Using pipe bender to bend 22mm copper pipe

[IMM]

< snip babble from the village idiot >

[Dave Plowman (News)]

And when you need to put a bend in the middle of a length of pipe? Of course. You just get out your little hacksaw.

If I gave any *advice* about my profession to the same standard as some you give about what you *claim* is yours, I'd be mortified.

But keep sawing away.

[John Woodhall]

The screwfix one is shit, it actually bends over as you push down the handle and crushes the pipe against the guide. Send it back like I did and get a refund. Then go buy a 50 quid hilmor one. Much better. HTH the return was no problem and they didn`t question why.

[Pete C]

Hi,

Sounds like you're quenching the pipe instead of annealing it:

heating it with a blowlamp and letting it cool naturally, working slowly from one end to the other.

Also try coating the former with some graphited grease but make sure the 'hook' grips the pipe well, using a bit of rubber between it and the pipe if it's slipping.

Let us know how it goes.

cheers, Pete.

[Ed Sirett]

I agree that using larger fittings will nigh on remove their penalty for use relative to a bend. However I cannot agree that 22mm can realistically substitute for 28mm even with bends replacing elbows. Pipe resistance is approx the inverse fourth power of internal diameter.

3/4" v 1" thats 256/81 or roughly 3:1 for the relative resistance.

So for each elbow [1] that is avoided by using the bendable 22mm you save about 0.5m of equivalent straight pipe. But every metre of 22mm pipe used instead of 28mm is like adding a further 2m of 28mm pipe. Ergo unless the 28mm pipe would consists of _more_ than 4 _extra_ elbows per metre avoided by bending 22mm it will be better to use 28mm and elbows.

On the infrequent occasions I've needed to use 28mm for pipework, the improvement obtained by 28mm despite having a few more elbows in the run was substantial.

You would need 3 runs to get equivalent performance - the fittings are not more than 3:1 in cost ratios.

[1] If you need a T you will still need a T in the 22mm run.

[IMM]

When it is a borderliner, it can.

The intention is to eliminate using any 28mm. In most cases than can be avoid by two runs. The only way three runs wiould be required, if the 28mm was to maximum.

[Ed Sirett]

I my experience it seems to vary from one batch of pipe to the next. If the text books are to be beleived then rippling (and it's opposite problem, throating [1]) are due to the pressure on the former being applied slightly ahead or behind the bending point.

I've not tried this but the claim is that shimming the back of the former with say a hacksaw blade should reduce rippling.

[1] The tendency to form an (excessively) oval cross-section at bends.

[IMM]

This one is a fool. You put a length of thin cable on the spring to drag it out. Duh! Stop commenting on fields you know sweet FA about.

Keep twiddling knobs..

[IMM]

I have a Draper and that is strong.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You're excelling yourself today with your complete lack of any practical experience.

Stick to trying to give advice about boilers. At least there you're only quoting other's data and can do less harm.

[IMM]

Done it many times sunshine. You lubricate the spring to pull it out. In the olden days they used tallow.

Sick to twiddling knobs and stop commenting on fields you know sweet FA about. You just make yourself look an even bigger d***head.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Really? It doesn't really appear like this, somehow.

Funny. Most *wind* a spring out as that reduces the diameter.

There. You've learnt something new again.

We'll get you educated some day.

Think you're the sick one. Been at the sauce again?

[IMM]

Do they. Who have you speaking to? You have never seen it done or done it yourself that is certain.

From you? This is impossible.

Pure madness, pure madness. Sad to see.

Stick to twiddling knobs and stop commenting on fields you know sweet FA about. You just make yourself look an even bigger d***head.

[Lurch]

On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 19:55:52 GMT, "John Woodhall" strung together this:

Best solution so far, I've got 2 Hilmor benders and have had no problem bending 22mm. Other than it being a crap bender issue if your guide and former are unclean then this will produce a bad bend, try cleaning it all with some wire wool.

[Ben Blaukopf]

I didn't buy from Screwfix - I bought a Draper locally. And it's crap - it manages to bend the pipe in two dimensions instead of one, so it's virtually impossible to put two bends in a single piece of pipe. Sadly I didn't notice this until the second job I'd used it for, by which time I'd lost the receipt. It crushes the pipe as well.

However, given it's not a case of "they all do that sir" I think I'll find a Hilmor before I next need to use it. Doing the kitchen soon...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Words are failing me...

You certainly seem to have a problem learning from anything other than a maker's website. But then such 'learning' seems to consists of cut and paste.

Yup. There we agree. To try and educate you *is* madness.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've got a Record, which is fine. Dunno how the price compares these days to Hilmor. Flimsy, it's not. For bending 22mm (if it's convenient) I'll clamp one lever in the vice.

[IMM]

Don't make things up.

[IMM]

So are your skills

[:::Jerry::::]

Stop talking about yourself !