How to bend pipe?

[No Longer Active]

I would like to extend my flight joystick, by removing the handle, adding a long alloy bar and putting the handle on the bar to make something very similar to this:

.

I have removed the handle from my joystick base with no problems. Next I have to add the pipe and would like to bend the bar at 45degrees at a certain point to create the flight stick shape.

What is the best way to bend alloy bar and still keep the bar consistant without the sides pinching and effectively snapping?

Is there any easy way to do this?

Your thoughts are appreciated. Thank you.

Alex

[Jordan Farmer]

Hmm, have you thought of using pipe springs, they are for copper tubing, but may work on other metals, also maybe a more pricey pipe bender? You can probably pick either of these up at your local pluming shop!

[No Longer Active]

Hi

How does a pipe spring work, never heard of these before?

Cheers, Alex

[Mike.Powell]

When pipe or tubing is bent, it tends to collapse and kink.

A pipe spring is a steel spring with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tubing which will be bent. The spring is slipped over the tubing and positioned where the bend will be made. The tubing is then bent by hand. The spring prevents the tubing from collapsing, then is removed. This approach is limited to tubing small enough to bend by hand.

There are various pipe benders that have U-shaped groves that will support the pipe as it is bent, as well as, provide the leverage needed to bend the pipe. Some are manual, some are powered.

Thin wall electrical tubing ("EMT" in the US) is available in sizes that work well for flight controls, it's cheap, and there's a manual bender made for it. Here're two links to youtube videos on using it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEMr_9wZFPg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKA22HSCBe4 The second shows someone bending 1 1/4" which is difficult but possible. Bending 1/2" EMT is much easier.

[Neil Hewitt]

You can get a manual pipe bender from most good DIY stores with a decent plumbing section. IIRC my local B&Q has them. They're intended for use with water pipe, obviously.

Here's the B&Q online range: http://nextday.diy.com/app/c/pipe-be...s/Pipe+Bending

[Sean Nixon]

A pipe spring is nothing more than a, well, spring, about a foot and a half in length. They come in standard diameters to suit the material to be bent. For PVC electrical conduit, that's 20mm and 25mm, for copper tube I guess 15mm and 22mm. Anything larger than that is a tad difficult to bend over your knee!

The spring is inserted into the pipe to where the bend is required and the pipe simply curled around your knee.

Obviously designed for 'soft' materials like PVC and copper, anything stronger you'll need a pipe bender.

Bending spring...



Pipe benders...

[brynjames]

Older plumbers used to bend 15mm copper pipe over their knee. You can always spot them as they limp along the street.......

--
Bryn

[No Longer Active]

Thanks for all the responses. Splashing out on a pipe bender for the sake of 2 bends is a little too much for me, the spring however appears to be the best solution for me, so I think I will go this route! Thanks to all.....

Alex

[AK Mongo]

What about going with off the shelf plumbing fittings? Might not look as spiffy, but might do the trick? I know a wide variety is available in plastic. Not sure about metal.

[Westozy]

Pipe can also be bent by packing it with sand, it has to be really compacted so put a little bit of sand in first, compact it with a plunger and then repeat until it is full. This was an old plumbers trick!

Cheers Gwyn (Westozy)
www.aerosimsolutions.com.au