How To Bend PVC Pipe with Air Pressure

See what I made with all of that bent PVC - • What The Wind Sees - H... *****
The motor I used was actually a loaner from a friend, it is about 400 dollars, but is far beyond what the bender requires, it could have turned steel. You need any low speed 20-60rpm (but not necessarily adjustable) decent torque motor . If you're just bending a couple of lengths you might simply turn it by hand. I was bending over 100 12 foot lengths of pipe.
For the tube that runs through the rubber stopper, we used lamp rod, which we cross threaded, and loaded with lots of Teflon tape. You would be much better off taking a quick release air coupler to a machinist and asking him to make you 2 threaded tubes that the coupler can screw onto (1 for backup). You could also tap it yourself if you have the tools.
You're going to drill out your stopper and run the tube through, put a nylon washer, steel washer then lock washer on either side and tighten down the exposed hex nut once you put it in the end of your pipe to squish the rubber stopper into place. The other side is simply a hex nut, with a nylon washer, steel washer, then hex bolt that clamp the stopper into place. You want your steel washer to be as close in diameter to the inside of your pipe as possible, and you want the interior diameter of your nylon washer to be as close to your threaded tube size as possible. (you want to have to turn it on)
www.cataclyst.org
This is documentation of a process for PVC bending developed by Henry Witecki and Chris Powell. The process is fairly simple, and all of the equipment can cost under 100 dollars. PVC Heat Benders retail anywhere from 400 to 3000 dollars.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Licens
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

[@TheRooster602]

Excellent video. Steady camera hand, no jiggling; clear pronunciation, well thought out description of action and design decisions; useful technology. Great project. KZbin needs more people like you.

[@44coonhunter]

electricians have been doing this for years. greenlee electrical tool company makes 2 versions of this. a small one for small pipe up tp 2 inches and a large 1 for up to 4 inch pipe. when i use them i just duct tape the ends closed and the presure builds up enough on its own to keep the pipe from kinking. a bucket of water and a wet rag helps cool it down fast once you have the angle you want.

[@JohnvanGurp]

The beauty of this is you can reproduce the same bend each time, perfectly. Nice job! Prep is everything.

[@katiebuglj]

*for 3" Get 60 rings that are made from 1/4" rod and drill 2 3/32" holes through the side 15 degrees apart in each ring. Thread 2 fine thread stainless cables through each hole with an 1/4" tube between each with a crimp at each end. Once it is very soft, slide the rings over the pipe. Use 30psi and bend the pipe so the the cables are on the outside of the bend. This will give you a bend with a small 1.5D radius that will not lose it's rating since the outer wall isn't stretched thin.

[@DawnWitecki]

Hi. I'd just like to say this amazing young man is my son. That's all. I'm used to his brilliance. Nice work, Son.

[@henrywitecki]

i was trying to bend ten foot lengths of 1 3/4 inch pipe, with sand, they weighed around 60 pounds. My bends were too tight to not use sand, so we had to come up with something. With some collaboration, Chris Powell, Evan Jespersen, and Myself, developed the process you see here.

[@henrywitecki]

@davetileguy These are ten foot lengths of 1 3/4" conduit. I filled one with sand and it weighed over 60 pounds... This invention is not for making furniture or bends in short lengths of pipe, it's for making large structures.

[@kenny474]

You are the MAN!!! I'm building a dust collection system in my wood shop, and it's made from 4" and 6" PVC. The 6" is just for one main line, and I purchased the bends for it. The 4" however, is what I will use for most of the runs and is where all my bends will be. And large sweeping bends that big are NOT cheap to buy! I've looked into bending it, and this is by far the best DIY method I've seen. The whole "sand" deal sucks! Ever pick up an 8' section of 4" PVC full of sand???

[@boxa888]

nice you just opened up possibilities of garage, green house and shelter applications,, thanks alot for helping everyone out! much respect!

[@lastquest]

Fantastic Idea! Love how you manufactured the Equipment! Thanks!

[@henrywitecki]

@ozolagniac Air doesnt expand that much, you need 1/2 bar of pressure.

[@Boyntonstu]

Beautiful design, simple, effective, accurate, and cheap.

[@wintersnot]

Clever cheap and simple tool, and thanks for sharing the process!

[@henrywitecki]

Starting in June, I am going to compose a step by step video series on this process. I will go through building the stoppers, which everyone is most interested in. But I will also be building the heating unit and working with different bending jigs, all step-by-step. Stay tuned, and EVERYONE, thank's for subscribing. It's actually the shares and views and likes from people like you, which have made it possible for me to continue making this how-to / start this new series. Thank you all!

[@capthwdy08]

Did ever make the vids yet?

[@henrywitecki]

@ee222004 I have used this same bender for plumbing PVC, and had no issues. You need to make sure you are getting a high concentration of EVEN heat to a large area of the pipe. Use the double plus a half rule... If you are bending 3 inch pipe, you want to heat up about 7 inches of the tube, and adjust your heat guns and your clam shell. If it is deformed, you're not pushing to the outside of your bending jig... you can not use this bender without a jig, it will collapse if your bending mid-air.

[@yamlcase230]

That's a lot of setup and work. Isn't there some easier way, say with a channel like an EMT bender? I was considering taking an elbow of a larger size and making a channel by cutting it in half length wise.

[@UberAlphaSirus]

Nice work, gonna put this under one of my faves.

[@MrJonnyboyification]

i used to work as a plastic pipe fabricator, the ones i worked on were made of ABS, 12 inch diameter and 3 metres long , turned under gas heaters for around 2 hours and then rolled onto a wooden mould to 90 degrees

[@henrywitecki]

@kaloalex it is not easy to work with 10 foot lengths of pipe full of sand. You have to pack the sand into the pipe for it to work. Have you done it? I have, and it didn't work well. That is why we invented this process.

[@whatwhaaaaat]

this henry witicki fellow is truly genius!! if only he was back in NY!!!!

[@henrywitecki]

@anelphabet I think the hose clamp would melt if it is what I am thinking of, you need to fabricate something out of rings of metal or something... I cant quite imagine the mechanics, but you would need something that will lock onto the pipe while you are heating it, then bend with the pipe as you have it on the jig. Honestly it seems a lot more practical to use fittings if you are going to try to pass some sort of inspection. & If u are running conduit, it doesnt matter if the edges are bulged.

[@oscarlabutte]

I find the bending jig interesting. Do you have a video on it?

[@transdetendal]

@henrywitecki thanx for the wellmade tutorial, love to learn new stuff and this will take some time to learn but itll b great fun.

[@TheWreckingYard]

Neat and simple process, thanks for posting

[@ozolagniac]

curious whether you tried this with a little less (or no) added air pressure, since of course the heat applied to the plugged pipe already creates pressure until cool - which is roughly already what we want for supporting a bend.

[@simulatorman]

Anymore at home like him? He is brilliant, but that didn't just happen. Give your self a pat on the back.

[@henrywitecki]

@MrJonnyboyification the rolling sounds amazing, i bet that actually strengthens the pipe as it is being shaped. You need to submit your old job for How It's Made!!

[@henrywitecki]

@katiebuglj This is brilliant!!! For any of you who need to develop your jig to limit your outside diameter, use a cuff! Thanks a lot katiebuglj

[@southernexposure123]

Thanks for the great video. You gave enough information to get us going. What's the significance of the other curved line I see on the plywood? Also, am I right to assune measurements are made to the center of the outside of the bend? Thanks ahead for your reply.

[@finster101]

Nice process, Thanks for sharing, but what are you making with all the bent PVC pipe?

[@lifeisapicnic5612]

Thanks for your movie Is it possible acrlic pipe 50~150pie

[@salvasmr3569]

So the air pressure and/or sand serves to help pipe maintain shape while bending, correct ? What if Im not using either and want to bend a 1" 90 degrees ?

[@henrywitecki]

@TheBlockrockinbeat These are ten foot lengths of 1 3/4" conduit. I filled one with sand and it weighed over 60 pounds... This invention is not for making furniture or bends in short lengths of pipe, it's for making large structures.

[@ushillbillies]

I hope you have fun and make alot of money with that andf other ideas.

[@jmeneely]

Great idea to save on elbows and glue joints. How do you know how far into the jig to push the angle or does the air pressure in the pipe let you know when you've maxed out the bend? Do you end up with any blow outs if you bend it too sharply?

[@henrywitecki]

that is all contingent on your bending jig, mine did not have to be too perfect, however you could make a locking piece to make every interior the same radius

[@michaelrobinson2444]

Thats a really clean bend what kind of project was this for?

[@chrisallison866]

Have you tried it on 4inch pvc

[@VerifyVeracity]

I tend to bend more than my share of PVC pipe, & I know that if you bend a pipe at in a tight bend it tends to kink the pipe, I've thought about filling the pipe with sand to help avoid kinks. When bending brass pipe a person can sometimes freeze water in it before the bend to keep it from kinking. In the past we would bend our pipes with an electric heater, or small hand held torch, now I use a larger pair burner, it's quicker & oddly enough I'm less likely to char the pipe. Thanks

[@sm6jesse]

super cool. agree with Boyntonstu.

[@R3026886]

Hi.. It is amazing!!! I am a PVC Fabricator.. If I want to make in 1mtr long pipe into 90deg, is this system will work? or what I have to do?

[@MrLeonard55]

Great idea.

[@henrywitecki]

@anelphabet If you're just doing one bend it wont melt the outer PVC, but if you are doing several bends, it will definitely melt. Our wood caught on fire after prolonged use. Aluminum foil is a good substitute for the aluminum flashing if you're on a budget I guess.

[@1pato29]

very nice

[@exnol]

That was a very useful video. 5 stars.

[@ee222004]

Are you bending non metallic conduit or plumbing PVC...I just tried this process which was great but couldn't get the pipe squishy, and it still deformed...any suggestions? How long did you bend it for?

[@Dalej99]

So using air pressure to keep it from collapsing?

[@akilyoung]

pretty cool man

[@henrywitecki]

If you are making snow shoes, furniture, or using short lengths in general, as I have stated before, I completely agree that the air process is excessive, and you should absolutely use sand. If you need to bend full lengths of pvc, this is a very practical, easy, and inexpensive way.

[@henrywitecki]

Check out the link I just put in the video info. Thanks for asking!

[@reticulan5]

Thank you very kindly for uploading this.I want to make a Camera Stabilizer like that made by Manfroto and Halo Rig called Figrig's.They are also made by bending PVC.

[@paulreider]

sorry, but it's a 120 degree bend bro...

[@kaloalex]

@henrywitecki Yeah... you're expected to take the sand out after shaping.

[@Gorkha976]

Very cool

[@MrLeonard55]

What kind of motor is it. Can you give us a liat of everything?

[@DelilahThePig]

I could see doing that on a cathedral roofline or somewhere with a weird angle for which you either can't find the correct elbows or REALLY need to maintain crosssectional area. Otherwise, I would just use a 90 plus a 45 for that corner and fudge the rest with flex of the glue joints.

[@butterflygroundhog]

nice... but what's the use for the pvc?

[@pvcbendit]

@henrywitecki i've watched this video about a million times because i work for a company that makes a tool for bending pvc, and we just keep our eyes on what people are doing to see if we can help them or not. this method is pretty freaking cool. it's like you said - a little excessive, but it's cool. i saw the video of what you guys put together on some blog, and that was cool. was that a rooftop rave? you ought to check out the thing we're making if you keep doing structures like this.

[@Brangustx]

Brilliant

[@FishFind3000]

Amazing!

[@ExploringCabinsandMines]

@henrywitecki Just an Idea , file it away for the future, someone told about this method once that it would keep the bends consistent .

[@123kkambiz]

@DawnWitecki that your amazing son, overpresuruzed the pipe and at the bending position one can see the bulging of the pipe, , another thing just apply wet cloth or water for quick fixing of pvc pipe. overall thanks for uploading.

[@MartinKeshkekidis]

You are a star! You should patenet it . Could it be in a pocket version, using electrically heated wire around the pipe like a heat sleeve or smthn? Lightweight and baterry operated! :) Thanks for Ingenuity. Russian Plumber.

[@henrywitecki]

I'm not sure if these angle questions are from trolls or from people who don't understand geometry. 60+120=180. If something is bent to 60 degrees it is also bent to 120 degrees. When I say 60 degrees, I am talking about the acute interior angle. If I were making 120 degree interior angles, they would be obtuse. So yes the exterior of a 60 degree bend is 120 degrees, but why do people insist on bringing that to my attention?

[@shoopdeedoop]

brilliant!

[@henrywitecki]

@NorwegianGardener This is for building structures, not moving liquid or gas. AL-PEX or alupex or pex, or any flexible product for that matter is not structural. This is not for plumbers and electricians.

[@henrywitecki]

@NorwegianGardener AL-Pex, Alupex, or any other flexible product is not structural, meaning you cant build things with it. Thats like asking someone why they didn't use jello instead of concrete.

[@jaredj631]

Cool.

[@KowboyUSA]

Awesome.

[@a2zhandi]

I think back in the 90's, I had to bend some conduit. or maybe it was just pvc. I built a box and lined it with a popular building product called "R" barrier. It had a reflective film on one side. I then heated it with my propane torch. I don't use propane though. I use map gas. It would heat the pipe up like rubber in minutes If I remember correctly.

[@henrywitecki]

@anelphabet Wow that is shocking... I got them at my local ace hardware, they had about a dozen different sizes... If you are not having any luck in hardware stores, go to a homebrew (beer making) supply store, as they sell the stoppers for carboys. The final and guaranteed solution would be the wonderful people at U.S. Plastic Corporation (see their website).

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks.

[@OwenEWYoungs]

Nevermindthebullocks suggested that this was reinventing the wheel and casually suggested buying a hot box and doing it with that. Well, I'm working with 6" sch 40, and the hot box for that goes for $1,800. So saying that is kind of like "You're going through all that trouble to trick out your STi, why not just do it the simple way and buy a Ferrari?"

[@FixAllFixer62]

Nice

[@Geremia08]

Why do you need to bend them?

[@chrisallison866]

Have done that with 4 inch electrical pvc

[@Jkaravokiros]

Hey Paul, if the outer angle is 120°, doesn't that make the inner angle 60°? 180°-120°=60°

[@jonathanpierre6352]

120° bend. You're looking at it from a different perspectives. If he bent it in a 90° bend you can understand it more clearly.

[@henrywitecki]

@katiebuglj you know, the more i think about it, this would also help to regulate the heat distribution, thanks a lot... And to reiterate... anyone who has any ideas on how to improve this device, please either contribute it here in the comments, or make a video!

[@jackkerr8135]

You know you can just heat it up (hair dryer, heat gun, stove, blowtorch, etc.) then bend it and leave it to set or pour water on it to instantly cool it. None the less good video :)

[@nialljamesbuckley]

holy crap that's clever!

[@ehmuzed]

Reinvented an approximately $400 dollar machine for under a hundred dollars. You are missing the point of the design, it is to prevent any particular sharp kinks from ever forming. Press out the kinks would not fulfill this requirement, and there would be more plastic deformation than the tolerances would allow. The process produced 135/45 degree curves within the tolerance range, it is laying on the ground beyond the jig. The process was create with the material's properties in mind. ~C

[@adisharr]

The air pressure is a good idea. There needs to be an easier way to set the angle. There's no reason that function can't be integrated into the end of the machine. A settable jig along with some cold air from your compressor could quickly set a joint. Ideally you could use some some small forms of various angles to eliminate the bulging. That just looks questionable and I would not accept that pipe in my home or business.

[@adisharr]

I'm sorry you're offended. Quickly go to your safe space. Also, my husband is a woman. One last thing, stop being so fucking lazy and use capital letters and some proper grammar.

[@adambrian1969]

I hate to tell you but I can do that by hand with one heat gun and no jig. Its really not hard, it just takes practice... though there aren't any 60 degree bends for electrical conduit.

[@henrywitecki]

@nsaminder The bends are incredibly strong, but I doubt my word would subdue an over zealous inspector. I would recommend taking a look at the comment below from @katiebuglj who has developed a method to prevent the pipe from stretching.

[@DudeNumberOnePlus]

Heard that some rallye racers make fake safety frame (the pipes inside the cockpit) out of PVC to save weight...

[@girrrrrrr2]

try kickstarter... its always worth a shot...

[@knoxe1]

@Boomersays I did

[@larmdog6]

I set my pvc with cold water instantly hardens it but the pvc cooker is f*ckin slick I usually use a bbq if im bending pvc ive done it for 10 years but that setup is smart

[@ExploringCabinsandMines]

fill it with sand,plug the ends and heat slowly.

[@TheNimshew]

That is electrical conduit. I wouldn't try that for use on water pipe. Looked like 122.5 degrees to me

[@MR-nl8xr]

What would you use for water tube.

[@TheBlockrockinbeat]

i put sand inside the pipe then heat it with heat gun then bend it manually.

[@dekonfrost7]

Well, for ingenuity I have to give you an A plus, the other comments while some are correct are kinda belligerent. In the sense the criticism wasn't ment to be helpful. I liked your vid, what was this conduit project for?

[@wompstopm123]

this is what actual 200 iq looks like

[@henrywitecki]

see the link in the description

[@anarmahmudov773]

pvc qapi pencara sisdemlari

[@henrywitecki]

Creative Commons is free, this is an open source invention, please look into this license.

[@GianfrancoFronzi]

THANKS FOR THE INFO GOOD SYSTEM, USEFUL . GIANFRANCO FRONZI. DEC./ 10/11

[@jegaad1]

science nobel price for you

[@themrhelperguy]

Why do we bend PVC

[@deltafour1212]

Because we can

[@galegregory97comcast]

THATS SO COOL . AND YOU DID"N PAY A LOT LOL