the 10s of thousands can ruin steel square hollow sections by scarring the top and bottom faces, or by kinking.

The machine in the link is a good machine used one for years, it will be able to roll realy tight to almost none existant radii.