Pipe bender

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dartfreak75

Restore it, Dont part it!
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In true DIY fashion I am looking into getting a pipe bender for exhaust pipes. I hate going to the garage and even more hate paying for something I know I could do myself. I was looking at the harbor freight 16 ton 3" bender its 179 bucks and you can get 4 foot of 2.5" pipe for 15 bucks I think it would be perfect for diy repairs or even doing a whole new exhaust system. There are alot of other cool uses I was thinking you could use it for too. Like roll cages homemade brush guards step bars etc. Iv watched some videos and read some reviews and from what I gather you have to go slow and make short bends like one inch at a time to get good bends without kinks or crushes. Has anyone used them? Let's see your projects used with them

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In true DIY fashion I am looking into getting a pipe bender for exhaust pipes. I hate going to the garage and even more hate paying for something I know I could do myself. I was looking at the harbor freight 16 ton 3" bender its 179 bucks and you can get 4 foot of 2.5" pipe for 15 bucks I think it would be perfect for diy repairs or even doing a whole new exhaust system. There are alot of other cool uses I was thinking you could use it for too. Like roll cages homemade brush guards step bars etc. Iv watched some videos and read some reviews and from what I gather you have to go slow and make short bends like one inch at a time to get good bends without kinks or crushes. Has anyone used them? Let's see your projects used with them

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Good luck, crude at best. It will put a bend in the middle of the pipe but nowhere close to the end.
 
I haven’t used that one myself. But I work in the tube/pipe bending industry. I’m sure you could bend exhaust with that, roll cages might be tough depending on wall thickness. We use this floor bender at work like this one, for manual quick bends.
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Good luck, crude at best. It will put a bend in the middle of the pipe but nowhere close to the end.
Yea I was thinking about that I came up with an idea if I ever needed to put one In the end. You could just make the bend in the middle and cut the end off so the bend will be at the end.
 
The press style you posted will kink the pipe.

I have been trying to figure how to do a mandrel bender. I have no need for a mandrel bender but if I could build my own I would.

I did make myself a manual roll bender. I keep looking at it wondering if I could make some dies to do exhaust pipe and hook to a hydraulic power pack.
 
The press style you posted will kink the pipe.

I have been trying to figure how to do a mandrel bender. I have no need for a mandrel bender but if I could build my own I would.

I did make myself a manual roll bender. I keep looking at it wondering if I could make some dies to do exhaust pipe and hook to a hydraulic power pack.
I know @George Jets made some of the mandrels maybe he will chime in he told me once how he made them but I forgot lol
 
I just order universal mandrel bends when I build a exhaust system, no need for a bender in my opinion
 
The dies on the "pipe" bender will not work on tubing. exhaust is actually tubing. it will kink and not bend.
 
I know @George Jets made some of the mandrels maybe he will chime in he told me once how he made them but I forgot lol

I made up my own tubing bender to build Dune Buggy Cages out of 1 1/2" .090 ths wall steel tubing. Other guys were using the Exhaust Pipe Bending Machines but they were crushing the inside corners. I made my own jig and dies ( 1" and 1 1/2" dies), the trick was to get it to stretch the pipe on the outside of the radius without crushing the tube, took some doing to figure that out. Not sure the same approach will work with 2" thin wall exhaust tubing.

Any how successfully did this to build the dune buggies, attachment fits on the wood splitter using the hydraulic ram.

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I made up my own tubing bender to build Dune Buggy Cages out of 1 1/2" .090 ths wall steel tubing. Other guys were using the Exhaust Pipe Bending Machines but they were crushing the inside corners. I made my own jig and dies ( 1" and 1 1/2" dies), the trick was to get it to stretch the pipe on the outside of the radius without crushing the tube, took some doing to figure that out. Not sure the same approach will work with 2" thin wall exhaust tubing.

Any how successfully did this to build the dune buggies, attachment fits on the wood splitter using the hydraulic ram.

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That's a new use for a wood splitter lol
 
I made up my own tubing bender to build Dune Buggy Cages out of 1 1/2" .090 ths wall steel tubing. Other guys were using the Exhaust Pipe Bending Machines but they were crushing the inside corners. I made my own jig and dies ( 1" and 1 1/2" dies), the trick was to get it to stretch the pipe on the outside of the radius without crushing the tube, took some doing to figure that out. Not sure the same approach will work with 2" thin wall exhaust tubing.

Any how successfully did this to build the dune buggies, attachment fits on the wood splitter using the hydraulic ram.

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Smart gut you are!
 
I have a hossfeld bender that bends roll cages, heavy wall tubing but it wont bend exhaust pipe, it just caves in the back side when pulling it around the die.
 
I have the same bender, save your money if you are buying it to bend exhaust, even with sand and it tamped in and plugged it still caves in, you can make slight curves ,kinda makes the exhaust pipe oval, but it you go for a 22 degree bend or larger it kinks , and also the top rollers on each side leaves dents on top of as well. There is a youtube video that shows a way to fabricate pieces, to use the pipe bender ,but by the time you buy and make the pieces you can go to an exhaust shop and come out better. I paid $700 for dual to rear bumper with magnaflow mufflers at a local exhaust shop
 
Buy mandrel u-bends cut fit and weld is the cheapest way.

Summit Racing® Exhaust Tubing Mandrel Bends

We had a Harbor freight style I don't remember what scrap car we put it in. My son bought an air over hydraulic. Works great. Dies are very expensive. We are going to be bending pipes soon I'll get some pics of it when he gets it out.
 
On top of all the conduit we've bent with our conduit bender I've bent a few tube bumpers and nerf bars.
And measure angles with my cell phone.
 
Those benders are not made for exhaust and will not do the job. Regardless of what you read on the internet.
 
In true DIY fashion I am looking into getting a pipe bender for exhaust pipes. I hate going to the garage and even more hate paying for something I know I could do myself. I was looking at the harbor freight 16 ton 3" bender its 179 bucks and you can get 4 foot of 2.5" pipe for 15 bucks I think it would be perfect for diy repairs or even doing a whole new exhaust system. There are alot of other cool uses I was thinking you could use it for too. Like roll cages homemade brush guards step bars etc. Iv watched some videos and read some reviews and from what I gather you have to go slow and make short bends like one inch at a time to get good bends without kinks or crushes. Has anyone used them? Let's see your projects used with them

View attachment 1715608211
I did the same research when it was my turn. I didn't want to put out the effort and cash to maybe have something that might work. Buy a Jegs or Summit kit. I used Jegs 30501. Weld it up yourself. Done.
 
Just watched a great video series on this topic he goes into alot of detail. Now I know the difference between a pipe and tube bender! I think I will just hold off on this project for now and order an exhaust system.
 
Just watched a great video series on this topic he goes into alot of detail. Now I know the difference between a pipe and tube bender! I think I will just hold off on this project for now and order an exhaust system.

Support your local pipe shop. I would think you could get it done cheaper than buying an exhaust system.
 
Support your local pipe shop. I would think you could get it done cheaper than buying an exhaust system.
The problem is getting it there. I cant exactly drive it there. If I can just rig up some down pipes I have some tail pipes on the car now i could just connect them together and that will be good enough for now and i can drive it and get full exhaust system put on. The down pipes from the manifold is all i have to have right now they arent cheap either. That is what created this idea in my head of making my own.
 
The problem is getting it there. I cant exactly drive it there. If I can just rig up some down pipes I have some tail pipes on the car now i could just connect them together and that will be good enough for now and i can drive it and get full exhaust system put on. The down pipes from the manifold is all i have to have right now they arent cheap either. That is what created this idea in my head of making my own.
Choices, drive it with headers or open exhaust, get a buddy with a trailer, hire a towing company with a roll back, or buy a exhaust system to bolt on. You're making this way too hard.
 
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