pipe bending

[pnhsolutions]

Hi
I was bending pipe today abd a apprentice was trying to show me a rule to follow!
He said there is a simple equation called 'measure back' but he could not remember the rule!
Does anybody remember being taught this at college?

 

[Carl86]

So its a case of measuring how far you want the bend from the end to centre of the pipe and measure back over using the corrisponding numbers on that table. Also explains the line marks on the formers as well.

 

[unguided1]

I was taught to bend by eye also the chap who taught me was left handed and I have been told that I use my bender upside down.
regards
Mike

 

[buffy27]

copper bending. my pennys worth.i bend by eye also,but remember the basics.the measuring etc is farely time consuming so not practical
pullin 90's- put a line on the pipe at a distance from the end of the pipe equal to that between the fixed point and the back of the finnished bend.u need to b sure that the line on the pipe is square with the back of the former.and pull away mad.
An offset
The first bend can be pulled at any angle.
The pipe is then pushed further along the benders and turned around to make the first bend look upwards away from the former.
A ruler and a straight edge are used to measure the distance of the offset that you want.
When marking this out, make sure that the straight edge is running parallel with the piece of pipe looking upwards away from the former.
Once the correct measurement is got the bend can be pulled around until it is at the same angle as the first bend and can be seen to run parallel.
Check this then using the straight edge.

Passover-hop over
There is a lot of ways of forming a passover.
The easiest I think is to pull a bend first, the angle of this depends upon the size of the obstruction.
The bend cannot be too sharp because it will be very awkward pulling the offset bends.
A straight edge is positioned over the bend centrally to a distance equal to the passover wanted.
The pipe is marked with two lined which will be at the back of the finished offsets.
Put the pipe in the benders, and when the first mark is in line with the back of the former, the first set is pulled.
Once this bend is done, the pipe is simply reversed in the benders, and the second mark lined up in the former and pulled to complete the passover.

not easy to explain, not sure if u follow.
the formula s are used for heat bends. there s something about findind the center of the radius of the bend.then u find the amount of pipe length to heat by the formula -pie x radius x 2 divided by 4 not certain .if u don t have a perticular radius for the bend u would just go 4 times the nominal diameter of the pipe.
not too sure of special measurements.there are other formula s though i think.

 

[traineedrip]

So its a case of measuring how far you want the bend from the end to centre of the pipe and measure back over using the corrisponding numbers on that table. Also explains the line marks on the formers as well.

brilliantly simple
thanks for posting

 

[unguided1]

if you do it by eye, and you keep making mistakes you will be amazed at how quick your scrap pile grows
regards
mike

 

[migoplumber]

exactly as unguided says. tho maybe not too professional.....
i love it, do it the way you think you should, nd if your lucky or unlucky?
it ends up in your scrap pile.....
shaun

 

[fisco]

pipe bending why is it so how to learn how to do it? Some people find it easy and yet i struggle.

 

[stevetheplumber]

pipe bending why is it so how to learn how to do it? Some people find it easy and yet i struggle.

when i need accuracy which realy isnt that often i mark where the center of the pipe wants to be after bending lock it into the macine and use a piece of copper in the former at the desired angle and line it center of the mark its easier to do than explain lol

 

[obseen16]

when i need accuracy which realy isnt that often i mark where the center of the pipe wants to be after bending lock it into the macine and use a piece of copper in the former at the desired angle and line it center of the mark its easier to do than explain lol

thats exactly how i do it steve, they didnt show me that in college tho, i picked that up from another plumber i was on a job with lol.

 

[stevetheplumber]

pipe bending why is it so how to learn how to do it? Some people find it easy and yet i struggle.

dont get too hung up on bending half the time i dont even need a bender these days what with plastic pipe and flexi tap connectors
mostcopper pipe work you put in these days is probably gonna get boxed in or screeded over
onsite you tend to pull the bend roughly where you want it and trim the ends to suit

 

[Bernie2]

It is as someone said, a case of which way you like the best.

Remember in a work situation you may not have time for all that measuring.
You will of course probably need to know it if you go into industrial or commercial plumbing where the pipe sizes usually start at 28mm. That's too big for a normal set of hand benders and you usually ripple the pipe like mad if you do have a machine that can bend 28mm if you try to bend it without annealing it first. There are of course hydraulic bending machines for the bigger sizes. But carrying one of them around you soon get knackered, they weigh a ton.
You can sand load pipes to bend them, there is even a sand replacement.
But usually for ordianry domestic stuff your unlikely to bend much bigger than 22mm or 28mm.

Incidentally years ago the copper mines in East africa where cut off and the supply of copper in the UK dried up, so they started using stainless steel instead.

Its said the scrap heaps by the side of the machines where 10' high with scrap bends. So you will not be alone in making boo! boos!
Anyway the scrap steel was virtually worth less at first, that is why the heaps where so high. But the value of SS shot up and the heaps vanished overnight.

 

[CharterGAS]

the problem is the retarded benders for sale in thi scountry
they are absolute rubbish!!!

what we need are the "Ridgid" benders is so easy to get an entire length of bent up to exact millimeter

series 300 and 400 benders :

http://www.ridgid.eu/catalogue/pdf/chapters/05_bending/en.pdf

 

[joe brown]

original link not working

 

[jms]

if its what i think your on about not heard it being called that tho, it goes if you want to pull a 90 bend. measure where you want you bend to be from a tee piece of where ever mark that measurment on your pipe and then measure back 70mm and mark that and put that measurment on the start of your bender and pull you 90 and you should have your bend where you need it! i hope