PERFECT BENDS! with harbor freight pipe bender.

Here’s a tip, use a piece of tig wire or a welding rod for an angle gauge. Bend the wire to the angle that you desire for your pipe and just use it for a go/no go gauge as you’re bending.

Not a bad result probably the best I've seen without a lot of faffing about or forking out for a JD2 bender .thanks

Amazing how the most simplest ideas can be such brilliant solutions. Thank you so much for showing us this.

Your guess is spot on! Using the bigger die puts all the force on one spot allowing walls to collapse. Where as the smaller die buts force on at least two points both of which are where the collapsing of the walls would have started thus preventing the kinks from ever starting. Good find!

Watched part 2 of independent suspension build and was gonna ask you a few questions. Clicked on ur page and you answered EVERYTHING in this video....thank you!! I was certain that, if I start doing these builds, I'd be stalled with a thousand dollar tubing bender I can't afford. But apparently this CAN be done. Might take a little longer, but I'm 50....time I HAVE, lol! Thank you 👍

Thank you for the tip. I will definitely be using this soon. Glad I’m catching your start up on the cart build because I am fixing to do the same but bigger scale. Following for the rest of your progress.

I have a SuperEgo (high quality Spanish made) bender. Had it since around 1988. I have never had the crimping problem but the bending shoes are a snug fit on sch 40 pipe. there is no play and they have to be lightly hammered off after a deep bend, good quality and snug dies. cost around $500 (special price) in '88. I used it 6 years in a fab shop I owned, the guys made shoes (liners) to fit inside the sch 40 dies to fit tubing snugly for no kink bending of thinner wall tube. With stainless thin wall we often used sand. We bent thick wall aluminum with it for tuna towers on sport fishing boats. I had them make up a different set up, two 6 foot or so long slightly bent and reinforced steel channels (one greater radius, the other less) and used them on the floor with a porta jack to bend slight camber in the tubes for canvas covered tower roofs, that was easter than roll bending, faster and always uniform. we had an angle plate bolted to the floor for the jack base and two vertical pipes on each side about a foot outside the die for wood blocks to rotate on to hold the pipe ends. The depth of the chord on the shoes (dies0 is about 18'' on one and 2 feet on the other. Jacking until the pipe came totally in contact with the die and stopping right there gave repeatable uniform curves. Fast and easy. Shut down that shop in 1996, but still have every machine, press brake (180 ton 10 feet), 1/4 x 12 power leaf brake (both Chicago), 3/8 x 7 foot plate roll, a 1/4 x 10 foot ADIRA shear, a dozen welders (up to 400 amps, several are tig) and all kinds of other stuff spread all over the yard under open side roofing (tropics, central America) for convenience to not have to move welders around, just leads. All for hobby use since '96. At least I am not bored like other retirees. Kept everything, benders, lathe, mill, drill presses. Wood shop. Perfect for any personal project. biggest hobby shop in Central america as far as I know. Maybe there are 6 or 8, maybe 10 industrial shops in all of CA that are better equipped outside the Panama Canal and large shipyard in Balboa in Panama.and maybe not that many.

Thank you for this tip! I struggled to bend before this video!

Nice! Ive done this trick with copper tubing before, glad to see it works on pipe. I just picked one of these benders up and it kinked the first two pieces, then tried to move the section in one inch increments. still left small kinks in the pipe. going to fill with sand now!

Exactly where I am at. Brilliant. Thank You😊

Thanks for the video and sacrificing that 3/4" pipe to show what and what not to do. I'm picking up one of these next week just to do a small project.

The trick to no kinks is keeping the sides of the pipe or tubing from blowing out. It you can do that you have won. Great job and cool project.

I’ve been using harbor freight bender for like 2 years . What I use is a map torch heat up the metal a lil no kinks at all . Also don’t even bother using this bender if you’re thinking of bending lightweight materials , it will just kink and the 2 metal rollers leaves a little mark on the tube . So use at lease 1/8 thick tubing 🤙🏽

thank you bro, saved me a lot of money on my projects!

Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I'm going to do a similar project and I was wondering how to bend the pipe without kinking it.

I tried this today. It worked with out to much trouble. A couple this I added where. I buffed all of the paint out of the die, noteched a center line mark in, applyed a little axle grease to the die itself and warmed up the pipe with a torch. No flat spots at all.

Once you do some bends and figure things out, measure the ram sticking out. This is a good way to repeat bends. I wrote down a key with what ram distance gave me a certain degree. Before jd2, I used to use this bender to do 4130 tubing, just use the die smaller than your material.

Good job on the go-cart frame. And given what I'm observing, you definitely know what you're doing.

Very nice informative demonstration video

I use and re use sheet metal piece to buffer out the die. That way the radius is right and it fills in the loose spots. You can add more sheets if needed. I get perfect bends and no sand, just move the pins in tighter to the next tighter holes.

Good explanation!

they look like some pretty nice ,kink free bends !!!

Thanks for the tip, gona give it a try.

Can I get some opinions on which bender is **better** for making motorcycle/ebike frames? This one or the hand wheel rolling one at HF? I see people buying the roller one but have to by the Swag Off-Road upgrades to make it work like a "$1000 bender" as some have claimed.

I used to use a piece of fence pipe ripped down the center to go over top of pipe I was bending and had pretty good results.

Love to learn thank you

Try using a large framing square on the heel side (outside corner) for checking 90 degree bends, easy and accurate

If I need to angle the left vs right once I have the angles is that possible

thanks fore a great tipp!

I wonder if a person wet the sand while in the tube, if it would make it absolutely compacted and therefore more effective as a stabilizer for/in the pipe?

Looks like your doing a good job! I’m glad I seen this! In my backyard I have a four step precast concrete steps! This weekend I’m going to buy a bender! I want a railing for my friends and family! Hopefully it will make it so they feel safe! I had forgotten about sand in pipe! Thank you! Hopefully that suggestion will help me!

nice tip. thanks man

Cool video great tips

Hello! I appreciate your video. The sand helped me bend a schedule 10 pipe! I do have a tip!. The dies have a couple of holes! Is you bend it past the top frame plate and clear the holes. You will have a perfect 90°

Try the other type of bender that uses a bottle jack where the jack pushes against one side of the die bottom and rotates the die with the pipe end held by a u shaped strap bending it around the die as the jack rotates the die thru about 45° as the jack extends. Obviously this type while somewhat similar to yours takes some repositioning in a multi step process to achieve anything beyond 45° or so. A little oil on the pipe and die, packed with sand, perhaps a little warming with a torch? Basically some experimentation in the search for the highest quality bends repeatedly.

Yes. I recently watched a similar video about the same product. Sand DOES help. However, putting 1inch LATTERAL marks along the pipe, and then bending an equal amount along those one inch marks, allows bending without any pinches and without the use of sand.

One trick I saw an old timer do was as follows. Tape bottom of pipe Fill with sand, tap a bit to get it to settle and add more sand. Pour a cup or two of water onto the sand in the pipe until you have leaks out the bottom. Tap a far bit and refill with sand. Add water and repeat until its full-full. Tape the other end and bend. Or simpler just add sand and tap and ram the sand until its packed well. Would add water just in case you can get some more settling.

Could we get tight 180 bends with this?

I don’t own one yet but I do know 3/4 sch 40 is 1” OD should the bender be set up for pipe od? Or id? Again I don’t own one does the instructions specify?

Exactly That’s a old school trick my pops taught me Common sense prevails

kinda makes you wonder if using the sand is of any use I know its good for thin sidewall pipes

What about .095", 1" od tubing (go-kart frame)?

About to build a hard tail bobber with my son. I'm going to use your method because I can't move the pipe during the bending process and these results look better anyway. Sounds like a little patience and prep work are the key to good looking bends.

4:24 "meow"

Times 2 on the large framing square on the outside of the bend. H-F, around 10 dollars, bright yellow, can't miss them. Good luck.

Would anyone use this pipe bender for tubing. Thinking about making control arms. Any comments about this would be much appreciated. Thanks

Respectfully, I disagree. I have been using pipe benders for some 30+ years and I tried all this nonsense, wasting my time and the mess with sand, now I find it very simple to get good bends, and I even build roll cages for race cars with a pipe bender. No kinks, no waves, the rules don't allow that anyway. First, the dies must be spotless and polished. Many are supplied with as cast rough finish, get a flappy sanding disc out and start cleaning, doesn't take long, and that includes the 2 outer roller dies. Second, and important, the 2 outer roller dies are ALWAYS too close together. The bender in the video will need redrilling to move them straight out sideways, or even back towards the ram, or, as experienced in the video, you will run out of ram. I can't tell you how far to space them out, drill a few holes and test for yourself. On the benders that the holes don't go so far forward, I am often 2 holes further out than the manufacturer recommends, but you need to test, just know that further out is better than too close together. I don't know what's wrong with the makers of them, it's like they don't test them themselves. Just some other tips, if you don't mind the mess, use some oil or talcum powder, to allow the tube to slide through the dies as it needs to, rather than the die's surface gripping onto it.

Normally I set the bender on a stand I made for numerous metal fabrication. Basically a spare tire/wheel and a 3" pipe welded to it and a 6" square piece welded to the top. Not a work of art but it works. You can then bolt down the bender vertically, set a level to check. then simply use an angle finder and double the number you see and you have it. Haven't had to use the sand trick yet but it is said to work fine if needed. Want to make some Tubing spacers and a saddle back to bend some steel tube that needs to be sharper than my HF tubing roller can do.

Pretty cool you have a same go kart I have

Nice job. If you want to make 2 bends a certain width apart, do you line up the end of the shoe, or figure out the middle?

Instead of a sand inside the pipe, you could also heat the pipe where the bending place is. You could heat it really quick with a gas and then it shouldn't kink the pipe when you bend it. And not only that, when you heat it, the pipe will not be tensed neither.

thanks for sharing

Thanks for the video...

FYI Crisco cooking grease lubing outside of your dyes helps too. Cheap, not expensive.

Believe it or not flower works really good it packs tighter.

You can use card board or a shop floor and draw out degree increments so it can be easier than with just a square .

Thank you so much man. I bought this bender marked down (returned item) and I was worried it was junk. Seemed like a pretty simple design though, so I wasn't convinced anything was wrong. I saw your video and found technique was the problem -- of course! You're a lifesaver 🫡

can i bend stainless with this?

Amazing. I need to bend 1in blk pipe to make hand rails

Never had to use sand with mine, had it for 30 years, makes perfect radius's, no sand. I think you may have started with the wrong die? It doesn't look like your material actually fits the die. Right material?

I appreciate it. I buy sand tomorrow lol. I was ready to take it back...

someone can tell me if it bend a 2" in pipe 1/8 thick? please im going to buy it 2morrow but i dont want to buy it if it doesnt 🙏

Thanks👍

What’s your advice on square tubing? Can you use this bender on square?

Mantap bang..makasi tipsnya 😁👍👍

Thanks brother

Use a large carpenter square and measure on the outside of the bend that might help you out on your angle

Wonder if this works on galvanized schedule 40?

Enjoyed this.

Have try 2 inch pipe? You can get a test plug from the plumbing store

great informative video. dudes like you make youtube what it is thanks

Thank you(I kept kinking it) 🙏💕🌎💝

What kind of pipe is that? how thick is the pipe's wall? would be nice if u provided the link to that pipe bender. Wouldn't the sand push out the duct tape as the pipe bends?

A carpenter square should be in your future. It's a long "L" shaped thingy!

How much was the pipe bender and could you buy bigger dyes ya know something a long the lines of two-three inches or is one inch the biggest dye that pipe bender can use

I’m trying to build a exhaust, could I use this for a 2.5 OD pipe? Or would it be too much for the tool?

Can’t kink if it’s full. Brilliant

This morning I’ve been trying to bend 2” exhaust pipe with the 16 ton harbor freight jack. I used packed sand, and it totally kinked. On a 2nd try moving the pipe around , still pretty bad. It’s hard to learn when the pipe costs so much to practice on, and it doesn’t seem possible to turn the pipe over and unbend it.

I did a 90 first try just take your time and move the pipe back or forward like no more then 1/2in or less like 1/4 pump again and I only had to do that once for 90 but might need to do it more often for tighter bends. for 1in and bigger your going to want to by some pipe cut in half horizontally rest the tube in your cut pipe and bend I.D matches the OD of tube to super to make a sleeve or even weld your own die with pipe

it helps if you do like 10-15 pumps then move pipe up an inch or 2 do another 10-15 pumps move pipe up inch or 2 repeat .... will keep the pipe from crushing/kinking . the hf benders work just have to be smart with it . small 90 degree radius bends are a issue ..

You can buy the individual dies from harbor freight parts people. That's for the 12 ton bender.

Never had a problem with kink in one of those.

Will this machine work with 3in diameter pipe

Use diatomacious earth and ram it (not tapping on the side). Also, use some lubricant on the adapters.

good video man, you arc weld or wire?

could you not put a carpenter's square on the outside of the pipe to see if you're at 90 degrees?

Loved the video great info. What brand silica sand did you get?

They claim it works on square tubing as well, do you think it would without kinking it?

Get your welding gloves on and heat the metal, not glowing red (not to lose it’s structural integrity obviously) but hot enough to make your steel soft and malleable. Several benefits from doing so but the main one being less force and more “flow” as the metal molecules spread apart it’ll act more like a liquid and form around your dyes rather then want to fold because of them. Maybe you already thought of doing so but felt it’s worth mentioning, anyway keep up the good work man!

Wasn't sure about the HF bender. You sold me on it and the sand. Hope the Go Kart is holding up well.

If you are determined to spend time on sand to save time on multiple bends, freeze plugs are helpful. Really though, fuck sand, move your pipe a half inch every 12 pumps and you will get a nice bend in far less time with no mess. Use a level or mark a line down one side to keep each bend straight withthe next

will it eork on 1in square tube?

I'm wondering how production lines bend pipe of all wall thickness and diameters? I doub't they're packing sand. Great video though as I may have to do the same. I bought the bender but haven't tried it yet.

does work on 1 square tube?

As you fill with sane. have long rebar inside the pipe... and jamb and exit a bit as you go. That will give you he greatest pack.

Could you heat the pipe up first with a cutting torch then bend it or is that not how it’s supposed to be done , I have bent black pipe around stuff that was in my way and I didn’t have room to turn a fitting to make an offset do I just heated the pipe up until it turned cherry red then carefully with welding gloves on I used the hole in the pipe vice for bending conduit and made a 45 degree offset with a 2 inch travel piece then bent another 45 degree offset back to the original direction I was going

.5 bend looks good

Good info. Unfortunately silica sand is outlawed in Ohio where I live. My brother works for an industrial sandblastong recycle manufacturer and even they're not allowed to use it anymore.

I'd say use a vibrating sander to pack the sand and get out any air pockets.

Having a clamp that corresponds with the die will help too