WTB pipe/tube Bender!

smokindawg · #1 (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 10:55 PM

I'm getting ready to start on my first bike and want to build most of the frame from scratch...... I'm looking for a reasonably priced pipe/tubing bender with dies for at least 1/2" and 3/4" pipe.

Thought that I'd post here and see if anyone had one they wanted to sell before shelling out the cash to Harbor Freight or Ebay!

stude13 · #2 (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 11:33 PM

ck. out c/list tools

wezwheels · #3 (**permalink**) 11-30-2008, 08:07 AM

try harbor freight tools. they have one on sale for the holidays. with three different size rollers.

Easy Rider · #4 (**permalink**) 12-01-2008, 02:23 PM

Personally, I would just take your stock to a professional bender and have them do all the bending. It will be cheaper than buying a quality bender with the dies. Watching (Dean) Pipelyne do it for years, I found out with a professional bender you won't get the crinkles in the bends.
Good luck building your frame.

AlphaLlama · #5 (**permalink**) 12-01-2008, 02:51 PM

I would be wary of the harbor freight tubing bender. I bought one there and I was only
trying to bend some handle bars and and I only succeeded in bending the bender. It was
make of chinese anti metal. You are better off spending the money for a Rigid if your going to bend heavy guage pipe.

xPosTech · #6 (**permalink**) 12-01-2008, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaLlama

I would be wary of the harbor freight tubing bender. I bought one there and I was only
trying to bend some handle bars and and I only succeeded in bending the bender. It was
make of chinese anti metal. You are better off spending the money for a Rigid if your going to bend heavy guage pipe.

You tried bending heavy pipe with a conduit bender?

Ted

jasonh · #7 (**permalink**) 12-01-2008, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xPosTech

You tried bending heavy pipe with a conduit bender?

Ted

I hope it was something more like this:

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

But if that's the case, that's disappointing.

Though if you want some nice sweeping curves like I would think would be appropriate for a bike frame, you'd want something like this:
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

AlphaLlama · #8 (**permalink**) 12-01-2008, 04:19 PM

UHH ...no comment. But that tubing roller looks nice.

lennyharp · #9 (**permalink**) 12-01-2008, 07:17 PM

That links to a rod bender and is not going to work well with thinwall tubing needed for a bike.