Do-it-yourself pipe bender for a round pipe. Pipe bender: review and analysis of home-made designs, calculation, drawings, implementation

A pipe bender is a device of a mechanical or hydraulic principle of action for bending pipes, angles, rods and other metal products. It is possible to make a pipe bender for a profile pipe with your own hands, which allows you to bend most types of profile.

There are several main types of pipe benders - snail, manual roller and jack. It is more difficult to make hydraulic and electric models on your own, so let's consider mechanical models.

Required Tools

To assemble the pipe bender, at least the following tools are required:

welding inverter;
lathe (or purchase of finished parts);
vise;
a hammer;
saw blade for metal;
sandpaper;
ruler;
drill.

But, the most important thing is the drawings of the pipe bender. The mechanism must be made strictly according to the drawing. You can take a ready-made drawing from this material or find another one and adapt it to the desired dimensions.

But, without a drawing, it is impossible to make a pipe bender, since accurate calculations are needed to ensure the operation of mechanical parts.

Spiral pipe bender

The peculiarity of this type of pipe bender lies in the possibility of bending the part along the entire length at the same time, and not in any particular place. This makes the tool more versatile.

Materials for the snail pipe bender

When making such a pipe bender with your own hands, the dimensions of the parts must be selected for individual needs, since this model does not have a specific working diameter. This is also an advantage, since it allows the use of improvised materials.

To assemble the structure, you need:

meter channel;
Sheet steel;
3 shafts;
2 stars;
steel chain;
6 bearings;
two-meter pipe with a diameter of 12.7 mm for the production of collars;
screw for clamping;
bushing with internal thread.

Production of a snail pipe bender

Assemble the pipe bender should be clearly according to the scheme. Check out the photo of a do-it-yourself pipe bender and different options for drawings. Choose a suitable scheme and, if necessary, adjust the dimensions.

Weld the frame from channels (can be replaced with a thick steel plate or 1 channel of sufficient width).
Mount the bearings on the shafts, which are then welded to the frame.
Put the stars on the shafts and mount the chain on them.
Cut out guides for the clamping mechanism and weld onto the frame.
Mount the bearings on the presser shaft and assemble the press mechanism. Use channels or thick steel strips as side stops.
Make a base for the bushing and weld it to the structure. Screw in the clamp screw.
Weld a tubular knob to the upper end of the screw and the shaft.
Lubricate the bearings and check the operation of the mechanism.

Manual pipe bender on a roller mechanism

Making a manual pipe bender on rollers with your own hands is somewhat easier, since there are fewer mechanical elements. The device allows you to bend pipes in certain places.

The device must have a long lever, since direct manual effort is required to bend the products.

Materials for the manufacture of a roller pipe bender

To assemble the mechanism you need:

2 steel rollers 10 cm and 6 cm in diameter. Inner radius - 12.7 mm, thickness - 35 mm;
1.5-inch thick-walled (from 3 mm) steel pipe for the construction of the lever (length from 1.5 m);
4 steel strips 15x6 cm, about 5 mm thick. The mechanism for fixing the device in a vice. Also used for the construction of handles and lever supports;
steel strip 6 cm wide and 3 mm thick;
2 bolts - 60 mm 17.78 mm and 40 mm 12.7 mm. For fixing rollers;
steel plate 30x30 cm (thickness from 3 mm);

Making a manual pipe bender on a roller mechanism

How to make a pipe bender with your own hands at home - step by step instructions:

Make 2 holes with a diameter of 12.7 mm and 17.78 mm with an interval of 80 cm (or other, based on your drawing). In the frame, the execution of the hole is 19.05 mm. Mount the appropriate bolt into it and fix it by welding.

From plates 15x6 cm, a bolt 12.7 mm, a small roller and a strip of steel 35x60 cm, weld a U-shaped part. Pre-mount the roller with a bolt in the previously prepared holes. Weld the bolt to the plates. As a result, you will get a product that resembles a horn.

Weld a tube that acts as a handle to the base of the assembled part. Weld the pipe support bar to the base of the entire product. Between the bar and the main bolt there should be a distance equal to the radius of the main roller (which has a larger size according to your drawing) with the addition of 12.7 mm.

At the bottom of the base, weld a strip of 15x6 cm, through which the structure is fixed in a vice. Mount the main roller in the horn detail. Put the latter on the main bolt and fix with a nut. Fix the device in a vise and test it in action.

Jack pipe bender

A simple and convenient device for bending profile pipes. For the manufacture of the following materials are needed:

jack;
4 corners 40 cm long with equal shelves of 50 mm;
2 rollers with grooves for belts. There should be through holes in the center. In their absence, drill, measuring the middle;
equipment for a jack in the form of a semicircle with a recess inside;
2 channels 60 cm long and 10 cm wide;
bed;
2 mounting bolts.

Construction of a jack pipe bender

Weld the corners vertically onto the station. In the channels, make holes for the installation of rollers.

Weld channels on the corners (2 corners - 1 channel). Arrange the channels with platforms facing each other. The spacing between parts must match the length of the rollers. Mount the rollers in the prepared holes and fix with bolts.

Mount the rigging in the form of a semicircle on the jack and place it in the central part of the base between the channel structures.

DIY pipe bender photo

The pipe profile of rolled steel is widely in demand in the laying of spatial engineering communications, the manufacture of greenhouses and greenhouses, and in various household chores. This is facilitated by the high rigidity of the section with a low weight per linear meter.

In many situations, there is no need to purchase expensive drive devices, since you can make a simple manual pipe bender with your own hands.

Pipe bending is not one of the energy-intensive stamping operations, so manual bending forces are small. The difficulties lie in the fact that without certain conditions, the section of the bent pipe is deformed, and the quality of the bend is not high. This happens for the following reasons:

When bending at an angle exceeding 10 ... 150, the inner sections of the section are under the action of compressive stresses, and the outer ones are under tension. Therefore, folds and/or cracks appear on the surface of the pipe;
Pipes made of medium carbon steel (grades from steel 40 and above) have increased elasticity. This is manifested in the effect of springback of the bent profile when its dimensions do not correspond to the specified ones. When bending along a complex spatial contour, springback can reach 15 ... 20%;
Without forced fixation of the end of the pipe, its end is distorted, and its boundary loses its perpendicularity relative to the axis. As a result, there are difficulties with the installation of adjacent parts.

With this in mind, it is necessary to choose blanks from pipes made from ductile steel grades. Cold-formed pipes bend worse than hot-rolled pipes. In general, seamless steel pipes according to GOST 8732-76, as well as pipes made of ductile non-ferrous metals and alloys - aluminum, brass, copper, etc., are more suitable for manual bending.

Bending a profile pipe without using a pipe bender at home
A square metal pipe is considered a universal building material for arched and semicircular structures. An example is a semicircular arch for a greenhouse, a curved visor made of ...

To eliminate the negative effect of stress concentrators, all external surfaces of the material must be cleaned of scale and rust.

General scheme of a manual pipe bender

How to make a pipe bender? Regardless of the bending method - open or semi-closed - a home-made pipe bender should include:

Replaceable profiled roller, which will be crimped.
Deforming lever, with which the pipe is bent.
Fixer for one of the ends.
Adjustable template or lever travel stop.
Protective cover.
Base.

Some designs of homemade pipe benders for pipes may have a drive that allows you to deform thick-walled materials. For this, hydraulic motors are used: they are silent, autonomous and perform bending with increased accuracy.

Vertical axes with equipment are placed in rolling bearings. The fixture is attached to a locksmith's workbench or other supporting surface.

In simple cases (R / d ratio > 20; here R is the outer radius of the bend, d is the outer diameter of the round pipe or the side size for a square pipe), a pipe bender is not required, since the deforming forces are insignificant. To bend them, it is enough to place the tubular blank in a composite template, the parts of which are sequentially moved in the required direction.

Accounting for springback (in degrees) when bending medium carbon steels at angles of 90 ... 1800 is performed using the following table:

Pipe outer diameter, mm	Pipe wall thickness, mm
Up to 0.5 mm	Up to 1.0 mm	Up to 1.5 mm	Up to 2.0 mm
Up to 10 mm	2…3	3…4	4…5	5…6
Up to 20 mm	3…4	4…5	5…6	6…8
Up to 30 mm	4…5	5…6	6…8	8…10
Up to 50 mm	5…6	6…8	8…10	10…12
Over 50 mm	6…10	8…10	10…12	12…15

Below are designs that can be made at home. Drawings of such pipe benders are available on the Internet, so homemade products are always obtained using improvised means.

Do-it-yourself template pipe bender

Manual bending according to a template is the simplest technology for any (including spatial) pipe bending. Often it is used with a workpiece heated at the bend (for example, a gas flame burner or a blowtorch): the plasticity of the metal increases, and the deformation force decreases.

Description of template pipe bender:

Anchor-shaped retainer where the pipe is inserted.
Movable / replaceable stop, along the axis of which there is a recess corresponding to the arc of the outer diameter of the pipe.
Plate with fixing holes.

On the opposite side of the stop, a bevel is made, the angle of which corresponds to the required (after bending!) value of the bending angle.

All parts can also be made from ordinary structural steel (for example, steel 45), however, the stop will last longer if it is made from tool steel of the U10A steel type.

Step by step installation is as follows. A latch is installed on the base plate, then an emphasis is attached coaxially to it. The spacing between parts must be taken into account within a known range of R/d ratios. It is very important to maintain the recommended value of the radius of curvature when passing to the bent part of the pipe.

In accordance with GOST 17685-71, they are accepted as follows:

S/d< 0,03 – не менее 4d;
S/d< 0,06 – не менее 3,6d;
S/d< 0,11 – не менее 30d;
S/d< 0,16 – не менее 2d.

These restrictions apply to cold bending. By heating the deformable part (no more than up to 1500C), the given values can be reduced by 12 ... 15%. This type of pipe bender does not limit the maximum angle, however, at angles exceeding 450, folds form on the workpiece, and the pipe section loses its original shape.

Homemade roller pipe bender

The advantages of roller pipe benders are advanced technological capabilities and increased bending accuracy. The design of the device is simple:

Profiled replaceable roller, freely rotating on a vertical (rarely horizontal) axis.
Swivel lever with handle.
The bending replaceable roller fixed on an opposite shoulder of the lever.
Emphasis-wiring.
Bed.

To reduce the force, both rollers must rotate freely, for which they are installed in rolling bearings. Since each pair of rollers is adapted for bending pipes with a certain outer diameter, they must be quick-changeable.

The material of the parts is chosen from the same considerations as for the previous option. In order to increase rigidity, the stop-wiring can be welded to the body. The bending radius (selected according to the above ratios) will be equal to the bending roller profile radius.

To ensure the proper quality of deformation, the radial runout of the roller axes must be minimal, and their axes must be strictly parallel to each other.

Making a winding pipe bender

The principle of operation of such a pipe bender is similar to the previous one, but instead of a swivel roller, the bending of the workpiece produces a moving stop that slides along horizontal guides.

The winding pipe bender contains:

Profiled sector, the angle of which determines the maximum allowable bending angle.
A short vertical axis that can rotate freely in a ball bearing assembly.
Two adjacent rollers forming a movable stop.
Single sided guides.
Stop stroke limiter, which eliminates its spontaneous displacement during operation.
A safety fork that covers the profiled sector, increasing the positioning accuracy of the workpiece.

Structurally, the device is more complex, however, it allows deformation in conditions of limited space, and changing the angle is not by changing the rollers, but by simply adjusting the initial position of the clamping device. Such a pipe bender is available with a hydraulic or electric drive option.

Making a crossbow pipe bender

The crossbow pipe bender is the most compact, although it is characterized by increased labor intensity of manufacture. The sequence of operation of the device is that the tubular billet to be bent is pressed against two steel rollers rigidly fixed on the frame, the distance between which is determined by the radius. A manual hydraulic cylinder is mounted in the body of the pipe bender (often they use a brake, from a car). By pressing the trigger, high-pressure fluid is admitted into one of the cavities of the cylinder, under the influence of which the piston rod begins to move towards the deformable workpiece. Since the rollers and the cylinder are mounted on the same base plate, the accuracy of the crossbow pipe bender will depend only on the quality of manufacture and assembly.

The advantage of the device is the exclusion of physical stress applied by the user (an ordinary jack can be used as a pressure source). The disadvantage is the increased complexity of work in the house when assembling and setting up the device: it is necessary to make a supporting frame, carefully fit it to the existing dimensions of the jack, ensure the alignment of the rollers and the perpendicularity of the movement of the rod to the axis of the original workpiece.

The hydraulic drive, which provides the necessary force, can be assembled in another way. A conventional car jack is mounted on a frame of channels and is equipped with two symmetrically located stops (they can be provided with adjustable ones).

A replaceable nozzle is attached to the screw of the jack, the profile of which corresponds to the diameter of the arc of the outer section of the pipe. The distance between the frame ribs depends on the bending angle. To implement the process, the jack is placed on top of the deformable workpiece, first fixing it on the stops.

Homemade hydraulic pipe bender is ready to use. Especially large pipes for safety are additionally fixed with bolts. Next, the screw is rotated, and deformation is performed to the desired value.

DIY hydraulic pipe bender

A hydraulic jack bender is a good solution that allows you to use a car jack in the arsenal of a home master. Disadvantages - low productivity and restrictions on the length of the workpiece (for long pipes, the dimensions of the frame will increase significantly).

Spiral pipe bender

In such a pipe bender, the movement of the pressure roller is provided by a fork sliding in the guides, which are equipped with limiters. Holes are drilled in the fork for installing two rollers - a small one, which will perform deformation, and a large one, for fixing the tubular workpiece. To move the fork from its opposite side, a working handle is provided.

Work order:

Make a clamping fork.
Turn pressure rollers (possible with interchangeable inserts that will determine the outer diameter of the pipe).
Insert and fasten the rollers on the fork (you can also use cotter pins, but it is better to provide a threaded connection).
From sheet metal with a thickness of at least 8 mm, make a base, providing holes for fasteners in it.
Fasten the fork travel stops to the base.

The disadvantage of the scroll pipe bender is its low productivity, since the stroke of the fork is determined by the size of the deformable part of the pipe, as well as the maximum deformation force. But snail pipe benders take up little space and are easy to readjust: just move the large roller to a new position.

Roller pipe bender on car hubs

The limitation of homemade roller pipe benders is the difficulty in producing replaceable profiled rollers. You can get around this difficulty if you use automobile hubs as sectors. The dimensions of the fixture will increase, but in return, its reliability and stability will increase, which is important when bending long and thick-walled pipes. For manufacturing you will need:

Three automotive hubs: two are movable, cantilevered, and one is fixed, which is located longitudinally to the axis of the device.
Two short axles that are assembled on a rigid welded bracket.
Rotary mechanism of cam or eccentric type, with which you can change the distance between the hubs.
Axial longitudinal guide, which can be taken as a cold-rolled channel.
Flat travel stops.
Internal guide channel with holes for the bolting of the limiters.
Swivel handle.

This design will justify itself in the manufacture of spatial tubular elements of complex shape. The presence of two hubs, the discs of which are spaced apart in opposite parts of the base, allows you to apply force locally, only to that part of the pipe that is currently bent. This atones for such design flaws as the complexity of installation and adjustment, as well as increased overall dimensions.

Features of a pipe bender for a profile

How to make a profile pipe bender with your own hands? The distortion of the profile of such pipes in the process of conventional deformation affects not only their appearance, but also causes difficulties in the subsequent. We do not consider the option of cutting the profile at bending points with subsequent welding of the notch, due to a significant weakening of the section strength.

The simplest profile pipe bender consists of the following elements:

Frames in the form of a rectangular channel, the cross section of which makes it easy to place the pipe along the axis.
Pairs of flat feed rollers that are mounted on the ends of the frame.
Screw feeder, which includes a power screw with a handle, a bending punch and two supports installed in the center of the frame.
Feed handle, which is connected to the rollers.

All parts are fastened with bolts, the frame assembly itself is fixed on a workbench. The pipe is laid on top of the rollers, and by turning the feed handle it is set opposite the axis of symmetry of the punch. Next, the screw is rotated, and bending is performed, visually controlling the required angle.

To avoid deformation of the section, use one of the methods described in the next paragraph.

Technology of work on homemade pipe benders

The main failures of the use of do-it-yourself pipe benders lie in the significant deformation of the pipe cross-section, which is observed with any deformation scheme. The buckling of the section can be minimized or eliminated by creating back pressure from within the pipe.

There are several ways to do this:

The pipe is filled with fine-grained sand, and sealed plugs are inserted into the holes. Since the sand does not compress, the internal pressure will balance the external one, and the deformation of the section will not occur;
The use of ordinary water for similar purposes, which should be completely frozen before work. The method is inconvenient, but quite acceptable in the cold season;
Using an extension spring with a suitable diameter as a source of counterpressure. The spring is put inside the pipe, then the workpiece is deformed;
Filling the pipe with metal washers with a diameter of 1 ... 2 mm smaller than the inner diameter. The parts are strung on a steel cable, which is passed through the pipe and fixed somewhere outside the pipe bender. When the washers are bent, they can move freely along the axis of the pipe. Possessing high rigidity, they prevent deformation of the walls.

When bending at small angles (up to 12 ... 150), there is no need for the described techniques.

Conclusion

This article systematizes and considers the most common designs of pipe benders, mainly with a manual drive. All of them can be made using non-deficient materials, components and tools available to home craftsmen. Without pretending to complete coverage of the issue, we expect new effective designs of these devices from users.

To work with pipes or a corner, a special machine is required, called a pipe bender. This design allows you to bend metal elements at a given angle. If necessary, you can make a professional pipe bender with your own hands, which is used in a wide variety of industries. Unlike the industrial version, a homemade pipe bender is much cheaper. When carrying out work, you can use improvised materials, which to a greater extent will reduce the cost of the structure. Let's take a closer look at how to make a pipe bender with your own hands at home.

Pipe bender device

There is simply a huge number of different types of the device in question. Before carrying out work on its creation with your own hands, you should develop a drawing of a pipe bender or download it on the Internet.

You can make a pipe bender for a round pipe with your own hands, taking into account the following features of its device:

Running in. Such a pipe bending machine is characterized by the fact that one end of the workpiece is fixed, and a fixed template is used for bending. Running in is carried out using pressure rollers. This manual pipe bender scheme has been used for many years.
Winding. A special pipe bender for aluminum pipes is characterized by the fact that the workpiece is pressed against a movable template, which is used as a roller. The broach is carried out between the roller, which is in motion, and a special stop. As a rule, the drive is electric, since the required rate of applied force is quite high.
Crossbow design. This scheme is represented by a combination of two fixed rollers, as well as a movable template. The force is transmitted to the workpiece through a movable template, which is located between two rollers. By controlling the movement of the movable element, the most suitable bending angle is selected. It should be borne in mind that the pipe bender punch, which acts as a template, can have a different shape.
Rolling or rolling. In this case, the scheme is represented by a device with three rollers, two of which are supporting and one is movable. The bending radius is adjusted by changing the position of the central roller. It should be borne in mind that such a device is considered universal, since the bending radius can be adjusted over a fairly large range. The dimensions of this type of pipe bender are relatively small, a home-made design can be compact.

When choosing the most suitable design for home-made manufacturing, it should be borne in mind that the version that works according to the knurling principle is often produced industrially due to the complexity of the high complexity of the main mechanisms. The crossbow bending method is rarely used today, as it has one significant drawback: the pressure is concentrated on the top of the template. When using a crossbow machine, there is a possibility of a significant reduction in the thickness of the pipe wall, as well as its rupture. It is not recommended to use such a device for bending thin-walled workpieces.

The most widespread design, which works on the principle of rolling. It is practically devoid of all the above disadvantages, has a relatively small size, can be portable, it is possible to adjust the bending angle.

A homemade machine can have a very different design. When choosing a type, attention is paid to what radius should be obtained. The most important parameters of the workpiece, which can influence the choice of a suitable design, are considered to be the wall thickness of the pipe and its diametrical size.

Types of pipe benders

The design under consideration can be classified according to a fairly large number of features. On sale there are universal versions, as well as for narrowly targeted applications. The device differs in the following ways:

Drive type. An important element of the design can be called a drive, which can be hydraulic, electric, manual or electro-hydraulic. Recently, the electric drive has become more widespread, as it is compact and very efficient. Hydraulic is more efficient, but it is difficult to operate, takes up a lot of free space and requires periodic maintenance. The manual pipe bender is distinguished by the presence of a mechanism that significantly increases the applied force. If we consider home-made options for execution, then they do exactly a manual pipe bender with their own hands. In addition, you can create a do-it-yourself pipe bender with an electric drive. But the hydraulic version of the execution is almost impossible to make on your own.
Classification is also carried out according to the degree of mobility. Allocate stationary and portable versions of the design. In most cases, a universal manual pipe bender is carried out as a portable structure. A homemade pipe bender for a round pipe can be attached to the base in various ways. It should be borne in mind that during the execution of the work, part of the resulting voltage is diverted precisely to the base. Therefore, when creating a home-made version, it is necessary to ensure a secure fixation of the device.
According to the method of impact on the workpiece - the main feature of the classification. For example, a crossbow-type pipe bender has its own special design, which is suitable for bending a metal or metal-plastic pipe. In addition, there is a design that works on the principle of running, winding or rolling.

A home-made pipe bender for metal-plastic pipes can be of various types, but most often they create a mechanical type, when, due to a special design, the transmitted force increases several times.

Pipe bender manufacturing instructions

Recently, the question of how to make a pipe bender with your own hands has become quite widespread. Such equipment is required when setting up production activities of various types. The simplest do-it-yourself pipe bender has a template type of design. This is due to the fact that it is quite difficult to make rollers for a pipe bender with your own hands.

Considering the template pipe benders for a round pipe, we note the following points:

In the manufacture of structures, an array of wood is often used. This greatly simplifies work and reduces costs. However, it should be borne in mind that the low strength and rigidity of wood determines the use of such a machine only for bending aluminum, which has high ductility.
The wooden block used must have dimensions that are larger than the diameter of the workpiece being processed.
The template must have a radius that will match the bending radius. In order to simplify the process, a small groove is created in the central part of the surface that is in contact with the workpiece.
For ease of use, two handles are created that have a metal mount.
Having created a pipe bender at home, it should be attached to a solid base, and an emphasis should be installed on the reverse side.

An important point is that the design under consideration is applicable to a greater extent for bending along a large diameter. In addition, a shoe for a pipe bender of this type is not required, the load is distributed evenly, which allows processing thin-walled workpieces.

You can make a pipe bender with your own hands according to other drawings. Before choosing the most suitable design, one should consider how often the work will be carried out, for what kind of workpieces the machine is made, how mass production will be. The design of the template type is characterized by a rather large size, however, for its manufacture it is enough to carry out carpentry work, the materials used are of low cost.

The most complex design is considered to be a homemade roller-type pipe bender. In this case, a pressure roller is used to transmit force. In the manufacture of a structure, metal and wood can be used, it all depends on how mobile it should be and what effort it is designed for.

The following points can be attributed to the features of such a design:

For pipes made from soft materials, wood is more suitable as the main material. It can be used in the manufacture of the roller. For steel pipes, metal will have to be used, since the magnitude of the transmitted force will be significant. If desired, the rollers can be purchased or made by hand at home.
Design features determine the presence of a movable and fixed roller. At the same time, a U-shaped holder is located in the central part.
The bending radius largely depends on the size of the rollers used. That is why the movable roller must be quickly dismantled, if necessary, to install a version with a different diameter.
The holder to be installed must also be able to rotate.
A handle is attached to the installed holder, during the rotation of which force will be transmitted. It should be borne in mind that the handle acts as a lever. That is why the amount of force that can be transmitted depends on its length.

Such a machine is suitable for production in large batches, since it is quite difficult to make rollers for pipe benders with your own hands. The device is suitable for working with round pipes.

A common question can be called how problematic it is to manufacture such a mechanism. When using a bending machine of this type, the following points should be considered:

To begin with, you should study in detail the drawing or photographs of the equipment in question. Only by understanding the principle of its operation, you can create effective equipment with a wide range of applications.
The main elements of this design are relatively small. An example is two pulleys, which can be made of wood or steel, a frame with a lever and a pressure roller. It is quite important to create a solid foundation that will take part of the effort.

The principle of operation is quite simple:

The workpiece is placed in the chute of the fixed roller.
The pipe is fixed in the desired position with a clamp.
With the help of a lever, the workpiece is wrapped around a template, which is also used as a roller of a certain diameter.

In order to significantly increase the efficiency of the design, an electric drive can be used. However, it should be borne in mind that with an electric drive it is quite difficult to control the rounding diameter indicator. In addition, the installed electric motor must transmit rotation through a reduction drive, since the roller rotation speed is low. For this, a gearbox or V-belt transmission is installed.

Crossbow pipe benders

A rather unusual design has a crossbow-type machine. It got its name due to similar features with medieval weapons. The crossbow pipe bender has the following features:

The basis of the design is represented by a frame, which can be made using corners and a channel. The connection of all elements is carried out using welding, detachable methods are not recommended, since the resulting structure must have high rigidity.
After creating the frame, two rollers are fastened.
A home-made version can be characterized by the fact that the force is transmitted directly through a mechanical type jack. For a pipe of small diameter, the pressure generated should be sufficient. The transmission of force is carried out through a shoe made of durable metal with a low ductility index.

The crossbow type pipe bender is more suitable for round workpieces. This is due to the fact that a product with a different cross section can be strongly deformed under pressure.

Hydraulic Pipe Bender

When making a pipe bending machine with your own hands, you should decide what kind of drive will be. In most cases, home-made versions have a manual drive, as it is easy to manufacture and is cheap. However, such a design cannot work with workpieces that are made using hard metals. The hydraulic pipe bender allows you to work with workpieces of large diameter and with a significant wall thickness, however, the design is quite complex in execution and has many features.

When making a machine for a round pipe with a hydraulic drive, the following points should be considered:

The transmission of force is carried out through the working fluid, which is oil or water. All lines must have a high degree of tightness, and also be designed for a certain pressure.
A compressor can be used to create pressure.
The pressure is transmitted to the working body through a hydraulic cylinder.

A pipe bender for metal-plastic pipes with a hydraulic drive can have a very different design. An important element in this case is precisely the drive, which allows you to automate the bending process and increase the scope of the device.

Pipe bender from a jack

Most often, when making a homemade pipe bender, a jack is used as the main element. It comes in several types. The jack itself was originally made in order to increase and concentrate the applied force, due to which the structure can lift heavy mechanisms, for example, cars.

A homemade pipe bender from a jack, as a rule, has a fairly simple design:

The workpiece is clamped between two fixed rollers.
The force is transmitted to the gap between the rollers.
The distance between the fixed rollers largely determines the bending radius and the amount of force required to obtain a certain angle.

As previously noted, when using a jack, you can make a crossbow-type pipe bender.

In conclusion, we note that almost any device is a relatively simple machine that, due to the distribution of the applied force, bends pipes and other workpieces of this type. They are often used for bending products made using non-ferrous alloys and steel. The industrial version of the design bypasses the home-made one, as a rule, in terms of the degree of automation of the process. However, the cost of industrial pipe benders can exceed the costs associated with the production of a home-made version by several tens of times. That is why a homemade pipe bender is more suitable for domestic use or small-scale production.

The desire to equip a country house and a plot dictates the need for a maximum of tools. When conducting a water supply system, building a greenhouse, installing arched structures, you cannot do without a good pipe bender. Its cost in stores is measured in hundreds of dollars, so it is better to make this tool with your own hands.

We will tell you how to make a pipe bender with your own hands. In the article presented by us, proven designs are described in detail, step-by-step guides for assembly are provided. With our advice, you can build a great tool for your own farm.

Pipe benders are mechanical or hydraulic structures that help bend metal pipes, angles, bars, profiled steel without disturbing the internal structure of the product. Hand tools are mainly used to form a bend in one place, and large machines can change the shape of pipes at once along the entire length.

According to the principle of operation, pipe benders of the following types can be distinguished:

Mechanical with direct manual effort. They are used when working with pipes of small diameters, during the deformation of which the force of one person is sufficient.
With hydraulic drive. Mostly such tools are made according to the crossbow type, and they are designed to form a local bend.
With ratchet. Pipe benders of this type use manual effort, but allow you to fix the level of deformation achieved after each pressing of the tool handle.
Electric machines. The electric motor greatly facilitates the process of pipe deformation, but also significantly increases the cost of the tool.

Features of working with some types are discussed below:

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It is not so difficult to make a home or even a professional pipe bender with your own hands in order to be able to bend pipes to a given angle and, importantly, with a given bending radius.

Contrary to popular belief that most often this device is used when performing plumbing work, in such cases, various fittings and bends are usually used - pre-bent pipe sections manufactured in an industrial environment. However, there are limitations to the use of bends, which are determined by their standard characteristics:

rotation angles (can be 45, 60, 90 and 180 degrees);
bending radii (bends with bending radii of 1.0 Du and 1.5 Du are produced);
use of welding.

Not in all situations, such parameters are able to satisfy those who need to give pipe structures the required shape. It is in such cases that a mechanical pipe bender (or manual pipe bender) comes to the rescue.

Those owners of cottages and private houses who are going to independently manufacture various arched structures, greenhouses, fences of non-standard shape and much more cannot do without a machine for bending steel pipes.

In this article, we will thoroughly analyze how to make a pipe bender with your own hands. After all, a home-made pipe bender can be used not only at home, but also in semi-professional activities, since its design does not differ in exorbitant complexity, and serial pipe bending devices are quite expensive. Therefore, by making a manual pipe bender with your own hands, you will save a lot of money.

Classification of pipe bending devices

Devices for bending steel pipes are classified:

by degree of mobility (stationary and portable);
by type of drive (manual, electric, hydraulic, electro-hydraulic);
according to the method of action (running (roller), winding, action with a rod (crossbow), rolling).

The essence of the methods of impact of the pipe bender on the pipe is as follows.

Running in

With this method, one end of the pipe is clamped, and a fixed template is used to give it the required bend. Pinch rollers are used to roll the product around the template.

winding

In such a device, the pipe is pressed against a movable template (roller), on which it is wound, stretching between a rotating roller and a special stop installed at the beginning of the bending point.

Crossbow pipe benders

In such a pipe bender, the pipe rests on two fixed rollers, and the bending is performed by a template, which is fixed on a movable rod. The template presses on the middle of the fixed section of the pipe, thereby giving it the required bending angle.

Diagram of a crossbow pipe bender: 2 - jack, 3 - shoe (punch)

Rolling or rolling

The required bending radius is obtained using a three-roll device, the design of which is based on two support and one central roller. The central roller exerts pressure on the pipe, the position of which determines the radius of its bend. is more universal, in all other machines the bending radius depends on the template used.

The manufacture of a pipe bender operating on the principle of winding is not simple, therefore such a device is made mainly in an industrial way. The crossbow method has another significant drawback: the pressure from the stock with the template attached to it, which is called the shoe, is concentrated in its upper part. This method of impact on the pipe leads to its significant stretching along the outer radius of the bend, which may be accompanied by a decrease in wall thickness and even its rupture. It is especially not recommended to use the crossbow method for bending thin-walled products.

An example of a homemade pipe bender of a rolling (rolling) type

The machine, working on the principle of rolling (rolling), practically does not have all of the above disadvantages, this technology is used in the production of bends in the factory.

A do-it-yourself pipe bending machine can have a different design. Choose its type should be based on what radius you need. There is a list of recommendations, in accordance with which the choice of a specific model of a device for bending steel pipes is carried out. Important parameters to consider are the wall thickness of the pipe and its overall diameter. Before starting work with a pipe bender, it does not hurt to familiarize yourself with the data in the table that displays the maximum possible radii for bending steel pipes.

To obtain a bend radius smaller than specified in such recommendations, it is necessary to use either hot rolling, which is used mainly in production conditions. A device with a mandrel is more difficult to create at home, so they are much less often made on their own, preferring rolling ones.

In order to independently perform hot rolling of the pipe, you can resort to using a do-it-yourself pipe bender, but on condition that it is completely made of metal and its frame is highly reliable. To perform such a technological operation, you will additionally need a blowtorch or a gas burner.

Making a simple template type pipe bender

A simple pipe bending machine can even be made from wood. Naturally, this will be a manual pipe bender, the design of which may not even include a pressure roller if it is used for thin-walled products. The template for such a device is made of a wooden board, the thickness of which must be such as to exceed the diameter of the pipe itself.

For the convenience of work, it makes sense to be puzzled by the profiling of the template from the side of its end in order to avoid the pipe jumping off during the bending process. For these purposes, you can fold two boards, which are pre-cut along one edge, thus creating a kind of gutter. A pre-made drawing will help to avoid mistakes.

When using such a pipe bender, the template is attached to a reliable base, and an emphasis is fixed on the left side of it (for right-handers). The pipe, which needs to be bent along the required radius, is inserted between the template and the stop and carefully bent, making sure that it does not jump off the template.

With the help of such a pipe bender, made from improvised materials, it is possible to bend along a large bending radius. It is possible to avoid the manufacture of a wooden template and simplify the fixture by replacing it with metal hooks fixed on the base, located around the circumference with the required bending radius. Such a device is convenient in that the dimensions of the bend can be changed at any time by placing the hook-stops around a circle with a different radius.

Armed with a manual winch, you can significantly expand the range of work performed due to a noticeable increase in traction for bending pipes.

Pinch roller benders

More complex in design is a manual pipe bender that uses a pressure roller. For the manufacture of such a device, you can use both wood and metal.

For pipes made of soft materials (for example, copper), wood rollers are the best option, since they do not cause metal deformation. It is not difficult to make such videos at home if you use photos or drawings of such devices, which are widely available on the Internet. As a manufacturing material, you can use thick boards or several layers of plywood.

A self-made pipe bender of a similar design, which is based on rollers - movable (clamping) and fixed, allows you to bend round pipes that differ even in significant diameters.

In order to understand that such a device is simple in design and use, just look at its photo or drawing. Depending on what loads are expected for this type of pipe bender, the base for it is made of metal or durable plywood. The U-shaped holder, on which the central and pressure rollers will be placed, is made of metal.

Relative to the axis of the central roller, securely fixed on the base, such a holder must be able to rotate. On the reverse side of the central roller, a handle is attached to the holder, which is a lever, so the generated force directly depends on its length. Such a lever pipe bender allows you to perform operations with various pipe bending radii.

Many are wondering if it is possible to make a winding-type pipe bender with your own hands. Naturally, at first it is desirable to study the drawing or photo of such a device, on which there is no emphasis on the base. The design of this type of pipe bender is based on two pulleys, a frame with a lever and a pressure roller, and a reliable base. Bending with such a device is carried out due to the fact that the pipe, placed in the groove of the fixed pulley and clamped with a clamp, is wrapped around the template using a lever and a movable roller.

Pipe bender for soft pipes for two different bending radii

For small and soft products (aluminum or copper), a homemade pipe bender is suitable, which allows bending with two different radii. Photos of such a device are easy to find on the Internet. This pipe bender uses one pinch roller, and the template is made simultaneously with two radii on one plate. Naturally, for each bending option, the pipe bender handle must be reinstalled, for which two holes are provided on its base.

Winder type pipe benders

Examples of such devices are hydraulic pipe benders used to bend round pipes. The design of such a device has a powerful pulley, to which the pipe is attached at the bend point. This pulley is fixed on a reliable frame, and at its base there is a rod, which is driven by a jack. On the rod with the help of a jack, a significant force is created, which is transmitted to the lever, which rotates the pulley and winds the pipe around it. The lever can freely rotate around the axis of the pulley and is connected to it through holes located along its circumference.

A working example of such a pipe bender can be seen in the video below:

A similar mechanical pipe bender can also be made by hand using a rack-and-pinion jack. When using this device, more physical effort is required.

Video example:

Examples of devices of this type include home-made pipe benders, the rollers of which are made of wood. When working with such devices for bending round pipes, it is necessary to apply significant physical efforts, which are reduced due to the movable rotating roller.

An example in the video below:

Crossbow type pipe benders

Such pipe benders got their name because of their resemblance to a crossbow. The basis of the design of such a device is a frame made by welding from corners and a channel. Inside such a frame, on which two movable rollers are mounted, there is a jack, which, using a special shoe, creates a force directed to the pipe. Pipe benders with movable rollers and a pressure shoe are mainly used for bending round pipes, since they can simply deform products of any other type.

Harsh crossbow pipe bender without frills

The most popular options for homemade pipe benders

The most technologically advanced and versatile are pipe benders operating on the principle of rolling. It is these devices, often equipped with an electric drive, that are used by professionals who are constantly faced with the need to bend pipes from various materials, including stainless steel.

The design of such a device is based on three rotating rollers, one of which is a pressure roller. Due to the gradually increasing pressure of the pressure roller and the rolling repeated for each new position of the roller, the bending of the pipe is carried out in the most gentle way, its walls are subjected to tensile manipulations very evenly.

Computer model of pipe bender Clamping screw drawing Shaft drawings
Ring drawing Pipe bender components Assembly process
Engine drive