Tubing Benders

[Vincent Judd]

Clint Eastwood used to say that "any good man must know his limitations".  Well, apparently my limitations include trying to bend the 1/8" tubing that we commonly use for our fuel tanks.  It collapses on me every time.  I bought a set of those springs that you're supposed to insert the tubing into before bending and I still can't do an adequate job.  I thought I remembered somewhere that you should fill it with sand before bending to keep it from collapsing, but putting sand in a piece of fuel line tubing just doesn't seem right. 

What's the secret?  How are you guys getting those nice tight bends in your tubing?  I'm guessing that there's some type of nice, small, tubing bender that everyone has, or else I'm just inept at this.  I have a very nice tubing bender that I bought for doing things like brake lines and small automotive stuff, but I doesn't work well with the 1/8" size tubing.  What am I missing here?  Is it some kind of special tubing?  Maybe I need to heat the tubing?  HELP!

Thanks guys.

Vince

[Randy Powell]

Coug,

Well, I use a cute little tubing bender for 1/8" It's a chunk if hex stock with an 1/8" and 5/32" slot cut it. Just insert the tubing, put in a cross pin to hold and and bend away. I don't remember the brand now, but if I can remember, I'll shoot a picture of it to post here. Works really well and wouldn't be very hard to make.

[James Lee]

Couger
A few thoughts....   My technique is to first anneal the tubing (preferably copper, doesn't split like the brass) get it red hot with a propane torch.  Let it cool naturally to room temp.  It will now be nice and soft.  Use the Harry Higley type bender that Randy mentioned or make one to that style.  It supports the sides of the tubing so it can't collapse.  It should come around that type of bender nicely.  Another suggestion is to slide a piece of weed whacker nylon line into the tubing before bending, then pull it out after getting it bent.  That actually works pretty slick.  There is a practical minimum radius to the bend that is possible. 
Hope this helps.   
Jim

[Wynn Robins]

As Jim said, anneal the tubing first....heat to RED hot and then let cool....some people say to supercool it by chucking it in cold water etc, but I find it is still ok if you leave it to cool unaided.....

you can actually bend it with you fingers once it is annealed......tubing bender just make nicer shapes.

[Jim Oliver]

If you can find a length of solder that is the right diameter, slip the solder inside the tubing, bend the tubing and then melt the solder out of the tubing.

Jim

[Leester]

Bill Little told me about the anneal and weed wacker line trick, works great. I do it over the stove.

[john e. holliday]

Harry Higley used to make a tubing bender that came in two sizes.  I have had mine for years and use it quite a lot when I make tanks.  I still have a solid brass one I got even before the Higley one that is strictly for 1/8 tubing.  Check the Tower Hobbies Site or Brodak Manufacturing.  There is an advertiser on this site that handles small tools that might have one.  They are worth the money.  DOC Holliday

[john e. holliday]

Okay I took time to look it up for you.  Brodak Manufacturing,  has "Du-Bro Tubing Bender" for 1/8 tubing.  It is part #DU-785, listed price $10.25 plus shipping.  While searching found another site I never knew about.  It is called HOBBYLINC.com.  They show the "Biso Bender" which is the one I have.  Later, DOC Holliday

[posthole_digger]

Here is a link to the Higley bender - I have one and it works well.

Paul

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXL781&P=7

[Vincent Judd]

Thanks guys, I now have all the information I need.  I'm putting in an order to Tower for some other stuff and they have both the Dubro and the Higley, so I'll probably get both just to try (not that much money for either).  I heard from another source that the Dubro unit works extremely well.  At least now I know how everyone is doing it without the tubing collapsing.

I also understand that it is better to heat the tubing to a bright red color and let it cool to soften it.  That shouldn't be a problem.

Appreciate the help.

Vince

[Bill Little]

Bill Little told me about the anneal and weed wacker line trick, works great. I do it over the stove.

HI Lee,

Glad it helped you out.

It's about as simple as it gets, and absolutely no way that the tubing can kink or collapse!

Bill <><

[Robert McHam]

The Biso bender does the best job and is affordable, however the sand trick actually does work but even I wonder "did I get it all out" before running fuel through it to my engines. I hate doubt...
Robert

[Bill Little]

The Biso bender does the best job and is affordable, however the sand trick actually does work but even I wonder "did I get it all out" before running fuel through it to my engines. I hate doubt...
Robert

Hi Robert,

I have always heard about using sand, but never tried it!

Bill <><

[Bob Reeves]

Used the sand trick to bend the exhaust tube on one of my SAito 56's but don't think I would do it with 1/8 coper or brass tubing. The trick is to seal the ends so the sand has no place to move to. Thinking this would be a little difficult on small tubing. The Saito pipe is threaded on both ends so was just a matter of making two threaded caps.

Have a couple of the Higley benders and like them. I don't even anneal the tubing and always get good bends.

[Bill Little]

I've just always taken the "string" used on "Weed Eaters" (comes in different diameters) and put it inside the tubing.  I do heat the copper tubing first.

[Walter Johnson]

Been using the Biso Bender from Higley for years works great and makes nice tight bends no kinks at all.Walt