Replies

1. 
   Steinmetz | Feb 25, 2004 02:03am | #1

   Greg,

   There are tools to bend copper tubing available at GRAINGERS   

    If you want to do it as easily as possible, get soft coils of copper   The hardened stuff may collapse.   For wider tubing, use an electrican's 'Hickey"and fill the pipe with sand (No Kinks)  Stein.

   
   

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   Edited 2/24/2004 6:05:29 PM ET by steinmetz

1. 
   WayneL5 | Feb 25, 2004 02:21am | #2

   The dimensions of electrical conduit don't match copper pipe, so bending copper with an electricians hickey may be difficult.  I'd recommend a bender with properly sized shoes for the material to be bent.

2. 
   Steinmetz | Feb 25, 2004 02:29am | #3

   Greg, After you bend a sample section to your liking, Lay it flat on a wide slab of thick plywood.

    Mark out it's outline on the board at all the starts of any bends from straight areas and mark and drill peg holes at both upper and lower outlines of the bend.

   Use cut off sections of iron pipe as pegs (Or, cuts from a broom stick.)

   After all holes are drilled and pegged, remove all but the first two or three pegs

    With the straight lenth of tubing, bend around the second peg and add the third pegs continue the reverse bend and add more pegs before further bending 

   When starting, if you don't know the exact size to cut your sample's length, start with a longer trial section BUT make note of it's length.

   When you cut the finished part to size, any duplicates will need the former's length minus whatever you cut off.

    Keep one sample of all you make and note it's size. In the event you must connect multiple pieces, there are tools to spread (Female) one end and shrink the mating  piece.(Male)   Stein.

3. 
   rslatm | Feb 25, 2004 03:46pm | #4

   Suggest you go to metal sites for more info. Lots of do it yourself plans on benders. Also doing a search on google with turn up a wealth of info.

   http://www.northerntool.com has some benders.  It's far easier and cheaper to buy an import tool than make your own.

   http://ranier.hq.nasa.gov/Metal/MetalBookmarks.html

   http://www.artmetal.com/

   http://www.angelfire.com/ks/mcguirk/mwlinks.html

   http://metalshapers.org/