Outer Limits 4x4 Board

hi all.ive heard that when bending tube if you pack it with sand it removes the squash bit in the pipe.is this true?

Not always, it depends on what sort of bender you are using and also depends on what degree bend you want to achieve!

If you did a course at tafe they would tell you to pack it with sand, however ask a tradesman that uses pipe everyday and see what his reply is!

If you have a good bender and good quality steel the bends come out pretty good!

If you are building a bullbar, side rails etc etc than good luck with packing sand in it and then emptying it again, very time consuming!

its only a cheapie(not into the thousands).

It will help but you need fine sand and you need to really PACK it in!!!!

It is also a real PAIN IN THE ARSE to get it out!!!!!!!

ill give it a go.ill use pipe ends to hold it in there.

The sand trick does work to a degree, but like the others said
very time consuming to say the least, and then theres the mess and try finding dry sand this time of the year!!!! ( try the local sandblaster man and use his rejected material...usually its free).
If you use a top grade pipe and good formers you shouldnt have any probs, but if your still having problems with the bends then get a piece of tin from a "ridgecap" offcut from a roofing plumber ( use the flat section).
Place this between the pipe and former then bend the pipe as normal. The tin bit will form to the shape of the pipe/former and will remove any slop and therefore bends should be perfect. The problem is usually that the formers are in imperial and the pipe is metric, hence the slight slop and resulting kinks when bending.

good stuff ill try thr tin too.and ill let yas know how i went and what worked the best.

i've got a cheapo bender and i never pack it with sand... too much effort

i can live with the kinks because all the bends are on non-critical applications

If you want better quality bends from your cheap bender buy an ENERPAC former (not cheap). They work heaps better, the standard formers dont support the sides of the tube allowing it to crush. Another thing to watch out for is ensure you put the weld so its at the centreline of the bend
Have Fun Dave

davejb wrote:Another thing to watch out for is ensure you put the weld so its at the centreline of the bend
Have Fun Dave

on the inside of the bend?

i have experimented with this and have found the best results with the least deformation from having the seam at one side of the bend. with the seam on the inside, i had the pipe collapse. with the seam on the outside, the outer surface suffered more deformation and the pipe became more ovular.

The seam of the tube is more rigid due to the weld. With the seam on the outside the tube will crush/collapse due to the welded seam not stretching. With the seam on the side the weld will bend easier. Although sometimes you don't have a choice on the complex bends.

If you use steam pipe there are no seems, recomended when strength is an issue (eg Roll bars/cages, bullbar with whinch attached) but its costly,
Others have said it well if the seem is running along the out side of the bend it may split, if its running inside the bend it might kink. if you run the seam so you can see it at the side of the die its in the right place. dont forget to check which way you put it so you can run them all the same. (For instance you want all the seems facing the driver on a front bar)
As far as packing sand ? lots of hassel not much benifit.But if you go this way dont use beach sand without wasing it first (your bar will rust from inside out) and use garden hose to wash it out odf bar after wards. Weigh the bar befor introducing sand and again after to make sure you havent left any in it. Rice works comparitivy well but generaly your talking only thin walled material 1.5 mm or less which is only going to be cos metic. Good luck. One thing i will say is you will be glad you gave it a go.