Cheap and effective way to bend rectangular tubing?

[PapaPerk]

I'm planning a atv dump trailer build. Anyone have suggestion on a good method to bend 1x2 steel tubing ? I need to bend at about 30 degrees.

Thank u!

 

[3930dave]

I've never tried it on rectangular, but I know one way (with a bit of luck) to keep round copper piping intact when doing funky bends is fill it with fine sand first, heat it, then bend.

Rgds, D.

 

[jwmorris]

What radius?

 

[flyerdan]

I take it you're looking for an angular bend rather than an arc. If it were me, I'd weld a small piece of round stock the diameter that you wanted the radius to be as a fulcrum, set up a top plate to keep the side wall from bulging out, (one instance where doing it the hard way would be beneficial), set some stops about 2 degrees more than you want the angle (to allow for springback) heat it dull cherry and form it. I'm assuming this will be the side rails bending into the tongue so it will be 2" tall by 1" wide.

 

[Oliver1655]

The bending die square/rectangular tubing is wrapped around to bend it has a raised rib in the middle to cause the center of the tubing to dimple inward to minimize the bulging of the sides. Think of an "E" where the top & the bottom could be just pieces of plate & the middle is the dimpling rib. If you have hole saws close to the size of the bend you wish to make, you could cut 2 circles from plywood to sandwich the center "rib" to keep it centered. The top & bottom plates do not have to be rounded, just be bigger than the circles by the width of the tubing.

This video shows it plainly. Hand bending 1" square 18 gauge steel tubing to a 4-1/2" radius - YouTube

Good Stuff!

John

 

[LD1]

What is is for??

Are you wanting something purdy?? Like artwork?? OR are you wanting functionality?

IF it were mine, and functionality was the goal, two ways I would (and have) done it.

1. cut a 30degree Vee out of it, leaving just one side intact. Bend and re-weld.
2. Cut it in two where you want the bend @ 15 degrees. Flip one piece around and weld them back together.

 

[PapaPerk]

I take it you're looking for an angular bend rather than an arc. If it were me, I'd weld a small piece of round stock the diameter that you wanted the radius to be as a fulcrum, set up a top plate to keep the side wall from bulging out, (one instance where doing it the hard way would be beneficial), set some stops about 2 degrees more than you want the angle (to allow for springback) heat it dull cherry and form it. I'm assuming this will be the side rails bending into the tongue so it will be 2" tall by 1" wide.

Yes that's exactly what it will be for. I would like the bends to be attractive and not cut the tube to get them.

I may have to have steel supplier make bends.