Tube Bending Questions....

Zoediak · Jul 23, 2014

Ok. tube bending gurus...

I have a question about bending some tube.

I have to bend some 7/8" aluminum tubing for a project...

I am using my JD2 Model 32 bender, die is being shipped as I type.

The die is a 3" CLR 180*.

My question is this...
Is there an easy way to figure out (calculate) how far and where I need to make bends to have the outcome be a circle with about an 8" diameter, then an 11" then like a 13" diameter...

It is a weird piece that we are trying to make to replace a broken one on a piece of equipment... Kind of some sort of an air manifold or something.

I am not a sketch artist.. haha so don't laugh to much..
but this is the rough picture of what the piece is. (I will upload an actual photo when I actually get one)

Each one of the black lines is a separate tube...

basically, I am just wondering if there is some easy way that I can calculate to tell me something like .. make a 3* bend.. move 1 inch make another 3* bend.. etc... or something like that..

is it possible??

Thanks for your time...

Bunk1 · Jul 23, 2014

Odds are they used a mandrel bender to do the aluminum. What series and wall thickness is it?

Zoediak · Jul 23, 2014

exact wall thickness I will know when the material arrives, but I was told about 1/8" thick... but I think that was just an eyeball measurement.

and yeah.. I was thinking that is was something mandrel bent or something like that. There are a couple of bends that are pretty close to each other.

My drawing is so awesome.. I know that it shows all the details. :haha:

Why he took this job, I have no clue... He has never bent a piece of tube before.. haha