Metal Parts Bender - Can it bend tube?

Hi
The most common question I’ve been asked is “can it bend tube”
In this video I explain the answer, why the answer is what it is and talk about some alternatives that might work.
Questions? Comments?
Put them below or on oldmanwith.com and I’ll try to answer

[@SouthernGround]

Many many years ago I went to HT (Hull maintenance technician) school in the Navy, and in the pipe part of the course we bent pipes with different methods, one was hot bending where dry sand was packed inside a section of pipe with wood plugs at each end one end vented with a small hole in that plug. it took a while to pound in the sand ( about 1 hour per inch in diameter ) then you heated with a torch properly and made your bend. I would think the bender would work to some degree. steel pipe is like 5 times the radius the diameter or more copper, brass about 1.5 times, ( I think, this was in the 70's 🤣) but yeah you need some kind of a manderal (die) to form properly without kinking. The reason we were taught the sand method was for damage control reasons for temporary repairs. but that gives me a idea, for small pipes, tubing I could machine two dies from big round stock to bend what ever would fit in our metal benders 😉👍

[@oldmanwith]

Ah do you know I meant to include exactly that because the college I worked at taught exactly the same. And the process reminded me of the guys in the early days of small arms ramming the wadding into their muskets 😂 I’ll be honest and say I don’t remember the vents but the sand and wooden plugs is familiar. I actually meant to include it because we used it for plastic pipe but the trouble with filming unscripted is I forget 😂😂.
If I can find my missing former I’ll do a short with it balanced on top of the machine to try and illustrate what I meant about turning a guide from some stock.

[@ConorNoakes]

Bending springs are commonly used for PVC electrical conduit too
Massive downside if you’re using cheap conduit is that it stretches out and forms into the gaps between the springs, essentially forming an internal thread with the spring and trapping g your spring in the bend 😂

[@oldmanwith]

Thanks Conor, I didn’t know that and just assumed that everyone using plastics in whichever trade had now moved to only using pre-made elbows and bends. Very familiar with the trapped spring effect in copper though from my younger days 😂