Tube Bender

[SoapKart]

Just thought I would start a thread on my tube bender project. It's not a buggy thread but thought someone might find it interesting.

I decided to try and build a bender using the plans from gottrikes.com. I'm sticking pretty close to the plans with just a couple adjustments. So far the project is going well. I've been able to get all the pieces cut & drilled so now it's time to put it together. I'm hoping to get that done this week. I did have to go to the local shop and have a couple holes drilled as I didn't have an 1 3/8 bit.

Anyways, here's a pic of my pieces minus a few nuts & bolts. Hopefully I'll have a pic of them welded together by the end of the week.



http://www.gottrikes.com/Tube_Bender.htm

[SLESTAK75]

That's pretty awesome. I bet you saved alot of money building your own. Thanks for the link to the plans.

[Masteryota]

Very nice. Just for kicks, what did this set you back money wise? I know the JD benders are pretty expensive, and the dies are where most of the money is.

[ckau]

I'm really liking this design. The fact that it's portable and can be stowed away when not in use appeals to me. I've hesitated on making a purchase simply because of the dedicated space needed for a horizional bender. Keep us posted and let us know how this works out. I 'm curious to what the die's cost for this trick.

[SoapKart]

I also liked the portability of the design myself. The cost is adding up quick but I think I'll still be close to the same cost to a manual entry level bender by the time I'm done. You are correct in that the dies are expensive by themselves. This unit is designed to use the Pro-105 die sets from pro tools http://www.pro-tools.com/. There is a guy on minibuggy.net occasionally making die sets for sale.

Investment to date;
$18 : Plans
$85 : Air/Hydraulic Ram @ Harbor Freight
$60 : Bushings(Plans give the details so this is not needed if you have a lathe and
can make yourself)
$100 : Steel (Could be less or more depending on what you can get at salvage cost)
$50 : Misc Hardware & Hardened Shafts

[Masteryota]

Yeah thats pretty much what I have seen across the board, seems $300 is the magic number for benders, but yours will be hydraulic, which is always a plus. I know there is a bike builder here in town that has all that fancy equipment, and he told me he would anything I have in mind, but he charges $50/hr to do it, so I might save up a few projects and hit him all at once, thinking about new roll cage for the yerf, but $$ is tight right now.

[bear]

Tight!? more like gasping for air!!!

[uaweldercod]

Pro tools is hard to beat I worked there for a couple years they make a bunch of jd squares stuff also .One of those why did I ever quit that job .lol