A well-built tube bender is a tool utilized to provide consistent and accurate bends in a wide array of tubes, including copper, steel, and aluminum tubes. You may purchase tube bender plans with ease, and there are a number of designs you can utilize in your workplace. Although there are many automated options on the market that are hydraulically or electrically powered, these may take up large portions of your workspace and are not suitable for some applications.
Find the Best Bender
Look through a wide range of specialized tube bender plans to ensure you choose the best option for your application. All manual tube benders have a recommended limitation to the pipe or tube size that can be bent. If you were to choose a bender with an inappropriate limitation for your application, you could damage the bender or the tubing.
The limitation could also vary due to the material of the tube you wish to bend, as well as the thickness and cross-section of the tubing. If you think you know which bender you want, make sure the tool used can handle the work you need done for your application. The more information you gather ahead of time, the less likely you are to make a damaging mistake that could cause delays.
Set Up
Once you have your tube bender plans and are ready to set it up, be sure to set your adjustment dial in accordance with the radius you desire in the tube, as well as the number of degrees required in the bend. You may be required to perform certain calculations to achieve your ideal results with minimal risk of damage or failure. Some bend adjustment charts exist to help simplify your calculations.
Also be sure to consider whether you need a vise for your application. Most manual benders can be set up with this tool if the intent is to bend a tube with heavy wall thickness. When using tube benders, it is recommended to use a vise for safety reasons.
