tube bending help....

[CHOP SHOP]

Use you eyes man.:awesomework: no level and no angle majigger.:beer:

All the rigs I have ever built have always been level and symetrical. I ****IN HATE CROOKED TUBES!! I can spot them a mile away. Use you eyes and make **** parallel. No special tools needed.

I invite folks to pick for crooked tubes on my projects.:corn: Its a huge pet peave and its not hard to make **** parallel, level, follow lines, etc.



Make you first bend, then chuck up the tube where you next measurement lays and have a buddy hold the end of the tube that wants to tip down, or use an adjustable stand to hold it. Then bring it up till it is perfectly level with the tubing at the other end, just sight across it with one eye till its that exact same and you dont see any difference in angles. Starts bending.:awesomework:

The tube you showed in a Z shape can be saved too. I have a couple of choice sweet spots on my trailer and the rear of the stomper that I stick crooked or overbent tube in to straighten out. Just remember to slide a scrap over the tube anywhere it contacts while correcting to avoid pushing "dimples" into the tube.

If opening up a bend that went too far, be sure to sleve the tube with a scrap down to the bend before pulling it open so it opens the bends, not just curve the rest of the tube.:awesomework:

 

[nick c]

Well I just got off the phone with Les. He sent me this pic....

getting the bender off the casters seemed to do the trick. Everything is coming out level/close-to-level. So things are much better now. My truck should come out looking less like a picasso painting now.

thanks...

 

[Pat]

You are still using a few inches of bender to hold level a 20' stick of tube- too much room for error. The trick is to put the level away so you aren't biased or thrown off by whatever it says. Sight down the tube and bender like your lining up open sights on a rifle, and sight it from different angles too.

 

[CHOP SHOP]

You are still using a few inches of bender to hold level a 20' stick of tube- too much room for error. The trick is to put the level away so you aren't biased or thrown off by whatever it says. Sight down the tube and bender like your lining up open sights on a rifle, and sight it from different angles too.

egggzaktly:beer:

 

[ShaftyVonHelmet]

I'm certainly not a bending expert, but in addition to making sure the bender is level, it seems like it would be a good idea to follow Hip's advice and make a longitudinal line the full length of the stick. Then make a mark on your die to keep them in the same spot for each bend if all the bends are happening in the same plane.

The longitudinal line works for sure, putting it on blocks seems to have solved your problem though... glad to here it Nick! I got 9 sticks waiting to bend so get busy lol...:beer: