Hi All
Very complicated plumbing job today, re routing 15mm copper pipe around several obstacles - ended up using around 30 solder ring 90 degree fittings.
Maybe it's time to buy a tube bender :-)
This seems to be a generic piece of kit
Anyone used one? Any opinions?
"ended up using around 30 solder ring 90 degree fittings"
You do seem to run into problems often,dont you?
Lets see now...30 elbows at a 85p a piece,thats £25.50 hmmm! I would have gone and bought the Pipe bender there and then.
Well worth it. When you get the hang of it one of the more satisfying skills.
I used a cheap one at a pal's place once and it simply wasn't a patch on my Record - which did cost over three times as much. It's possible the Screwfix one is ok, though - especially if you're only going to use it for
15mm. Or perhaps check Ebay for a secondhand branded one?
Same one I have got and I would avoid. It's so slack and sloppy that a simple 90 by eye is difficult. It necks the tube badly as well.
Erm, yes. I've seen work done with fittings like you've described, and the equivalent with proper bends is so much nicer.
But I'm afraid I can't help with that. The gert Record one we hired to take care of the 28mm stuff seemed to work and was an impressive beast, but I'd expect that's rather more than you're looking for :-)
cheers, clive
I've got the Screwfix one and found it good, but have never used a Record so can't compare. As Dave P says, satisfying (when you've got the hang of it). But be aware that there are times when only a fitting will do - you can't bend pipe down to that small a radius.
You've added around 15m effective length to the pipe. I hope you allowed for that when making the flow calculations.
My opinion is that it is never a good idea for a professional to buy tools sold on price. They will have been made in the Far East and very rarely as well engineered as those sold under British, German or Swedish tool manufacturers' names. Some of those may have been made in the Far East too, but the inspection would be to European standards. Indian (particularly) and Chinese steel is also of rather dubious quality.
Like Dave, I have the Record tube bender, which is a nice piece of kit.
Colin Bignell
Certainly, that many joints will look an right bodge IMHO. Not to mention the flow restriction (again)...
Take a read back on thread(s) in here on pipe benders. The cheapo ones don't come out very well. The branded ones much better I recently bought the Hilmor GLM from Screwfix:
A quick Google shows the Record available for about 50 quid.
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in news:eptv1g$ro8$ snipped-for-privacy@registered.motzarella.org:
I've found pipe bending skills a bit beyond me, in muscle _and_ skill, or maybe it's Norm next door's bender.
But perhaps 45 deg elbows would help (screwfix 26209-85); and even *I* don't use solder rings any more, end feed are no harder to fit and _much_ cheaper; ie 15 mm elbows end feed 100 for 14 quid, solder ring 100 for 25 quid.
And my local discount place is a lot cheaper than that
mike
Pipe benders are excellent tools: Much better that stupid springs etc...
I have the kennedy one & it does a good job for the few times I ned a pipe bender, though:
-it does tend to pinch the join somewhat
-it is difficult to judge a bend angle exact & reinserting a bend to adjust is an art in itself
-difficult to judge position for 2 bends in succession. I normally cop out on this one & use a link solder joint.
IMHE most Cromwell (Kennedy is their own brand) do reasonable job at a reasonable price. I've never had an outright dud, though possibly for intensive hard use you might be better with the branded item.
HTH
Hi
The pipe bender is now on special offer on the Plumbworld site, it's now only =A319.98, here's the link:
Mark
What where you doing, tying a not? ;-)
Certainly worth having, but remember these won't bend a tight radius - so there are still times when only an elbow will do.
I have the Hilmor GLM one which does make very nice bends with very little deformation of the pipe... order code 7762 at BES
Plastic pipe perhaps?
location, though it doesn't look that familiar when I read it.
BTW the two Copper Board links 404.
That might be because I do this stuff six days a week.
Hmmm. That's 25 for £5:99 at Wickes tosspot.
Are you the former 3rd Earl?
Part timer, you have a day off?
Adam
I bought my Record bender in B&Q about 7 years ago. It was about £40 at the time. Had to check a few boxes to find one which still had the formers in it though. As Dave says, a delight to use.
Treat the formers with care though (they are a soft alloy), and make sure the pipe is reasonably clean before you bend it. Any grit on the surface can get embedded in the formers, and damage subsequent bends.
Record was bought by Irwin, and I've heard a few comments from tradesman that Record tools aren't the same high quality anymore.
This is proof that God wasn't self-employed. If he were, he wouldn't have wasted the seventh day in rest and smug contemplation; he'd have washed the van, written up the books, and ironed his overalls before falling asleep with a can in front of the telly during Antiques Roadshow.
Owain
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