Mini Pipe Bender

[NarrowGauge]

I hope to start the plumbing on a model loco using mainly 1/4" copper pipe. To try and achieve a reasonable and tidy appearance, I thought the use of a pipe bender would be better than bending by hand.

Any recommendations please of a suitable tool? I have seen a Record 210 advertised, but no details of the minimum radius is given. I have a bender which will produce a 1" radius, but it would be useful if tighter bends were possible.


Thanks

Dave.

[baggo]

Hi Dave,

If you are prepared to make one, Stan Bray described a small pipe bender in Model Engineer Volume 157, number 3783. The rollers can be made to suit the diameter of the pipe and the radius required. Very simple design that wouldn't take long to make.

Another method is to machine a groove in a piece of bar, the groove width being the diameter of the pipe and the inside diameter to suit the radius of the bend. The pipe's simply bent around in the groove.

GLR sell a set of mini bending springs but you still need a former or something to get a nice smooth bend.

John

[gwrfan]

Hi Dave,

Four mini pipe benders were advertised in the 'Model Engineer', 4272 (28 Apr-11May 2006) on page 528. They are from 1/16" to 5/32", but at £11.50 each are a tad expensive, unless you are bending lots of small gauge pipes. Just thought I'd mention it.

Geoff

[Phil Sutton]

The other thin you can do is thread a length of plastic coated wire of the right diameter up the pipe while you bend it.This will help prevent kinks(!)

Phil

[Garry Coles]

:DHi
I was talking about this subject of bending small pipes only yesterday to an engineering friend. He was at the Harrogate ME show and was told that one of the ways to do it, is to anneal the copper pipe and then to fill it with molten lead. Do the bending and then melt out the lead. This way will prevent collapse and kinking of the pipe. Seems like a good idea. I will put this to the test myself when I get to my pipe bending bits. Hope this idea will help you.
All the best
Garry

[chris vine]

Hi,

Further to Baggo's suggestion of a bar with a groove machined in it, If you put the bar in the vice and get two pieces of wood, one to hold against one end of the tube and the other to push it round the bar.

Hold the two pieces of wood close to the bar and the bend will start where it is meant to and not some distance away.

Chris.

[gwrfan]

Dave, Garry,

'LBSC' used to suggest molten lead in our small bore copper tubes, but it's difficult enough to pour molten lead into a half inch diameter tube, let alone an eighth of an inch or so!

If you are going to try this method, I would suggest Woods Metal, available from Reeves ( possibly other suppliers too?), which melts in boiling water. It sets solid, like lead, but it's far easier to 'handle'. Once used, just keep it safe for re-use whenever you need it.

Geoff

[Tel]

Or you could emulate our own Andrew Butters & make one of these

modeleng.proboards20.com/index.cgi?board=Images&action=display&thread=1088752387

[NarrowGauge]

Thanks to every one for the suggestions, they all sound promising.

If trying to make small radius bends in 1/4" copper pipe, any idea please, of what would be the smallest practical radius possible?

Thanks
Dave.

[chris vine]

I would think about 3/4" radius around the inner side or maybe the middle of the tube....

Chris.

[ron]

I've never tried this with small bore pipes but with larger bore, thin wall tubes we used to pack them with dry sand at work to prevent them collapsing in a bender, might be worth experimenting with.
Ron

[houstonceng]

Or use Wood's Metal - that stuff that goes liquid in boiling water. Fill pipe, bend, melt out Wood's. Job-jobbed.

Sorry. Don't know a supplier but I seem to remember a thread here or on a similar group - maybe Yahoo

Andy

[stop4stuff]

Hi all,

I've had some good results using Field's metal (bismuth, indium & tin alloy melts @ 61 C), similar to Wood's metal but no lead.

Please take a look at my web page for using Fields metal as a pipe bender for more info.

paul

[Myford Matt]

Hemingway kits do a nice (and cheap) pipe bender: www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Tube_Bender.html

Cheers

Matt

[Uzzy]

Does anyone know were I could get the plans for the one mentioned by Tel?

[Laurie_B]

While I was replumbing the 5" gauge Class 5 loco that I own,I made use of a Record mini pipe bender,and found it easy enough to use.The trick is to first anneal the copper pipe in the area of the bend,and re-anneal as soon as you feel the pipe starts to work harden.
It isn't too good for very tight radii,I resorted to the groove in a piece of bar method mentioned above when making new cylinder drain pipework.
I seem to remember seeing a very nice pipe bending machine at one Donington exhibition-it may have been on the Derby Society stand,and I seem to think the design for this was published a while ago.