• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Harbor freight bender?

A

Andrew92XJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Monrovia, IN
ok i was just wondering if anyone knows if this bender from harbor frieight would be a good one to use to make things like an exo cage or rock sliders and stuff like that it says it is a pipe bender but it comes with dies for 1/2" to 2" diameter would this kink tubing or not? also i remember reading a post where they were talking about a harbor freight bender and getting the dies off ebay anyone know more about this? here is the link http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38024
Thanks
 
You can use it but you have to make small bends then move the tube some and make another small bend. If you just try to make your bend all at one time with the tube in the middle it will just bend the tube and crush it. But if you read it is a pipe bender, not a tube a bender. There is a difference. I used a friends bender like that to make some tube fenders for a friend. They came out ok. Not sure if I would use it to make a cage though.

And with the price of steel now a days your almost better off just taking it somewhere and let them do it. After you buy the steel then the bender your not far off what shop will charge you for materials and labor.
 
I you can get the dies to fit the tube then I think it could work just like in the video. I tried to mod my 1" pipe die to fit 1.5" tube bbut I have not had much success on bends past about 40*. I have some 1.5" pipe that I bent to a 90 and Im going to cut it in half and try and get it to pinch the tube. I have also heard that the 1.25" pipe die fits 1.625" tube(1 5/8). Good luck.
 
Almost all of my armor over three vehicles has been made with a harbor freight type bender. No kinks, no problems, full 90 degrees, etc etc. The trick is to get the proper tubing size (OD) to fit in the pipe (ID) dies. Basically, the 1 1/4" 'pipe' die, works absolutely perfect on 1 5/8 (od) 'tubing'. I have bent hundreds of feet of tubing using this with perfect results. I use Tubing with anywhere from .90" wall thickness, up to .120" thickness. As long as the od of the tubing is 1 5/8", you wont have trouble.

You may also be able to find other tubing that fits perfectly in the pipe dies.

I spray wd-40 int he die before each bend, and use big chunks of old leather or shop rags in the outer two rollers, and thats it. No packing it with sand, filling it with water or any of that crap. Nothing special, and it works like a champ. I also have two of the gotrikes benders with air over hydraulic rams, 200 dollar dies, and this turns out just as good.

These were made with the harbor freight type bender.

This is 1 5/8" HREW tubing with .120" wall.

Side armor
SS100200.jpg


Sliders

SS100159.jpg


SS100160.jpg


Bumper

DSCN0536.jpg
 
Last edited:
awsome thanks for the info looks like ill have to go to harbor freight and get me a bender next week..... by the way the side armor, sliders, and bumper look great.
 
The HREW stands for "Hot Rolled Electrically Welded". The hot rolled part refers to the coil of steel the tubing was made from. HREW is made from hot rolled coil steel. HREW tubing is then cold drawn over a mandrel, which "works" the metal and gains those tight tolerances. It is now DOM or Drawn Over Mandrel. so the only differance is the strength and tolerances they will both work the same as far as bending goes.
 
ok got another related question a friend of mine asked me why dont i just make stuff out of pipe insted of tubing? and i really didnt have an answer for him i know pipe is supposed to be more dent resistant but isnt it heavier? anyone know why most people use tubing insted of pipe because if i can use pipe this eliminates the whole problem with the bender? Thanks
 
Most will tell you that pipe is for pressure and tube is for strength. A friend of mine just got some pipe to make his exo and he said it was about as strong as hrew let me ask him where he found that info and what it was.
 
for all those interested.......


What's the difference between a pipe and a tube?

 More often than not, people guess it has something to do with the quality of the materials, but that's got nothing to do with it. The difference between a pipe and a tube is how they are measured, and ultimately what they are used for.


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] A pipe is a vessel - a tube is structural.[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] A pipe is measured ID - a tube is measured OD.[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] How they are measured... Pipes are measured ID or inside diameter because they are vessels. Tubes are measured OD or outside diameter because they are structural. [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] Pipes have a consistent ID regardless of wall thickness. In other words, a 1/2" high pressure pipe may need a 2" thick wall, but the ID will still only be 1/2" even tho the OD is 4.5". [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] Generally speaking, a tube will have a consistent OD and it's ID will change. Engineers see tubes and pipes with different eyes. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] A tube is structural.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] By having a consistent OD they can vary wall thickness, changing the ID, to increase strength. Because they are consistent OD, they have predictable characteristics. [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] Again, the difference is simple, it's how they are measured and what their intended uses are.[/FONT]
 
What you want to use a pipe bender you can buy pipe sized structual tubing or
pipe that has a structural use rating. Not too difficult to find.
Google structural pipe and you can learn all you need.
 
cool thanks ill have to check at my local welding shop that i buy my steel from and see if they can tell me if the pipe they sell has a structural rating.
 
I can't believe it hasn't been said.

Pipe is for poop!
 
jd4x426 said:
pipe definitely isnt the answer it cracks anyone that says different is lying spend a couple extra dollars and do it right
Click to expand...


I am going to say this again since nobody seemed to listen. Pipe vs Tube literally means nothing. Pipe simply means it is measured by internal diameter. You can get structural metal sized in terms of pipe,
look up A500 pipe in different grades. Than compare specs to similar size HREW and DOM. You can get very strong pipe sized steel. Are you going to get the best quality bends of the HF bender, no. Does it work, yes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Battery Load Tester
Replies
9
Views
1K
Bent
Bent
M
Test fitting RC 4.5" long arm on 2000 XJ
Replies
10
Views
4K
RCP Phx
R
M
2000-01 Exhaust Header on a 99'
2
Replies
22
Views
4K
75SV1
7
X
XR3Z's vs 19 XF2E's (2001 XJ) and so much more
Replies
5
Views
2K
xcm
xcm
Anak
Gear Oil Jug Spout: I should have done this years ago
Replies
4
Views
2K
Bent
Bent
Back
Top