Pipe Bending

[Alan Worland 1Participant @alanworland1]

[Alan Worland 1Participant @alanworland1]

I have a bit of central heating pipework to undertake shortly and I have a 15mm pipe bender, but I was wondering what might be the tightest radius bend I could pull in annealed copper pipe?
My existing bender manages a 62mm radius bend (on pipe centre line) and I am considering making another, smaller former but thought I would put the question to the wisened forum users rather than waste my time!

[WearyParticipant @weary]

You will not pull much tighter than that with half-hard 15mm copper. 

The solution to getting around such a tight bend would be to fit an elbow at the appropriate point.  

Maybe a street bend if you have one of a suitable radius, but then you would have to socket form or put a connector on one end of  your tube. 

You can also get pre-formed return bends if you are trying to make a 180 degree return. 

(You refer to annealed tube, I’m assuming that you are actually working with half-hard tube.  Fully annealed copper risks collapse in a pipe-bender, anneal the tube if you are using springs.)

 

[Flying FiferParticipant @flyingfifer]

You could fill the tube with cerrobend then it should bend BUT personally I`d go for a an elbow connection. It just in`t worth the extra B*****ation factor to try anything else.

 Regards Alan

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Before making it “Look” better, consider the flow restriction properties of tight bends in C/H systems, same in airflow.

 

  Regards  Ian.

[Alan Worland 1Participant @alanworland1]

I wanted a bend which wasn’t as tight as an elbow – but tighter than I can make at present!

The older type ‘swept’ bend would do nicely but I dont believe they are made any more?

I am using standard half hard tube and annealing it, seems to bend fine.

I was trying to bend the tube rather than put a joint in as this in itself restricts the flow – a 90 degree joint is equivalent to 600mm of pipe, although I will probably end up with an elbow.

[WearyParticipant @weary]

Ah – you are possibly looking for a ‘slow bend’, like this: clicky linky

Your local plumber’s merchant should be able to supply ‘off the shelf’.

(There should be no need to anneal half-hard tube for use in a bending machine.)

[Alan Worland 1Participant @alanworland1]

Ah, it’s called a slow bend!  Thanks – I wonder why its called slow, it should be faster than the tighter one?

[Author]

Posts