1 1/8 benders

[weidit]

Hi all
After breaking another set of 1 1/8 gear benders today I wondered if there where any alternatives? I have seen electric ones but don't really want to spend that much or buy the bench type ones. Do they do ratchet ones as I can't seem to find anything on the net.

regards weidit

[eggs]

We buy the fittings.

When you weigh up the cost of the tooling and labour of forming a bend on this size pipe, we find fittings best......But perhaps it's just my lads who can't use benders for toffee??.
Give them 10 lengths of 1 1/8 and 10 of 1/2 and I can guarantee that there will be more of the small pipe left over at the end of the job.

Repeat after me....Fittings......Fittings......Fittings...........Fittings

Cheers

Eggs (still waiting for a name change??)

[Bigfreeze]

Do you use gear benders? Have yet to see any set we've used fail.

[aircool]

i would say your lads can,t use benders for toffee :p and the leftover 1 1/8 is going for scrap..was always taught the less joints the better..hilmore do a good bender,have mine for nearly 10 years and still going strong,think they go up to 1 5/8.

[weidit]

They say it's the teeth on the bender coming off.

[moondawn]

do they need oiling? i have broken the teeth on the bender before but did not need to buy a whole set was able to just get the broken part.

[monkey spanners]

Think the pipe is thicker now, i usually spray the teeth and the pipe lightly with some wd40 style stuff to make it easier to bend. Not broken one yet but the bender i bought myself a few years back doesn't feel as good a quality as the old imperial one i had when i worked for my old boss.

Think i'd get one of those rems powered benders if i bust it, i have a rems hand bender set for 5/8 3/4 and 7/8 and i think these would fit the power bender too.

[still learning]

hilmor benders, very good . and very sturdy, the company i work for has had some for ever.
well worth the investment.

[stufus]

Used these on 1 1/8 for years myself and never had an issue.But while working with a crew they were breaking them every couple of days.I always used them on the deck no benches or vice's.After watching the lads for a minute i was able to figure out the problem.
In my opinion always keep the long section between your knees and allow the bender to rotate in front of you and use a bit of channel or unistrut under the pipe to keep the pipe level and straight in the former.
If it starts to tilt the gear handle rides up the gear wheel and shears the teeth off.
http://www.newmantools.com/imperial/tubebenders_270f.gif

Cheers
Stu