Do-it-yourself pipe-bending of a profile pipe: the best examples of home-made designs
The need to bend pipes is usually encountered in the construction of arched greenhouses made of polycarbonate, peaks and canopies, as well as during the installation of heating systems, hot and cold water supply. Companies professionally engaged in these types of construction work buy special factory-made machines that pay off in the course of constant intensive exploitation. Amateur masters prefer to make a pipe bender of a profile pipe with their own hands, using the available material at hand and suitable auto parts. Devices of varying degrees of complexity allow you to bend the pipe at the right angle in exact accordance with the given degree measure. At the same time, it is possible to avoid the appearance of kinks, various deformations and damage.
In the video, the author-inventor presents a homemade pipe bender of a profile pipe with a detailed explanation of the principle of its action. After watching this video, you can easily assemble a similar machine with your own hands or borrow the basic idea of a design from its creator. You may be able to improve the presented model.
A simple way to bend small diameter pipes
Thin profile pipes with a diameter of 20 mm or less can be bent using the simplest design. A homemade pipe bender is made of a concrete slab in which holes are drilled and steel pins are driven into them according to the scheme shown in the picture.
Scheme of a homemade pipe bender made from concrete slab and metal pins
It is worth noting that the distance between the steel pins should be no more than 50 mm. The pipe bending process is as follows:
- one of the ends of the profile pipe is fixed between the two extreme pins;
- holding tightly to the other end of the pipe and, after making an effort, begin to bend it around the remaining metal pins driven into the plate in a semicircle;
- after completion of the bending process, the second end of the pipe is also secured between two other pins arranged in a special way.
To fix the pipe in a new configuration, a temporary jumper is welded to its ends. This can be an ordinary metal rod, which is dismantled after the bent pipe is welded to the pins fixed in the foundation of the building.
If there is no concrete slab, then how to make a pipe bender of a similar design? You can drive the pins directly into the ground and try to bend a couple of pipes. However, to change the shape of profile pipes having a larger diameter, more reliable and convenient devices are needed.
Making a hydraulic pipe bender
The procedure is as follows:
- Take a winch and a pair of rollers, the radius of which should correspond to the diameter of the profile pipe subjected to bending.
- An arbitrary size tripod is welded from metal rods, reminiscent of the shape of an inverted capital letter T.
- One of these rollers, together with a winch, is fixed at the bottom of the welded tripod, combining them with a strong chain.
- A little higher install a second roller. One end of the profile pipe is clamped between the rollers, and the second end is placed on the winch.
After putting the winch into action, the pipe bends. To protect the profile from possible deformation, it is recommended to pour coarse sand into the pipe cavity before bending.
The bending angle of the profile pipe depends on the location of the lower rollers of the pipe bender relative to the center of the platform. Under the pressure of the upper roller, the pipe bends over a given radius
On this homemade machine it is more convenient to work together with an assistant, because one person must pull the pipe, putting the winch in motion for this, and the second - push the product.
How can the design be improved?
Self-made hydraulic pipe benders for a profile pipe can be upgraded by connecting to their design an engine equipped with a gear motor that can drive the rollers with a chain drive. A machine with a car jack installed instead of the top roller is able to work with pipes of different diameters. In this case, the jack allows you to adjust the degree of pressure on the pipe section, as well as set the required height. If you put both the engine and the jack, you can open a small enterprise for the production of blanks of profile pipes, bent at different angles.
One of the master craftsmen can construct one of the models depicted in the photographs below.
Model of a manual pipe bender made by an amateur craftsman in a garage
A similar device allows you to bend the profile pipe at any angle, while the worker spends a minimum of physical effort
At the heart of this homemade pipe bender, circles of plywood of different diameters are used. A profile pipe is passed between them, bending at a given degree
Or maybe still buy this device?
If the pipe bender is not made out of anything or fails, then you can buy a factory-made model. Compact devices allow you to bend the product directly at the construction site.
When working with manual pipe benders, a person has to exert physical force. Stationary machines used by large construction companies can minimize the participation of a worker in the process of deformation of products.
At the moment, there are many models of pipe benders produced by well-known and little-known manufacturers on the market. You can choose a model of a pipe bender, sold at a very affordable price. If you don’t feel like spending money on a factory model, you already know how to make a pipe bender with your own hands. Do not be tormented if the tool is needed for one-time use. After all, a pipe bender can be rented from friends or companies specializing in this type of business.
