Tube bender dies

[whistler]

Thinking about purchasing a tube bender and have a question about dies.They list a 2" dia. die with a 7" or 6" bend radius.They also come in 120 deg. and 220 deg.What is preferred and what are the advantages.Thanks

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[WoodyW]

Bigger the radius, the less stretch on the outside tube wall (and distortion- depending on how nice the dies are). Usually you never want less than 3 times the diameter for a bend radius. 220 would be preferred if you ever plan on doing a bend significantly deeper than 90'. I'd try to get dies that will do 180' bends for everything.

[151fab]

A little insignificant in the bigger picture but if your not going to be bending much past 90, and you usually don't with 2 inch, get the 120 degree die. The thing already weighs a ton at 120 degrees and my 1.5 inch x 220 degree is a bear to wrestle into the bender. I can't imagine lugging a 2" x 220 from the rack to the bender.

6" or 7" won't really affect the strength so I'd try and match the radius to your other dies. That way if your rolling sheet metal around both a 2.0 and a 1.5 tube the outsides of the bends will match. If your 1.5" die is 6.5" radius than get the 6.0" rad for the 2" die; that way they are pretty close to the same shape at the outside (don't know if any of that made sense?). Oh and the smaller the radius the harder it is to bend, seems like no big deal until you try bending .120 x 2.0" chromo. If it's a manual bender than you'll want all the help you can get.

[WoodyW]

Bah...My big 2" die is about 50lbs...gotta get a work out sometime, haven't been to a gym way too long.

[whistler]

Thanks guys,that was informative.

[151fab]

Bah...My big 2" die is about 50lbs...gotta get a work out sometime, haven't been to a gym way too long.

But now you have to put the beer in your other hand down to lift the die with both! Thats how beer gets misplaced and warm. You must consider the consequences of your actions, this is chess not checkers!

[whistler]

It seems the JD2 is the popular bender of choice but I have heard good things about the JMR model 1004(manual).Any opinions? Thanks again.

[Mex Jeremy]

Thinking about purchasing a tube bender and have a question about dies.They list a 2" dia. die with a 7" or 6" bend radius.They also come in 120 deg. and 220 deg.What is preferred and what are the advantages.Thanks

i built this bumer with a JD2 tube bender model 3' in 1 1/2"....wok's good

[Randy]

But now you have to put the beer in your other hand down to lift the die with both! Thats how beer gets misplaced and warm. You must consider the consequences of your actions, this is chess not checkers!

Is that not classified as alchohol abuse! ahaha, cant tell how many times ive wondered aimlesly searching for my beer...

[partybarge_pilot]

Is that not classified as alchohol abuse! ahaha, cant tell how many times ive wondered aimlesly searching for my beer...

Open another, the first one will magically appear.