Bending stainless tube

[Pupp]

Need to put a couple of tight 90deg bends in some stainless 15mm OD tubing (1.5 wall thickness) and suspect a bit more than a normal pipe bender is going to be needed. Any tips please?

[GreenV8S]

I suspect you'll struggle to bend that without buckling the inner wall unless you use a mandrel bender.

[stainless_steve]

You need a pro pipe bending company,or you could buy some 90 bends

[odyssey2200]

If you fil the pipe with sand it will be less liable to kinking but you do have to pack it tight and try heating it.

Do you need a absolute right angle or a tight curve?

[Ganglandboss]

stainless_steve said:

You need a pro pipe bending company,or you could buy some 90 bends

Or this guy!

[stainless_steve]

[AdeTuono]

You need something like this...



About £100 for 15mm capacity.

[GreenV8S]

odyssey2200 said:

If you fil the pipe with sand it will be less liable to kinking but you do have to pack it tight and try heating it.

I've never got that to work, perhaps it just needs more skill than I have.

[odyssey2200]

GreenV8S said:

odyssey2200 said:

If you fil the pipe with sand it will be less liable to kinking but you do have to pack it tight and try heating it.

I've never got that to work, perhaps it just needs more skill than I have.

never done it myself but seem it done, once.

[B17NNS]

Is this a plumbing thing - exposed pipework? If so you can get chrome plated compression elbows, tees etc.

[Brite spark]

AdeTuono said:

You need something like this...



About £100 for 15mm capacity.

http://cpc.farnell.com/city/3153/pipe-bender-15-22mm/dp/TL05572?in_merch=true&


don't know if either will fit your aplication though

[EINSIGN]

http://www.toolbank.com/c/D4564

[AdeTuono]

EINSIGN said:

http://www.toolbank.com/c/D4564

Those are for standard copper pipe. OP has 1.5mm wall SS, so ID of <12mm.

[Pupp]

It's plumbing of a sort... making replacement heater rails for my Chimaera. The OEM ones are a PIA as they run adjacent to one rocker box and impede access etc. There is space to run alternatives under the inlet manifold in the engine 'V' but one run will need two 90deg bends forming (fairly tight but doesn't have to be abrupt) and the return just one (same radius).

Like the sand idea and imagine some fine silver or kiln dried stuff would be best. Not sure about heating it as I think that would just harden stainless, although I suppose it might anneal on quenching? The place I sourced it from suggested a tight fitting bending spring together with a 15mm mandrel bender would cope with it... have a plumber mate so might set him a challenge

If all else fails, I'll just run straight lengths and use formed silicone for the bends but was just trying to avoid unnecessary joints... thanks for the ideas

[EINSIGN]

AdeTuono said:

EINSIGN said:

http://www.toolbank.com/c/D4564

Those are for standard copper pipe. OP has 1.5mm wall SS, so ID of <12mm.

http://www.toolbank.com/p/FAIPBS15EXT/D4564

Edited by EINSIGN on Sunday 4th October 20:44

[GreenV8S]

If that's all it's for why don't you treat it as an ordinary plumbing problem and use standard pipe and fittings? That heavy pipe you have is massive overkill and makes the problem much harder than it needs to be.

[stainless_steve]

Pupp said:

It's plumbing of a sort... making replacement heater rails for my Chimaera. The OEM ones are a PIA as they run adjacent to one rocker box and impede access etc. There is space to run alternatives under the inlet manifold in the engine 'V' but one run will need two 90deg bends forming (fairly tight but doesn't have to be abrupt) and the return just one (same radius).

Like the sand idea and imagine some fine silver or kiln dried stuff would be best. Not sure about heating it as I think that would just harden stainless, although I suppose it might anneal on quenching? The place I sourced it from suggested a tight fitting bending spring together with a 15mm mandrel bender would cope with it... have a plumber mate so might set him a challenge

If all else fails, I'll just run straight lengths and use formed silicone for the bends but was just trying to avoid unnecessary joints... thanks for the ideas

There are loads of tube bending firms around,cant you take your pipe there.
prob only cost a few beers if you go at dinner time and ask one of the lads having a cig outside

[freecar]

Instead if sand, you can fill them with water then freeze! It what brass instrument makers do to prevent kinking!