Pipe bender
OK here are some better pictures of the Dies after pulling them out of the Vinegar Tank today. A little final polish on the clean up helps to see how they are made.
Was like 4 passes of welding in the corners to build the radius out to shape, one root pass, 2 side passes, and a final fill pass down the center of the 2 side passes, reducing the fill on the final pass by increasing the speed of travel and smaller circles on the welding technique, this is on each half of the Die Radius. Then final grind to smooth them up.
As you will see in picture #2 there is a little bit of a flat spot built into the nose of the dies that keeps the pipe from denting there as the outer radius begins to stretch. Once it starts bending in this manner then it continues stretching the outer radius until the desired bend is completed. The extended flanges on the Dies hold the pipe round while it is bending. VS the exhaust bending machines that just crush the inside corner radius to take up the extra metal as it is bending.
Most of the fussy shaping of the Dies are in the upper half of the circumference to fit the pipe size being bent. Sides are not quite as important, but still good to get a good fit on the pipe.
OK here are some better pictures of the Dies after pulling them out of the Vinegar Tank today. A little final polish on the clean up helps to see how they are made.
Was like 4 passes of welding in the corners to build the radius out to shape, one root pass, 2 side passes, and a final fill pass down the center of the 2 side passes, reducing the fill on the final pass by increasing the speed of travel and smaller circles on the welding technique, this is on each half of the Die Radius. Then final grind to smooth them up.
As you will see in picture #2 there is a little bit of a flat spot built into the nose of the dies that keeps the pipe from denting there as the outer radius begins to stretch. Once it starts bending in this manner then it continues stretching the outer radius until the desired bend is completed. The extended flanges on the Dies hold the pipe round while it is bending. VS the exhaust bending machines that just crush the inside corner radius to take up the extra metal as it is bending.
Most of the fussy shaping of the Dies are in the upper half of the circumference to fit the pipe size being bent. Sides are not quite as important, but still good to get a good fit on the pipe.
