CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

Does anyone have plans for a simple mandrel tube bender that can be made at home?? One that can use the most common sized dies for tubing rollcages and bumpers??

Home Built Tube Bender (http://www.blindchickenracing.com/tools/Tube%20Bender/Tubingbender.htm)

That's not a mandrel bender, it's another take on the JD2 style bender. Good luck on finding a mandrel bender that can be built at home...

BTW, if your really interested in that type of bender (and not a mandrel type) then there are several people who have made AutoCad files of the JD2 pieces. IMO, that is a superior design (in some ways) to the floor model. The floor model is more easily portable and hydraulically driven. The JD2 style is floor mount (usually) and has better support for compound bends. It can also be manual or hydraulic.

It is basically what he is looking for. /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif

Where do you think one could find these drawings, I would love to try and build a model 3 type bender. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Seems like it was on PBB, good luck searching though. Try including DXF in the search string (extension for autocad).

could you use the JD2 bender to make a cage ....Jason

Thanks. Thats basically what im looking for. Hopefully I can get somthing built over the winter. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

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could you use the JD2 bender to make a cage ....Jason

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Yup /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

I used one like a JD2 (mine's an NE5) to build mine with several more in the works if I can EVER find time...

what size dom tubing would make a good cage and what would I use to make my front bumper...Jason

1.75" x .120 tube is a good choice for non-competition use on cages. A cage design is really important.

On a bumper, go with the cheaper HREW tubing. You can also use it on the cage and it's not much of a difference if it is designed right.

Bubba's got it. Mine is 1.75 x 0.120 HREW bent on a 5.5 CLR. Only one thing I can think of to add. I can't stress enough just how important triangulation is to a good cage design. And add gussets on all critical joints. I built a miniature model of my cage to test it's rigidity in all planes for typical impact forces. Not only did this help me find points needing more support, it also gave me added insight into how it all would go together (I built the model exactly like I planned to build the cage).

Gusset and triangulate. Marv Springer found that out the hard way (bent a halo bar on the funbuggy). Look at race vehicles for ideas. Those extra little tubes are not for the cool factor, but a safety factor.

that sounds good but looking at the JD2 they don't have a die for that size tubing ....Jason

Sure they do, look again. I've got one in my shop that came from JD2...

the 1.75 is Inch and 3/4 right with .120 wall tubing ....Jason

Yep. I just checked and it's this one.

10-2060 M3B Round Tube Die Set - 1 3/4" (5.5-180) .095" $200.00

That's round tube, 1.75 Dia, 5.5 CLR, 180* and min wall 0.095 thick.

good deal say bad dog what other dies would be worth having also and I plan to purchase the tubing notcher unless there is another way to notch it....Jason

What BadDog said. That's the die I have with my tube bender.

Well, I bought that one first. After a while I just *had* to have a 1" x 3" CLR 180* to go with it. That pretty much takes care of *need*. However, I still want to add a 1.5" x 5.5 x 180* just for looks. A 2" would be nice too sometimes. <shrug> Just depends on what you want...

As for the notcher, if your only going to do personal projects (a few cages, a few bumpers, that sort of thing) then I would just get the cheap HF notcher that is currently on sale again. I got mine for about $25 or so, but they are rarely on that cheap. $40 or so now I think. It works fine if you don't ride it too hard and keep the bushing oiled. Mine shows no sign of wear so far (but then again I use the chop saw for most joints).

I have used m-techs notcher. It is not worth it. Most fab shops use a chop saw or a band saw anyway. The notcher is nice but I found it to be very limiting for most applications.

agreed

just wondering what exactly does DOM and HREW stand for anybody.....Jason

DOM = Drawn Over Mandrel
HREW = Hard Rolled Electrically Welded (I think)

Hot Rolled..........

It refers to the process in the manufacture of the tube. DOM is stronger than HREW. The differences is that HREW is silver in color, with a dark gray line down the center where it's welded, while the DOM is a darkish, brownish black color (and dirty too). The real difference is that DOM has more consistency in the wall thickness compared to the HREW. You can see the difference in the cost also.

That being said, HREW can still be used for cages. And like previously said, a strong cage is from the way it is designed. As you can see there is pretty much a consensus that 1.75"x.120 tube is sufficient for a cage, no rules here. The SCORE rulebook, which I plan on going off of requires 2"x.120" tube for the cage if using DOM, HREW. You can get away with smaller tube using Chrome Moly tube, but that opens up a whole can of worms that we really don't need to concern ourselves with.

thanks bubba that helps me out a whole lot
Jason

One small point of correction, DOM *is* HREW with more work done to it. It is also usually available in different alloys, but that is completely unrelated to DOM vs. HREW (unless you want an alloy not locally available in one or the other). The look is a bit different when you get it, but after cleaning, they both look about the same assuming the same alloy. I think the initial look is from the heat and lube used in the drawing process.

thanks for all the help guys but after reading all his and stuff I think iam going to buy a notcher and a cage kit from s&w and go from there has anybody used them before ....Jason

Would one of these http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=32888 be sufficient to build a couple bumpers and maybe a cage? Or am I just fooling myself that I can get bender for that price?

Some guy's can make those things work. I have one and I don't like it. I call it my pipe bendin' "tubing kinker". It will bend schedule 40 pipe pretty well, along with solid steel. You can get away with pipe (different than tube) for armor and bumpers, I would not trust it for a cage.

Kinda what I figured. Thanx.

This guy runs (American made) schedule 40 pipe on everything - cage, bumpers, suspension... http://www.extreme4wheelin.com/images/RC_clayton_2003/Pict8388_m.jpg

And he beats on it HARD.

As far as the HF pipe bender, I used one to build 3 bumpers and a set of rock sliders before I got my Model 4 bender. You will waste a LOT of pipe using the HF bender. You can not get a consistent bend with one of those and 2/3 of the pipe you try to bend will smash.

My dad was a welder/millright for 40 years and has had 3 different types of benders ,That bender from Harbor frieght was the smallest one of them,the others were hydrulic.He said that it worked ok and I think it is great for the fact that you could sell it and get most of your money back when you are done. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
We made truck lumber racks with 1 1/4 & 1 1/2 & 2 "scedual 40 water pipe and people were able to put more weight on the racks then the truck was able to handle We NEVER HAD ONE PRoBLEM in the 25 years of Santa Rosa Racks../forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=31980
How about one of those types of benders for caging and all? My dad has one of those other HF ones and I agree its a waste of time. Somehow hes built a couple cages with it and it works fine for him but I can never get good results.

I have one of those. It's fine for smallish strap and bar stock (basically anything solid) but doesn't work for hollow stuff like tube.

So I guess I got to break down and spend the 400+ for the JD2 with 1 3/4 die.

Anyone know of a JD2 Model 3 Bender maybe a little cheaper? The almost $500 for the bender and one die is a cost I can't justify right now.