bending square tubing

I'd like to build another speedster body out of 1" square tubing, not sure if I would go with 1/16" wall or 1/8".

Anyone know what kind of machine I would need to do that? I have a crappy HF pipe bender that just kinks everything so I'm thinking there is a better type of bender out there for tubing (as opposed to pipe).

tubing bender

HI
build one of these and buy the square tube dies and it will do what you want.
www.gottrikes.com/AH_tubebender.htm
Picture shows 1-5/8" tube with .135 wall with a 6" radius
This bender will do a great job.

have fun
tom

We have two of these in our shop. A small model 3 and the bigger model 32. both work great the 3 is about 20 years old and does a great job and gets used almost everyday.

http://jd2.com/shop/

I had a homemade square tube die that I used in a regular HF style hydraulic jack pipebender. Worked great for what it was intended for. Sold that set and bought a larger bender and never got around to making a new die just yet. While looking for ideas I came across this one and have yet to make one of these either, but it's on the to do list. Works like a conduit bender. I've always used the 100 thou wall 1 inch square tube, heavy enough to weld without burning through and light enough to shape.

I plan on strengthening the box on my bucket also, and that little tool looks like something I could make to put the slight bends in the square tubing that I need for the back of the bucket. It would also help in making the tunnel for the tranny. Good ideas guys.

If you want to bend it without that squashed in look on the inside radius,which to me always looks like the massproduced factory stuff, and you have a torch,try the sand method.Fill tubing with sand weld ends shut heat area where you want bend and pull. All you need is a vise to hold it.We used to bend round pipe with just a torch and a handvice clamped on the redhot bend area and it gave perfect round crossection bends.There was also a way of marking the area to heat to get the bend precicely where you wanted it.but cant remember it right now.

How about something like this....

Thanks for all the ideas. Looks like if I want a bender that will make precise, repeatable bends, I'll need to fork out some decent cash and get a good one.

1x1 squared!

I have a JD squared bender with several dies and one of them will bend 1x1 square tube 180 deg with NO kinking! The thick wall .125 tube works best! I have made trans tunnel / driveshaft saftey hoops with it and works awesome! The bender itself is fairly inexspensive and the dies are what cost ya!
I think when I bought my the bender it was $250. and by the time I bought all my dies (6) I spent $1100. I made mine into a hydralic one by adding a contorl valve from a forklift and a cylinder from ? and 110 electric motor and pump,mounted on a roll around table. It paid for itself with 2 jobs(roll cages in offroad trucks) using 1.5 inch sched. 40
All in all I DO recomend it!

Mr.Gussett said:

I spent $1100. I

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Ouch! Yeah it seems the dies are what hurts. Even Northern Tool dies are expensive, might as well just get the real deal. I guess I'll get the bender and just a 1" set of dies to start.

grunt said:

How about something like this....

Click to expand...

This looks more in to my price range. I just need to make some bends for the inside of the bucket, and tranny tunnel. Good idea there.

I have a Hossfeld a JD2 and a Diaccro I use the Hossfeld most but for solid stock mostly but I have made my own bending forms from three eights or half inch stock and I do scrolls from .080 1x1 on my Hossfeld fairly often. as I only have round dies for my JD2 I don't know how well they work, but if they work as good as the round dies work they would be money well spent. Also My Hossfeld has a press die feature and it work's awsome on square tubing up to 1 1/2 by 1 1/2. Also have a pyramid bender and it has flat rolls with sides and it bend large circles quite well.