Bending pipe without a pipe bender ?
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I've heard that you can fill it with sand and then bend it, the sand stops it collapsing but i've never tried it though!
Eric_Methven
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Yes, sand works. Remember though, you need to fill the pipe completely with sand and plug both ends otherwise it'll just move out of the way when you start to bend. Sand also lets you heat the outside of the pipe with a gas torch to aid bending without any risk of fire.
Eric
Eric
Thin walled pipe will always be a problem, it tends to collapse at the bend unless great care is taken.
Filling it with very dry sand and plugging the ends helps but you still have to heat it with a gas axe in my experience.
Even then it can be a pain sometimes.
Using an internal mandrel when bending makes a huge difference (a technique used in exhaust making) but they cost lots.
Filling it with very dry sand and plugging the ends helps but you still have to heat it with a gas axe in my experience.
Even then it can be a pain sometimes.
Using an internal mandrel when bending makes a huge difference (a technique used in exhaust making) but they cost lots.
Eric_Methven
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
If you have a fair bit to bend, why not play it safe and hire a pipe bender from a hire shop. It's got to be cheaper than replacing knackered pipe.
Eric
Eric
The hydraulic pipebenders I have used don't usually come with the right mandrels/formers for anything other than thick walled waterpipe.
what about just using a right angled coupler and adding the 100mm onto the end? less hassle than trying to bend a pipe without the proper formers.
The sand method is well tried, but you can also use a low melting point alloy called 'cerabend'. As it's probably steel pipe you're bending you could try filling it with lead and melting it out after.
When I worked in the aerospace industry, a hard resin was used to load the pipes. Can't remember what it was called, though.
Jim
When I worked in the aerospace industry, a hard resin was used to load the pipes. Can't remember what it was called, though.
Jim
It's funny you mention that because someone kindly sent me some Polymorph, its great stuff, you pour a few granules into a cup, pour boiling water on them stir it about a bit to stop it from sticking to the inside of the cup and they melt together and you can shape it like plasticine with your hands.
You can also put it into a mold if you want.
Let it cool and you have a solid plastic thing.
Made a bit too much and have some spare? No problem, you can re heat it and shape it again.
It goes clear when its warm enough to work and white (ish) when its set
Already made a cover for my gouging chisel, another for another chisel.
It may well be like the stuff you have used?
One of my students had to bend umpteen short lengths of 10mm copper pipe for his DT project this year - we used the sand method and it worked a treat.
If you just want to make a quick/simple bend, and are not too concerned about anything being left inside your pipe, then just cut a length of sapling that will slip inside your pipe. That will provide the inside support as you bend it. After you bend it, you can try to fish out that sapling, but not really necessary from the sound of your intended use. Quick. Simple. Cheap. Just go slow bending the pipe.
Using DRY sand really works. We did a modern art blacksmithing project involving bending/twisting iron pipe. We welded caps on one end, filled with DRY sand, and capped the other end with a small hole drilled in it to allow any moisture out. We then heated 6 foot lengths of that pipe in a forge, and then proceeded to bend/twist/curl those pipes in and around each other to form the "tree" object we were working on. They formed the corners of a bed frame. We left the ends long, and then cut them off to length when done and cool. And the sand poured right out. We really "pushed" the limits with bending those pipes. Some sections looked like a ball of earth worms! Turned out well. And the client LOVED IT.
Yeah, that dry sand works well. But if you are heating your pipe full of sand up, be sure that sand is DRY! Any trapped moisture will turn to steam when you heat things up, and could lead to an explosion. Steam can build up to pretty high pressures.
But stuffing your pipe full of green saplings (one large sapling or a bunch of small shoots) will provide that internal support for bending without collapsing.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' Blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
Using DRY sand really works. We did a modern art blacksmithing project involving bending/twisting iron pipe. We welded caps on one end, filled with DRY sand, and capped the other end with a small hole drilled in it to allow any moisture out. We then heated 6 foot lengths of that pipe in a forge, and then proceeded to bend/twist/curl those pipes in and around each other to form the "tree" object we were working on. They formed the corners of a bed frame. We left the ends long, and then cut them off to length when done and cool. And the sand poured right out. We really "pushed" the limits with bending those pipes. Some sections looked like a ball of earth worms! Turned out well. And the client LOVED IT.
Yeah, that dry sand works well. But if you are heating your pipe full of sand up, be sure that sand is DRY! Any trapped moisture will turn to steam when you heat things up, and could lead to an explosion. Steam can build up to pretty high pressures.
But stuffing your pipe full of green saplings (one large sapling or a bunch of small shoots) will provide that internal support for bending without collapsing.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' Blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
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