Outer Limits 4x4 Board

hi guys just wondering what you guys use as far as pipe benders go? i worked in a 4x4 shop and we used the opw ones you see in the front of mags but i was wondering if anyone on here had anything to say about the bottle jack ones you see on ebay also you can get the bottle jack ones that you can put an air line into? what do you guys use? do the cheeper ones kink the tube? i dont minde if it takes a bit longer than the profesional ones but i dont want to bye one then end up wasting more tube than the thing was worth! also i am based in sydney so if there are any good shops that you guys know of in sydney that sell this sort of stuf that would be great cheers.

I've used a hydraulic pipe bender like the ones you're talking about. I filled the tube with sand so it doesn't kink. It works ok. Hare & Forbes at North Parra have them. I'm sure there'll be plenty of other places too. I'd recommend a tube notcher for proper fit up.

We use the OPW bender at work and it works fine, if you are to use an "older style' bender that pushes from the centre you should get some cathedral dies.
The main difference between a succesful bend and a kink apart from the wall thickness is the type of dies you use.

A cathedral die is narrower on the centre line of the bend to keep the pressure on the pipe when bending, cheap dies dont use this style usually , why i dont know because it cost no more to produce the cathedral dies than an incorrect die.

We still have the old style bender at work and with the cathedral dies it still does a good bend without kinkin but we would go no lighter than med wall.
Use heavy wall and you should get away with using the cheap dies but not guaranteed.

There are a lot factors to getting a good bend but this response should give you a basic idea.

Mick
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I bought a speedwerx bender with hydraulic bottle Jack, works well