Where to buy a 360 degree pipe bender from? - Page 2

sunrider · 01 September 2007, 12:37

I live in a part of the country (USA) where no custom fabrication for the marine industry is done and have been unable to find anyone who can make radar arches or grab rails, so have been considering whether to buy a bender....but don't do enough work to justify the cost I don't believe. In my research I found this summary of bending methods with different types of benders, and the results they produce: http://www.oceanmachinery.com/how-to...e-and-tube.htm

codprawn · 01 September 2007, 12:58

Depends how much you want to spend.

http://search.ebay.com/tube-bender_W...opZ3QQsbrsrtZd

Quite a few on Ebay.

These looks promising for sensible money - may even import one myself.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Model-3-Tube-Ben...QQcmdZViewItem

and

http://cgi.ebay.com/JD2-Model-3-Tube...QQcmdZViewItem

codprawn · 01 September 2007, 13:22

Just found this on EBAY uk - a proper 360 degree bender!!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tube-Bender-Pi...QQcmdZViewItem

£500 though.

jwalker · 02 September 2007, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalker

...I'll snap a picture of a bend for you and you can decide.

.

Rogue Wave · 02 September 2007, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalker

.

I saw some crackin stainless bending work outside of a new Argos store locally....I have to admit I had some bad thoughts about an angle grinder and 2am....

wouldn't be the 1st time you nicked something with your Angle grinder would it! Poor old gArfie is still missing his tractor cab

Hightower · 02 September 2007, 16:37

That looks OK, I might see if I can borrow a conduit bender, I've a piece of 1" tube I can test bend.

You haven't got one have you Stu?

Rogue Wave · 02 September 2007, 18:59

I used to have one.......I'll go halvsies with you on that bender

Hightower · 03 September 2007, 14:01

Might well take you up on your offer Stu.

So this brings me onto TIG welders.

What's the minimum Amperage I could get away with for welding 1" diameter tubing to a good standard? I've used a 140 amp one before but can't remember what amperage I used, I seem to think it was about 100ish amps.
The other thing is that the higher amperage ones need a 16A supply at 240v's.

codprawn · 03 September 2007, 14:22

I know they SAY that you need a higher amp supply but I have used a 205amp Mig - a 165 amp tig and a 30 amp plasma cutter on a normal 13amp supply - along with a 3hp 14cfm air compressor. No problems at all - mind you I have proper fuses and not trip switches - I suspect they are more tolerant.

jwalker · 03 September 2007, 23:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

So this brings me onto TIG welders.

What's the minimum Amperage I could get away with for welding 1" diameter tubing to a good standard?

Usually around the 45-55amp range. I rarely go past 60amps even on quite thick sections. Are you thinking about a real TIG welder or an inverter?

bedajim · 04 September 2007, 06:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalker

Usually around the 45-55amp range. I rarely go past 60amps even on quite thick sections. Are you thinking about a real TIG welder or an inverter?

I went the inverter route from BOC, they had a demo week and were offering some great deals on the demo kit.

Hightower · 04 September 2007, 09:34

I was thinking inverter here, I had a chat with a couple of welding supply places locally yesterday and they where offering units/packages (without gas) for around £650, they said that the cheaper inverters that machine mart sell are utter rubbish (but then they would, wouldn't they), but I'm trying to keep cost down and am really only interested in doing the stainless for my boat.

So are the cheaper, Machine Mart ones any good? £750 for a set to include 30 litres of Argon Gas isn't expensive compared to other welding sets, but not as bargain basement as I could go.

What do you think?

bedajim · 04 September 2007, 09:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I was thinking inverter here, I had a chat with a couple of welding supply places locally yesterday and they where offering units/packages (without gas) for around £650, they said that the cheaper inverters that machine mart sell are utter rubbish (but then they would, wouldn't they), but I'm trying to keep cost down and am really only interested in doing the stainless for my boat.

So are the cheaper, Machine Mart ones any good? £750 for a set to include 30 litres of Argon Gas isn't expensive compared to other welding sets, but not as bargain basement as I could go.

What do you think?

Just how much stainless are you having

Hightower · 04 September 2007, 09:58

Only seat backs and railings, but the cost of this is 200 for each seat back, the same for a large handrail for the console, then I have other stainless bits I'd like to add like a bow rail to protect the tubes, the Mast for the back and some hand rails around the rear quarters. So I recon there's a thousand quids worth of work involved.

If I can buy a welding set and a bender for about £700 then I'm already quids in. Stainless tube is about £5 per meter so 6m lengths are £30/seat back etc.

And I've got a welding set to boot.

jwalker · 04 September 2007, 10:38

My unit is a Machine Mart inverter and it's given and still gives, sterling service. I did have a chat with the BOC folk and one of the listed feaures of their inverter was the ability to strike the arc without having to touch the surface to be welded. Touching the weld surface contaminates the tungsten. This appears to be a good feature and would allow the best of welds to be produced. If I'm very careful my inverter will do this but the tungsten is only a part of a millimeter from the surface and it's easy to shake slightly and make contact. A welding shield which you can see through while striking the arc is pretty much essential. Mine is powered by a wee solar panel and it's never not darkened even when welding in dull circumstances.

One thing to note is that you can't weld aluminium with an inverter because they are DC units and AC is required for ally.

Hightower · 04 September 2007, 10:41

Yeh, didn't want to do Ally anyway and I haven't got a spare £1250 anyway

So might be a trip to Machine Mart then

jwalker · 04 September 2007, 10:47

Remember to factor in a packet of tungstens and a couple of kilos of welding rod. If you get your tungstens from BOC there is a particular type to get and my BOC depot has to order them for me. It's to prevent you poisoning yourself so I'll see if I can find the info you need. There are different diameter tungstens also. I've used two sizes but always come back to one particular diameter...I think it's 2.5mm but I'll check. Back shortly. Oh yeh, while I remember.. you'll need leather gloves and the softer the better cos you need to be able to feel the welding rod while you feed it through your fingers. Big clumpy gloves make it difficult to do.

jwalker · 04 September 2007, 10:58

Cancel that. The rods are 1.6mm the 2.5's are too agressive. They are known as ceriated (they contain 2% cerium) and they have grey painted tips. This is an indication of their type. It's ages since I learned this stuff but I seem to remember non-ceriated tungstens produce some cyanide while you're welding.

Hightower · 04 September 2007, 11:09

My company has an inverter it's this one here the trouble is that to borrow it I''d have to convince the MD of the maintenance dept. to part with it for a weekend and would have to purchase another TIG welding gun as people keep loosing bits of the gun

.

If you never ask you'll never know I suppose.

jwalker · 04 September 2007, 11:24

I see they are featuring the easy striking ability. It must be a well known limitation of inverters. You do become skilled at starting the arc within a short time so I wouldn't be too concerned about it.