Let's talk benders

Greg

I run a tight ship... wreck
Admin
I'd like some sort of pneumatic driver for it, I'm assuming it's pretty brutal to bend by hand for long periods of time?

It's not bad, just a lot of work.... you need a solid stand and good anchors bolting it to the ground. If your garage floor is slick, it can be hard to get traction from your shoes for the bends.

Check out the SWAG Offroad kit to convert a Model 3 to air/hydro. - http://www.swagoffroad.com/SWAG-Formed-Tubing-Bender-AirHydraulic-Ram-Mount_p_53.html
 

Herzog

somewhat damaged
Admin
Location
Wydaho
I bent up two chassis manually with a JD2 Model 3. Works great, but it can be a work out. Last two chassis I've done were with an added air over hydro ram from harbor freight. Much better.

I also have the JD2 notch master. I've used that thing so much, it's been very worth it for me. I've loaned it out to a friend who put a lot of work through it and it still cuts straight as an arrow.
 

N-Smooth

Smooth Gang Founding Member
Location
UT
I have a model 3 as well. I don't have a good place to put a floor mount so I made a mount that slides into a trailer receiver. It's awesome unless it's snowing outside... I don't mind doing it manually, in fact I appreciate the time it takes so I can really think about the bend and not waste tube ($$$). If I was to do a powered setup I would do a vertical one with wheels for sure.
 

muleskinner

Well-Known Member
Location
Enoch, UT
https://www.rme4x4.com/threads/vertical-benders-nows-the-time.100610/

I have one of Carl's vertical benders that I converted to full hydraulic. The full hydro is nice and quiet with plenty of power but not as cheap as air/hydro. I really like bending vertical better than horizontal, it just seems better to me. The limiting factor is bending a long piece with my 12' ceiling, although I'd have the same problem bending horizontally with all the crap in my shop:rofl:

I really like using bendtech software also, super easy to design and bend stuff with it.
 

I Lean

Mbryson's hairdresser
Vendor
Location
Utah
https://www.rme4x4.com/threads/vertical-benders-nows-the-time.100610/

I have one of Carl's vertical benders that I converted to full hydraulic. The full hydro is nice and quiet with plenty of power but not as cheap as air/hydro. I really like bending vertical better than horizontal, it just seems better to me. The limiting factor is bending a long piece with my 12' ceiling, although I'd have the same problem bending horizontally with all the crap in my shop:rofl:

I really like using bendtech software also, super easy to design and bend stuff with it.

I have one of those benders too. :D Mine is also converted to electric/hydraulic, but can still use air if needed. (I did it a weird way, but it works)

It's hard to beat a JD2 Model 3 for getting started, both price and since it's so common, lots of people can help you if you need advice. The Rogue Fab bender is kinda interesting and compact, but probably takes up more bench space. I do like the small, self-contained footprint of the vertical one. And the ability to roll it outside to bend long things.
 

Herzog

somewhat damaged
Admin
Location
Wydaho
I have a model 3 as well. I don't have a good place to put a floor mount so I made a mount that slides into a trailer receiver. It's awesome unless it's snowing outside...

That is exactly how I had mine setup. It actually worked really well!
 

YROC FAB.

BUGGY TIME
Vendor
Location
Richfield, UT.
I am on the jd2 model 3 band wagon with air/hydro horror frieght ram. We have done several chassis with it and dozens of roll cages with it and i love it. I use a jd2 notchmaster and wouldn't trade it for any other 300ish$ notcher. I banked on going with JD2 because i felt like the support for their company would be around for a long while so i can always buy die sets from them. Most die sets are proprietary. I know carl has a sweet protractor that matches the tube and radius. I have been needing to draw some up to cut on my plasma table but have not, so far we have got by with just a oversized bevel gauge.

44124525_1923749944379953_8592074967477125120_n.jpg
 

I Lean

Mbryson's hairdresser
Vendor
Location
Utah
I am on the jd2 model 3 band wagon with air/hydro horror frieght ram. We have done several chassis with it and dozens of roll cages with it and i love it. I use a jd2 notchmaster and wouldn't trade it for any other 300ish$ notcher. I banked on going with JD2 because i felt like the support for their company would be around for a long while so i can always buy die sets from them. Most die sets are proprietary. I know carl has a sweet protractor that matches the tube and radius. I have been needing to draw some up to cut on my plasma table but have not, so far we have got by with just a oversized bevel gauge.

You are welcome to the file for the protractor...might save you time making other size/radii too. :cool:

I forgot to mention earlier...I'm on the Notch Master bandwagon also. I do several hundred notches each month, and it just keeps working perfectly.
 

POR

Active Member
I have a pro tools air over hydraulic.. it's been an awesone tool, I've ran thousands of feet of tubing through it. I think i purchased it in 05 or 06, dies are aging well and the unit has been super stout. It came with one of their notchers, its comparable to the hf but alittle nicer quality, but nothing special. Its been great also. I've been eyeing one of the baleigh versonotcher for last couple years but my cheapy works so well its hard to pull the trigger on one.
 

Ashcat

Active Member
Location
Wisco
Model 3 here. It’s what I learned on and will handle anything you want to build. Air/hydraulic is a must because it increases the versatility of the machine. You can build or attach the bender to anything you can imagine so it’s mobile, can be stored or put into service quickly, keep your work space open and move it around as you bend longer tubes or move it outside. I also have the swag cylinder mount. Legit and is the safe way of mounting the cylinder.

I can speak for the notchmaster and reach around arm but haven’t dropped the coin. Worth it but it’s a substantial investment. I notched 90% of my chassis with a pimped out HF notcher. To me a notcher is only a short cut. The quality and amount of planning and the final finishing of the joint with a flap disc is what is most time consuming and determines the final fitment. Doesn’t matter how expensive of a notcher you use when it’s the same $5 hole saw making the rough cut. That being said, I will definitely appreciate the investment some day of a fancy notcher because they are far more versatile than the HF style.

Software is fun and easy to use and makes bending pretty easy. I still calculate everything long hand and use bendtec to check my work. After awhile you can almost run the calculations in your head.

My recommendation is to learn everything the hard way and earn the fancy tools/methods. Very satisfying. I watched videos and read forums for months after I watched someone bend tube for the first time. I made dummy bends, cost of material gauges, collected generic carpentry tools from Home Depot and started bending actual chassis pieces. There’s more than one way to do it and as you go, you’ll find that necessity is the mother of invention. I love every little tool that I’ve made along the way. All you have to do is just get started.
 

joez

Registered User
Location
Elwood, Illinois
Another JD2 here. Ran it with a cherry picker ram on my own moubt for years before Swag came out with their adapter, which was a worthwhile upgrade.

As others have said, practice practice practice, and brush up on your math. I also agree with above when it comes to the notcher. I've got an older Joint Jigger, and it works well. Good hole saw is worth it's medal.

I've never gotten into the software, which is a shame because I own Bend Tech. I can see it in my head better than on a screen.
 

N-Smooth

Smooth Gang Founding Member
Location
UT
Just thought of another good tidbit I started doing just a couple of years back- I do various notches on pieces of tube that are too short for anything else (scrap) and keep them in a basket. That way I can hold them in place to see what angle notch I need for a piece. This is a good way to make sure you don’t do a bad notch on a tube with compound bends etc that are hard and costly to redo.
 

Herzog

somewhat damaged
Admin
Location
Wydaho
I use the masking tape method. Run a piece of masking tape from point a to point b (where the new tube piece is going in), then you have your angles and your cut length in one shot. Measure from the longest edges on each side, even if you have to traverse. I haven't got a bad notch using that method yet, just make sure to use close to the same width tape as your tube. 1.5" tape works great for 1.75" tube as well.
 
Last edited:

spaggyroe

Man Flu Survivor
Location
Lehi
My chassis was but using my buddy's pro-tools 105hd. It's a great tool. Mid way through my chassis, we converted to to air/hydro and it made it MUCH nicer to use.

I used a HF notcher, which got the job done but is not great.

Many of the simpler tubes can be notched with a chop saw. Each tube diameter has a different angle that must be used with the chop saw method. I've forgotten the angles but it'll be on the interwebs.
 
Top