bent tubing

[bluerooster]

The vertical stabilizer has a bent tube. Just so happens it's the tube that makes the curved part. Well, It needs to be replaced, and I need to get a curved piece of tubing. They don't sell curved tubing, (But it could very well be curved by the time it's shipped to you). So, I started calling fab shops, in hopes of finding someone who could do a proper bend. I didn't realize that there are so many companies out there that do nothing but bend tubing. I called about 8 or 10 of them, and found no one that could bend my tube. They don't have the rollers for 5/8" tubing.
So, the thought came to mind to offer to buy the rollers, in payment to bend my tube.
Then I came to my senses, and decided to build my own tubing roller/bender. Which is what I spent the day working on. Digging through my scrap iron pile I found almost everything I needed. Being a blacksmith, I'm familiar with the concept of "make a tool to make a tool". So that's what I did.




It's not completed yet. I'll post pics once I get it done.

[Woody]

That's too much effort. You can bend it by hand in a 1/2" conduit bender.

[bluerooster]

Can you get the proper bend? I'd thought about that, but a bend with about 17" radius would present a problem with a conduit bender.

[Woody]

Put the bender in a vise and bend sections a little at a time by hand. The bender will keep the tube from kinking. Make a cardboard template and bend and check then bend some more. Draw a center line before you start so it stays straight.

[bluerooster]

Then you end up with starts and stops, rather than a nice smooth bend over the length. BTDT.

[Dick Smith]

Search on the Internet using the term: "how to bend chromoly tubing without a bender"...might give you some ideas. You can practice on a piece of cheap electrical conduit from Home Depot.

[kevinbrooker]

Building tools to make a one off is a big part of the fun for me. Rather than tell a guy he screwed up making something he didn't need to we should applaud his ingenuity and drive to share his enthusiasm with fellow pilots. Bluerooster, when the part is all made up please share a photo.

[Scott]

Fill the tube with sand and bend around a simple wood form. If its the tube that forms the fin to fuselage transition, aluminium if fine.

[bluerooster]

It's the curved part of the fin, from tail post forward. I got the bender made. but on test drive, I found that the wheels need some adjustment. But it does make a nice smooth bend with 4130. I didn't get any pics, but will have some in a minute or two

[bluerooster]

Here's a couple of pics.

[bluerooster]

Got the roller lined up, bent the tube, and installed it today. got it blasted, and primed.
Went from this:


To this:


I would hazrd to guess time spent on the roller/bender was well worth it.