Bending Stainless steel??

Post by **DanielS** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 11:51 am

Hi guys,

I have to bend some 19mm stainless steel tube and was unsure if it will need to be anneal.

Can you use copper pipe benders- or will it crack??

thanks

Post by **mickyd555** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:04 pm

only superman could do it with a copper bender.............

Post by **DanielS** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:13 pm

yeah was thinking along those lines, what if you did it while it was hot??

Post by **mickyd555** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:19 pm

whats it being used for, if you heat it it will look funny. but even then im not sure it will work.

Post by **DanielS** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:50 pm

its being used for my PWR intercooler coolant piping, the radiator is being located on the tray, so i have to bend up some pipe to fit it all up.

could always use strait with rubber bends, but dont like the thought of all those connections......

Daniels

Post by **EXHAUSTFIX** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 3:49 pm

try sand bending it if you have an oxy

Post by **DanielS** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 4:40 pm

Thanks Ross I will try that.

Post by **DanielS** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 4:40 pm

Thanks Ross I will try that.

Post by **Bush65** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:39 pm

Stainless work hardens, making forming difficult. It causes a lot of spring back.

Post by **awill4x4** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:09 pm

Whereabouts are you Daniel? If you're in Melbourne we have tube bending dies for our tube bender at work in 19mm- (3/4") also 22mm-(7/8"), 25.4mm-(1"), 29mm-( 1-1/8") 32mm-(1-1/4), 35mm-(1-3/8"), 38mm-(1-1/2"), 45mm-(1-3/4"), 51mm-(2").
We do a bit of stainless tube bending particularly in 19mm and 25.4mm stainless tubing.
Regards Andrew.

Post by **sudso** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:52 pm

You could also buy tube bends and get them tig welded to your tube where you want them. They come in various angles.

Atlas Specialty Metals is the only one I know of in Melbourne.

The tube bends aren't as expensive as you think

Make sure the tubes are being gas flushed when getting welded if you go down this path.

cheers
sudso

Post by **DanielS** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:52 am

Thanks for that guys,

Andrew- that would of been great, but Im in perth.

Thanks for the offer anyhow.
Sudso- looked into that also but I have ended up routing it differently and it then only required to mild bend that I did with some pipe and heat.

Well its in now, just have to see how it works.

Regards

Daniels

Post by **bru21** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:54 pm

stainless is a prick to bend with heat, I have done it many times. the small diameter you are using is pretty good as long as it is thickish, pack it with sand and really concentrate on stretching the outer and avoid overheating and crimpling the inner, thus work the flame on the outside edge mainly. you need to work the flame along the pipe back and forth as the heat condutivity of s/steel is poor at best. you will need it really really cherry, and i have used an lpg/ compressed air burner with succsess, but an oxy cutting torch is the go.

that said i have not looked at bending s/steel since i found the bends are so cheap and neat. i paid $600 for enough bends, pipe etc to build my entire exhaust twin 21/2 inc headers in 316. think you should pay $7 a bend. midway metals

cheers bru

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Bending Stainless steel??

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