Plans for a small bore spiral pipe bender

[vintagengineerParticipant @vintagengineer]

Anybody know where I can get a set of drawings for a small bore spiral pipe bender?

[vintagengineerParticipant @vintagengineer]

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

Is that spiral as in "spiral pipe" or "spiral bend" like a coil spring?

Mark

[vintagengineerParticipant @vintagengineer]

`Like a coil spring. On large sizes I use a powered pipe roller but I need to some in 1/4" copper.

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Iv'e made the curly petrol pipe for my pre war bike in 1/4" copper. I tried a small pipe bending kit and it was awkward to use so I just bent the tube round some 2" bar with my fingers, worked well.

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

Yes, I think if I had just one or two to coil I might turn a mandrel and make a guide for use on the lathe using very low back gear or by hand. This obviously prevents you from having a long tail at the start end…

Mark

[Nick HughesParticipant @nickhughes97026]

Deleted

Edited By Nick Hughes on 27/01/2017 20:29:53

[John ReeseParticipant @johnreese12848]

I would make a hardwood mandrel. I would thread the mandrel with a round form tool. After bending the coil unscrew the mandrel from the coil. Above a certain diameter the tube can be bent around a mandrel without the need for cutting thr profile into the mandrel. Unfortunately I don't know what that diameter is.

[Nick HulmeParticipant @nickhulme30114]

Posted by vintagengineer on 27/01/2017 20:08:28:

`Like a coil spring.

Do you mean a watch spring? That's a spiral.

A compression coil spring is a helix

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

Oh OK, slap my wrist…

Yes, you are correct, the question put the word at the front of my mind as I was thinking of spiral tubes – the sort made from a strip and clinched/welded into a tube as you often see in air conditioning and ducting systems

Mark

[Brian OldfordParticipant @brianoldford70365]

Can you not knock up a jig of some sort consisting essentially of two flanges spaced the tube diameter?

[Author]

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