OK so i bought a hydro tube/pipe bender to make some sliders. i've been practicing with some 1 1/2" fence pipe that i had laying around. the stuff is flemsy, and thin-walled. but i can't keep it from kinking. i'll bend a little, then shift, and bend. and it keeps kinking, i've got it to where i can keep it minimal. so is it the pipe, or ME.??

 

anyone?

 

depends on the bender too.... more info needed. If its a "pipe" bender I would recommend putting sand or water inside the tube before bending. Yes cap the ends and then bend. Keeps it from kinking

 

It's the PIPE bender you bought AND the fence PIPE you are playing with. There is a reason folks refer to those pipe benders as "kinkers". That's what they do best.

#1 you bought a pipe bender when you clearly need a tube bender. Two very different things.

#2 fence pipe will probably always kink since it really isn't made for bending (AFAIK). There is a reason benders are rated for a minimum wall thickness material - when it's too thin, it kinks/collapses/wrinkles.

#3 even your kinker can handle making sliders FROM TUBING as long as the wall thickness is thick enough to keep it from collapsing.

#4 if your TUBING is still collapsing, you can fill it with sand to help keep it intact (as mentioned above).

#5 the right tools for the job alleviate alot of wasted time, effort, and scrapped material.

 

i didn't buy the pipe, i tore down a fence when i bought the house, i asked a local fabricator what to buy, and he said for what i want, what i bought is fine, but he's not open until monday.

i figured it had something to do with the pipe, and i've seen a few bumpers, and sliders made with this bender. so hopefully it will work out.

i'm buying DOM tube monday to make the sliders, do you think i'll be ok with it, what wall thickness should i go with?

 

Didn't mean to imply you bought the fence pipe - didn't think I did, just the pipe bender.

Most folks use .120 wall tube for sliders. DOM is a great choice as it is tougher than the same size HREW. Not sure how this will fare in your pipe bender though. Ask your local guy what wall tubing works in the bender since he thinks it will work OK. You can go thicker to keep it from collapsing, but you really don't want to add too much extra weight. Maybe .134 or.188 wall would be better for your bender. I don't know for sure.

 

OK thanks, i'm stuck with the "kinker" now, so i need to make an effort to get it to work, so do you think i should go halfway w/the .134? i've heard that thick walled Schl 40 pipe works ok for sliders. do you think i should try that instead?

 

Sch 40 is not a particular thickness as per say 0.25" thick. Every nominal pipe size has different wall thickness for Sch 40 (most do).

I'd suggest a on understanding what pipe and tubing are and what the difference is cause they are called different names for obvious reasons.

You call a "pipe fitter" where I work a "tubing fitter" and he may just weld your face shut.

 

i've got that much, at this point i'm just trying to figure out what to go with, form people who know alot more than me(not that hard), like you. your probably an einstien when it comes to this stuff. so if you were in my position what would you do.??

 

A picture of what you actually HAVE might help immensely.

For what you can BUY sliders these days, it isn't worth the hassle to bend/make your own...and I've got a tubing bender and I just BOUGHT a set cause the time it would have taken me to do it all I got some DOM tubing sliders for $30 over what the materials alone would have cost me.

If you just want to get sliders...BUY some and sell the bender if that is all you got it for. Check my website for a "special" link/deal that I have going w/ 4x Innovations. A set of sliders and a slider adapter discount deal.

 

are those price's shipped?

 

Shipping on a set of sliders is like $40 FedEx Ground at the most, but I'm not sure if those prices include shipping. Might read the link more to see, I'm sure he specifies one way or the other on his slider page and/or special page.

 

easyes way of using most pipe benders is to use a gradge door spring that fits inside the pipe and oil it well then insert it in the arae to be bent bend tubing the unturn the sprinous of the inside and move to next area of bend

problems comes from the type of bender you have they are for pipe only and do not care for tight bends or smooth bends