Tubing Benders

[backformore]

For those who have done their own cages, what type of tubing bender did you use and why? Where did you get it and how much was it?

Thanks

[Fleetcare]

There is a unit called the JD2 if you search you can find it.. Its about $300 + dies.. I was going to do it but its cheaper to buy a built cage/have someone else do it..

[Greg Amy]

Get the JD2 stuff, including their notcher. It's very good quality. A lot of other stuff out there is kee-rap.

http://www.jd2.com/

[Speed Raycer]

The JD2 seems like a good bender. If I hadn't come across a pretty good deal on my Hossfeld, that's probably what I would have gone for at first.


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Scott Rhea
It's not what you build...
it's how you build it
http://www.izzyscustomcages.com/images/IzysLgoSm.jpg (http://www.izzyscustomcages.com)
Izzy's Custom Cages (http://www.izzyscustomcages.com)

[joeg]

A Greenlee "One shot" with air-over hydraulic pump.

The best in a portable unit.

(Free because I borrow it when needed)

Cheers.

[SamITC85]

Does anyone in the Tucson Phoenix area have a tubing bender they would be willing to let me borrow or rent fro a 6pack or case of beer?

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Sam Rolfe
TBR Motorsports
#85 ITC VW Rabbit being converted to LPHP
#85 GP Scirocco

[EV]

Wonder where this guy had his done... Picture of new IT cage (http://pic18.picturetrail.com/VOL867/3163562/6444499/88660390.jpg)? I heard they will be making this a standard configuration in 2006.

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Enjoy,
Bill

[racer-025]

I guess he doesn't have to worry about parking lot dings!

[924Guy]

Naw, you mis-heard... that's only for Spec Pinatas! LOL

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Vaughan Scott
Detroit Region #280052
'79 924 #77 ITB/GTS1
www.vaughanscott.com

[Dick Elliott]

PLEASE REMOVE THOSE PICTURES before the lawyers for SCCA see them!!!!

[Greg Amy]

Lawyers, hell! Remove those before the guy that works on my car sees them!

[erlrich]

Hey gang - just wondering if anyone has come across a good deal on a bender that will handle 1-3/4" dom tubing since this thread was posted. I'll need to add extra door bars this year to get up to '07 specs, and if I go with the NASCAR bars I'm looking at between $200 - $300 to get my local shop to do just the bending. I figured if I could find a bender for not much more I might just start rolling my own. The JD2 unit looks great, but at $600+ for the bender and one set of shoes it's just a little more than I want to spend right now.

Thanks.

[jhooten]

Harbor freight has all the answers.

Little brother:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=32888 (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32888)

big brother:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=35336 (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=35336)

Another:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=38024 (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38024)

One of those three ought to be good enough for the weekend/shadetree cage bender to mangle some expensive tubing into bits for the recycle bin.

[erlrich]

One of those three ought to be good enough for the weekend/shadetree cage bender to mangle some expensive tubing into bits for the recycle bin. [/b] Hmm, maybe I should have been more specific - how about "has come across a good deal on a bender that will handle 1-3/4" dom tubing without mangling the shit out of it".

Better?

[Joe Harlan]

JD2 bender, I have owned it for 8 years and have done a lot of cage work with it. I have the air over hydraulic setup and several sets of shoes. I does dom tubing with no issues.. The JD unit is also one of the few benders that will do 180 degree bends in one shot.

[jhooten]

For the price I am almost tempted to go get the cheaper one to play with, I mean try out and see if I can do any usable work with it.

[Kazoo]

Beware of those Harbor Freight items, as they are Pipe Benders...not tubing Benders.
Using those will kink/deform your roll-cage tubing! Just food for thought!
Good luck.

[seckerich]

For the price I am almost tempted to go get the cheaper one to play with, I mean try out and see if I can do any usable work with it.
[/b]
Don't touch anything that does not have a "follow bar" or shoe to keep the tube from crimping. The cheap benders won't work.

[erlrich]

Thanks guys - and yes, I already knew to stay away from the HF crap. I was just wondering if there was anything else along the lines of the JD2 that was maybe a little less expensive - guess not. Now I know what the next new toy is gonna be :D . Oh, and thanks Jerry - for reminding me why I do pretty much all the work on my own car.

[jhooten]

Don't touch anything that does not have a "follow bar" or shoe to keep the tube from crimping. The cheap benders won't work.
[/b]


It wouldn't be a total waste. I could still use it on some of the bigger conduits. Should let me mangle them a little better than the hand bender.

Besides, according to one of my south of the border technical consultant experts, all one has to do is fill the tube with sand befor one starts to bend it and you will get perfect bends with no crimping or crushing of the tube.

[Doc Bro]

Fill the tube with water and freeze it before you bend it. That's how they make brass instruments like trombones without kinking that real thin walled brass.

R

[timelapseracing]

Earl, I used an older version of this bender - worked really well - though I would have loved one of those fixed platform benders and a really nice shop to put it in... :D

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/6614,,_3rd...l?itemNo=BENDER (http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/6614,,_3rd-Generation-Speedway-Hydraulic-Round-Tubing-Bender.html?itemNo=BENDER)

Jason.

[seckerich]

You get what you pay for with tools. I bought my first bender and 3 of us split the cost. Cheap for all of us and we got a much better unit. Anybody wants out has to sell their portion or be willing to pay the others the same amount. We owned about five different expensive tools and never had a problem, especially with something you use very few times.

[Lael Cleland]

HI i am new here!! i have built 7-8 cages and use the pro tool #105 the 1.75 in die is $220 plus $400 to over night it. the bender with one die is like $500. there is an up grade to do air/hyd.

[seckerich]

No relation to the company of course. :018:

[Lael Cleland]

what company? pro tool? no.

[erlrich]

Earl, I used an older version of this bender - worked really well - though I would have loved one of those fixed platform benders and a really nice shop to put it in... :D
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/6614,,_3rd...l?itemNo=BENDER (http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/6614,,_3rd-Generation-Speedway-Hydraulic-Round-Tubing-Bender.html?itemNo=BENDER)

Jason. [/b]

Jason - thanks, that' s more like what I was hoping to find.

See you at MARRS I?

[Speed Raycer]

No relation to the company of course. :018:
[/b]

Nope... IIRC Lael is a cage builder from Nebraska

The pro tools type units all seem to be pretty much the same... good. There's a low buck option that uses a bottle jack and Hossfeld die sets. Usually in the back of Circle Track magazine... maybe lowbucktools.com (even though the name is misleading).

Just found it... www.midamericanonline.com

[seckerich]

what company? pro tool? no.
[/b]
My bad--when I see first post as information to purchase it is usually a red flag.

[Lael Cleland]

No prob, i like to endorse good products. like Snap-On unofficial tools of SCCA. or my favorit, FOSTERS the beer for me.

[m33mcg]

Have owned the pro-tool bender for about ten years now and it works great. They also have great tech. support.

[242volvoITB]

HI i am new here!! i have built 7-8 cages and use the pro tool #105 the 1.75 in die is $220 plus $400 to over night it. the bender with one die is like $500. there is an up grade to do air/hyd.
[/b]

ive done two and i love my PRO TOOL bender. im starting three more IT cages next week. all volvo.

[Sandro]

I borrowed someones JD2. Worked great. Before I found someone that had one I was thinking of buying one and then when I was done just selling it, and whatever you loose just consider it a rental fee.


I used this article to help me make my cage, it will make it so easy to calculate the bends. I never even wasted one tube due to making a bad bends.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/bendin_tube/index.html

[Lael Cleland]

some one needs to invent an Unbender!!!!

[Joe Harlan]

some one needs to invent an Unbender!!!!
[/b]
nah, my scrap guy would go out of business without the screwups....

[seckerich]

A little like Bill Cosby in shop class--every screw up was an ash tray. I just bend the main hoop first so when I try to fit a little too tight I use the pieces for the supports. I have the Mittler Bros. unit and love it. A little steep on price but if you use it alot it is worth the money. The digital readout is great for repeat bends.

[Speed Raycer]

some one needs to invent an Unbender!!!!
[/b]

I'd settle for a "Little-LessBender"

[timelapseracing]

I'd settle for a "Little-LessBender"
[/b]



I thought that was a porta-power... :blink:

Jason.