How to make a pipe bender for a pipe with your own hands: drawings, diagrams, video

Your attention is invited to an article with step-by-step instructions and drawings for the manufacture of a swivel pipe bender for a profile and round pipes. We will tell you about the basic rules for assembling the lever and the bed of a home machine with our own hands and provide video instructions with comments.

At different stages of construction, installation of a water supply system and other works, one often has to face the need to evenly bend the pipe along a large or small radius. It is impossible to do this without a special device – the pipe is deformed and the quality of the product will come to naught.

A little about radii

A circular bend implies the definition of a radius value, which can be divided into three categories:

1. Small radius – from 50 to 250 mm. A bend under such a radius can be called a knee. It is performed on water pipes with a circular cross-section Ø 15–75 mm, or on pipes with a square profile of 15–25 mm (decorative forging).
2. The average radius is from 250 to 500 mm. It is often used for the manufacture of ring molds from a 40×3 strip, a pipe of O 15-75 mm, a square (15-25 mm) or rectangular (up to 20×40 mm) profile – the rim of barrels, tanks.
3. Large radius – over 500 mm. It is used for the manufacture of arched elements – greenhouse frames, canopies, edges of welded structures. Usually it is a square (15×15, 20×20) or rectangular profile 20×40, 40×60 mm. Arches from a round pipe are usually not made – it is inconvenient to attach a distribution crate to them, but it is possible to bend a round pipe of a large radius with a diameter of no more than 75 mm.

The radius on thicker pipes is performed not by bending, but by segmentation – when the elbow is cut into segments and welded.

Small radius bends are generally required on water pipes with a diameter of 15–38 mm. Often the fact of bending at the right angle is more important than its quality. In the everyday life of craftsmen, there are two types of pipe benders for this task – three-point and rotary.

How to make a rotary pipe bender with your own hands

This type of tool can often be found in the “hand” version. The force is applied by the operator through the lever. The device is easy to make, with the skill of a locksmith and a welder. To do this, you will need the main elements – a lever, two wheels from blocks (with grooves) of different diameters, a steel plate and other metal parts.

First, you need to make a powerful fork (metal at least 5 mm) for the thickness of the wheels. This requires a calculation. Suppose we need to bend a pipe with an outer diameter of 25 mm. We have wheels (bearings) of two diameters at our disposal: r₁ = 250 and r₂ = 100 mm (radii 125 and 50 mm, respectively). The radius of the larger wheel will be the inner radius of the knee.

The fork design will be like this:

Pipe bender fork design

The main dimension of the lever fork is the distance between the wheels (d = 25) Is the pipe seat and must be equal to its diameter plus 1–2 mm. In our case, this is 25 mm.

Note.If the wheels have a groove, the inner point of the groove is taken into account..

The next step is to determine the distance between the wheel axles (and) according to the formula:

• a = d + r₁ + r₂ = 25 + 125 + 50 = 200 mm

Next, you should determine the sufficient size of the fork, based on the distance between the axles of the wheels (from). Here you only need to adhere to the approximate gap between the small wheel and the rear wall of the fork (take 10 mm), as well as the stock of metal for fastening the stationary axle of the large wheel (take 30 mm):

• c = a + r₁ + 10 + 30 = 280 mm

The size of the gap between the shelves of the fork (in) will be equal to the thickness of the wheel plus 1–2 mm (take h = 30 mm).

The small wheel will be mounted on an axle that is rigidly fixed to the fork shelves. Try to use a bearing on this axis – this will make the work much easier compared to simple (“dry”) mounting.

If the task is to make a pipe bender for several pipe diameters (from 15 to 38 mm), the distance between the fork flanges should be sufficient to install the thickest pipe. Make the fork shelf longer and drill holes for the stationary axle for each diameter.

Node 1 – fastening the lever to the fork – if possible, make a reliable threaded connection with a weld. Simply weld the lever handle “to the butt end” will be unreliable, since it is through this point that the entire load is transferred.

A steel plate 350×200 mm or more with a thickness of 8 mm or more is suitable as a basis for a pipe bender platform. Think right away what the purpose of the machine will be – stationary or portable. Provide mounting holes in the plate Ø 12–20 mm.

Site design: 1 – stop; 2 – mounting holes; 3 – lever; 4 – direction of force at the moment of bending; 5 – axis fixed to the fork; 6 – pipe; 7 – stationary axis

A stationary axle can be made from a regular pin by welding it in the center of the plate, but it is better to use a bearing or bearing sleeve. The stop is fixed in place after assembling the pivot mechanism. If the machine is designed for one diameter, the stop (corner 50×50 mm) can be simply welded to the platform. If there are several diameters, empirically establish the location of the stop under each of them, make holes in the appropriate places and pick up the rods (fastening “on the finger”).

How the pipe bender works, video

The precision-made machine is complemented by clamps for bending thin-walled pipes. This approach is relevant in production, where work is carried out mainly with one or two types of pipes..

Video: pipe bender in production

This basic model can be improved by making the wheels move along the mounting axis, thereby expanding the range of radii. This will require more ingenious solutions and precise execution of details..

Improved do-it-yourself manual pipe bender, video

Factory machines and tools for specifying small radii have the same unchanged principle, but are arranged in a different way. More convenient and perfect fasteners that can be rearranged easily and quickly, mechanized labor, precise execution and a careful attitude to the workpiece are what a professional who is used to working hard and efficiently needs..

Manual electric pipe bender

High-quality production of the main parts of complete machines – a system of stops and levers – is possible only in the factory.

Observing the basic rules and the principle of pipe bending itself, you can use any available parts to improve the machine.