Easy PVC Pipe Bending (How To/DIY)

In this video we're back with backyard roller coaster expert Paul Gregg to learn his secrets for perfect PVC pipe bending. Check out my sponsor Brilliant for a really fun way to learn! www.Brilliant....
This pipe bending method works for large or small plastic pipe. The pipe in the thumbnail image for this video is 1/2" in diameter and bent by hand using sand heated in my wood stove. It really works well. Hope you find this method useful!
Visit Paul Gregg's KZbin channel here: / psg20101
You can find Paul's books and other information about building your own rollercoaster on his website: backyardroller...
It's thanks to viewers like you supporting me on Patreon that I'm able to continue making videos and strive to constantly improve them. Thank you so much for your support, and a special thanks to my top Patrons: Enzo Breda Lee & TheBackyardScientist!
/ nighthawkprojects
Thanks for watching!
-Ben

[@Nighthawkinlight]

If you missed the previous video with Paul Gregg where we talked about his backyard rollercoasters check it out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaTVl3WujL6rhbM Make sure to check out my sponsor Brilliant as well. They're awesome. www.Brilliant.org/NightHawk

[@ruolbu]

Could you share with us which brilliant course(s) you used? I assume there are plenty and not all do the same. I wanna have building cheat codes via math knowledge as well.

[@Nighthawkinlight]

I'm just about comfortable with algebra again, then I'll be tackling trigonometry and calculus. They have a whole series of courses going through pre-algebra through calc. Algebra alone is enough to help with a ton of different projects.

[@Ricardo-qe2qx]

NightKingCole is a genius.

[@RomanoPRODUCTION]

I only watch for the eyes and for the smile. #StillStraight

[@fortisrisuspater]

Would you consider building a wind generator out of an old treadmill motor? Seems like it could work well.

[@zoltan1953]

You caught that toy shoe like a true dad. Lol

[@PaulGreggBYRC]

For those concerned about the sand dust, I only formed two pipes that day, and I think most of what was seen might have been steam from moisture in the pipe. If I were to go into production (which I have absolutely no intention of doing) I would of course have workers wear masks. Then again, the sand is bought identified as "Play Sand", washed and screened, intended specifically for children's sandboxes, where children pick up and pour the sand routinely. I can't remember anyone, child or adult, ever wearing a dust mask at the beach or in a sandbox.

[@SE45CX]

Ok, but if you find yourself doing DIY, car repair or a house renovation a lot. Take some effort to buy yourself a nice respirator, it's definitely worth it.

[@phugoidoscillations]

Clearly the last sentence holds a bit of an ominous tone now.

[@ohgary]

Well, in the 1950s, motorists didn’t wear seat belts, either.Most of us survived...

[@PowerScissor]

Driving by the beach yesterday, everyone had on masks. Maybe they were out there bending PVC pipe, I can't be sure.

[@MakerTools]

Nice, Paul..)

[@grexursorum6006]

It looks kind of unreal how wobbly it is :-) I Filled pipes with sand and heated them from the outside befor. Never worked very well. Thanks for sharing that!

[@grexursorum6006]

@@myster1ous23 patreon early access 🤗

[@ArchangelExile]

@@myster1ous23 2 days ago... and... we're from the past!

[@timeless8]

I have never wanted to bend PVC pipe, but now, today, I want to. A lot. This is so simple, elegant, effective.

[@bjarnehansen1101]

If you want to bend small metal tubes, sand also works wonders. Not in the sense of heating the pipe, but fill a tube with sand, close the ends and when you bend it, it wont king and thus you have a constant radius inside the tube, which you wouldnt have without the sand

[@Nighthawkinlight]

With copper pipe you can do that with water too. Greenpowerscience has a great video on that.

[@TheZebinator]

one really nice thing with metal tubes is to use salt, usually road salt is dirt cheap and it dissolves in water so it makes it easier to get out than sand when doing more complex bends

[@clemenceronald]

I use very fine #360 grit silicone carbide powder when I need to precisely bend thin copper/brass pipe. I used salt before, thought they would be easier to flush with water but the salt melted (and then clogged the works) because I had to constantly torch the copper pipe. SiC powder works even if I accidentally heat the pipe to glowing red. Due to it's fine yet heavy density, compacting (light tapping) is so much easier too.

[@3DPT]

If you have a form, you can mass produce some cool pvc shapes... in scouts we batched out 40 pairs of snowshoe frames with this method. We used a large propane stove to heat the sand, had one crew pouring, another bending the frame, and then pouring out the sand and drilling holes in the frames for mounts. I still have the pvc framed snowshoes, fun for snow days.

[@thethoughtemporium]

That's a really great technique! Def gonna use that next time I need to bend pipe. Much cheaper than trying to find flexible silicone rods that fit in the pipes. One note though is to wear a mask when pouring the sand. Hot silica dust sounds pretty nasty to breath in.

[@Ryanwinegardner]

Would it work to cast the silicone directly in the pipe? Maybe use a high temp silicone? I was thinking for cases where you might want the pipe to be clean inside.

[@dontaskme9047]

If he wears a mask he won't get to tell people he got pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

[@MrMrfeenstra]

Having worked in the glass industry for 15 years I can say that inhaling ANY silica dust is pretty nasty. Less than a minute in and "then we pour hot sand" and the flash went off in my head. I love it! Been looking for a way to bend inch+ Diameter in a tight radius.

[@DoubsGaming]

@@dontaskme9047 damn you!!! I was so fascinated by that word I had to learn how to pronounce it! it took me 2 HOURS!!!!

[@dontaskme9047]

@@DoubsGaming But it's so simple. Pneumono-ultra-microscopic-silico-volcano-coniosis

[@greghill5296]

I did this today to install irrigation. I have some funky curved sidewalks. It worked perfectly. Trickiest part is not getting burned. Once you get a rhythm going, it’s actually pretty easy.

[@brianwade8649]

At 5:30 please tell me how this guy keeps looking straight ahead and talking while catching the birds toy in free fall.

[@brianwade8649]

He's a robot?

[@ZrubekFamily]

Peripheral vision.

[@thewolfin]

Brilliant.org/NightHawk

[@gratefulvideo]

He can see it on screen.

[@pbp6741]

Experience. He holds that bird so much and the bird drops its toys equally often.

[@WmArthur]

In the electrical trade we need to heat and bend PVC pipe and retain the inner diameter for wire. We try and use factory bends but sometimes you need to bend something. We have hot boxes, a long box with a heating element and rollers so you can spin the pipe around for even heat. They get hot enough to burn the PVC after only a few minutes. Old tech used a 6 inch pipe filled with hot oil you drop your pipe in. We would use welding gloves to hand form and cool with wet rags to keep it from flattening. I've used sand to bend PVC before I became an electrician, it keeps the pipe from completely flattening. If you wanted to use his method you could dump the hot sand out once on the jig to use again quickly. Thanks

[@travelingimaginationworksh1376]

This is the method that I use. It’s hard to do by yourself, I love the mounting system he has for delivering the sand. I make costumes with PVC, because of the durability and the lightness.

[@luca920]

Nobody's gonna mention his superhuman reflexes? 5:30 EDIT: I'm kinda late...

[@dontmove2257]

Little do we know, he can stop time... **STAR PLATINUM, ZA WARUDO!!**

[@Barsabus]

I do that on a daily basis and I know other people do. It's no big deal.

[@bryanst.martin7134]

@@Barsabus It is for those who can't! I was going to say "nice catch". Good reflexes.

[@chrisw1462]

I think he needs to apply to local TV stations to be a talking head. The fact that he can keep his voice steady while that parrot is biting his arm, etc., would be a great resume. :-)

[@VIDEOEPPO]

While the method itself is not new, the scale at which this is used is awesome. It proves that we can take a simple idea and make something really big..in this case a roller coaster. That's mind-blowing!!!

[@swr1240]

I love how you've built such a trusting relationship with your parrot. Not easy to do, from what I've read and seen.

[@siggyincr7447]

For small bends I've found that press fitting caps on the PVC pipe with one of the caps having a small hole to recieve the tip of an air nozzle and then heating the area to be bent with a hot air gun works well. Once it starts to soften, slowly make your bend. if it starts to buckle or kink, press the tip of air gun to the hole and fill the tube with pressurized air that will push the tube out and get rid of the kink (you'll need to keep your other hand on the other cap to make sure it doesn't fly off or you could glue it and later cut it off). Having a helper makes the process a lot easier.

[@SSingh-nr8qz]

Damn bird always gets an auto like from me.

[@Bibibosh]

S Singh yea same.

[@tlutrick956]

Agreed, the bird is so cool! Will look to see if you did a training video on the bird

[@SciDOCMBC]

which bird species is that, it is so cute

[@GOAT_GOATERSON]

@@SciDOCMBC bald eagle

[@jfjkdkjfj]

@@GOAT_GOATERSON Love that name! haha

[@patrickhobbs8201]

This actually a solves a problem I had with an old project of mine. I had built a simple Lego car that followed a pvc track. The car was geared down to drive about 3 feet per hour. Perfect for really slow time lapse stuff. I never quite figured out how to do more complex paths and I think this would have worked perfectly!

[@davomontgomeryda3rd]

Awesome tip! A while back I tried making one of a PVC archery bow using the hot air gun to bend the pvc & had quite a few failed attempts after the pvc pipe heated unevenly and collapsed while bending... this is a WAY better method!

[@Doughy_in_the_Middle]

Years ago, I really got into aquaponics, but after we moved, I kinda let things go. Using PVC for the tubing and aerating the return water was pretty key, and being stuck with just 90 degree angles of pipe was annoying. This idea of heating up the pipes with sand has me VERY intrigued whenever I start up the project again.

[@bobgreene2892]

The audio (level and pickup) is absolutely perfect-- and your voice has the high-quality (pitch and timbre) of an announcer. That makes your DIY video easy to listen to, with no slurred words, etc. We subscribed.

[@smac919]

Paul's Wife: " PAUL! HAVE YOU BEEN USING MY BAKING TRAYS FOR HEATING UP SAND AGAIN!!!!?!?!?" Paul: 🙄

[@GOAT_GOATERSON]

Wow, never knew his name is Paul

[@electronicsNmore]

The sand idea is great for long sections. I always use a heat gun for shorter sections. Great video as always!

[@TheRainHarvester]

Make an array of heat guns and an automated roller.

[@Rays_Bad_Decisions]

Why not boiling water?

[@Advoko]

Great way to bend PVC pipes! Thanks, guys. I made a bow once using a PVC pipe...

[@jeffreyhill8040]

I appreciative the creativity that went into developing this method. But, as another poster mentioned, electricians have needed to bend pvc conduit for decades. Check out a company named Greenlee/PVC Benders. They have either electric heat blankets that velcro-wrap onto the pipe, or "hot box benders" that are like a long, electric oven. Some of the ovens will take 6" diameter pipe. Been using these myself since the late 1970's. But, again, I get a kick out of someone inventing their own thing that works well.

[@vitaly2855]

I refuse to believe you are not Ted Cruz.

[@patmitskey839]

That's exactly what I was thinking..

[@jjohnston94]

I refuse to believe you can play hockey.

[@jerrywhidby.]

I always think Wil Wheaton, but I can definitely see Ted Cruz also.

[@ricklarsen7477]

I went to comments searched "Ted Cruz" and found you.

[@ajaykustomer6639]

I have parrots and I here testify that you are truly and dearly loved by your little companion there!

[@WarpedYT]

I'm totally applying this to my future projects, I do it a different way but this is better... THANKS!

[@onemansjunk01]

Steam would is far easier and faster I use a wallpaper stripper 👍🏼👌🏼🤘🏼

[@gxt_gram-gamer]

Good luck

[@jessl1934]

Revisiting this video because I'm planning a pond in my yard and I'd like to make a frog hotel out of pvc pipes. The DIY ones you can find online are a bit ugly but with this forming method and a little paint I feel confident I'd be able to make a frog hotel that looks less like plumbing offcuts and more like a sculpture.

[@UselessDuckCompany]

This is really clever. This really expands the types of structures you can make with pvc.

[@stanleyhornbeck1625]

Union pipefitter here ! I have many years of experience assembling pipe for venting of condensing furnaces, I am impressed with this video!

[@paulwary]

I used the same technique to build a frame for a garden bed cover. I needed a smooth 90 degree curve with straight sections on either side. You can cut dowels to put in the ends and ensure the sand softness only the section you need to bend.

[@magmasceptre]

This is the only time in my life where I watch through the entire advertisement cause of the damn bird

[@jcims]

4:36 i had that same grin watching this video...it's that dopamine hit you get from seeing a really simple and elegant solution to a tricky problem. I wonder how much of human achievement is from chasing that little buzz.

[@Mweekley1983]

I've used vehicle exhaust blowing through the pipe to bend pvc on a couple of occasions.

[@Bob3519]

I worked in a metal finishing shop when I was younger. We had a "pickling" bath to remove heat scale from metal parts. When we made the pickling solution we used sulfuric acid mixed with equal parts water. We'd make about 40-50 gallons (150- 190 liters)in a lead lined tank. After adding the acid to the water there was a thermal reaction. The solution would climb above 250*F ( 121*C), it would peg the 250* thermometer. We stir it with a PVC pipe. After a few seconds of stirring you could bend and twist the PVC pipe and tie it into a knot. Very hot solution.

[@amandalillet1056]

This is incredible! You’ve taught me a skill I never knew I needed. Now I definitely need it. Thanks!!

[@garywheeler7039]

The advantage of "play sand" over construction sand, is that play sand has most or all of the dust removed before hand.

[@RickaramaTrama-lc1ys]

Came to see Pipe Bending but got a real show with the Star of The Video~!! That small Parrot is really something and I didn't know a person could have such a Clown within a bird~! That bird is something special. Thanks for letting him or her be in the show~!!

[@beenis08]

Damn that quote about math... i might just start paying more attention in class now!

[@bryanst.martin7134]

I learned that math doesn't lie. Although people often use it to lie or misconstrue a point of view. Like the IPCC. Or AOC.

[@kennyclement2823]

A course in applied math helped me see how its used in everyday life

[@zombieregime]

@@kennyclement2823 Like learning code, having a project/task/application in mind first makes learning a lot easier. Because the topic has purpose. I read hundreds of tutorials for handfuls of coding languages, and nothing ever stuck. It wasnt untill I got a raspberry pi and used python to make an led blink that it all made sense. All the 'hello world' on the internet won't teach you anything unless you have something to use it on.

[@zombieregime]

Its not a cheat code. Its more like reading the manual before putting the bookcase together. If you have all of the parts, and you understand how they all go together, you will get the bookcase you were looking for. But if you just go with what looks right or just grab pieces and slap them together you might not even end up with a table that can hold the book, or worse an unexpected camel. I blame the way math is taught, but people get too hung up on the numbers when what you really need to understand are the functions and how the parts the functions affect the others. You could be taught math purely from a function standpoint and never even touch numbers. But just about every math class is always sit down, shut up, listen to this lecture, put these five pages of numbers together. Because my numbing work is the only way they know how to teach.... It has been detrimental to generations. I highly advocate for anyone to learn a few functions and just randomly do some math in your everyday life. while you're on the bus going to school or work and you see a car on a tow truck figure out how much more Force that tow truck would exert ar a given speed because now it has 2000 lb of car on it(F=m*a)(google some off the cuff numbers for weights of vehicles and such). Does it have any impact on your daily life? Not really. But taking that moment to exercise your brain to maybe even learn how a new function works by deciding you want to know how much less you weigh when the moon is overhead per se, you exercise your brain you deepen your understanding of how things are connected. I for one I'm into electronics so I'll be sitting somewhere and a sign will turn on and for giggles I'll figure out how much current are those many bulbs pulling, and by extension what size contactor relay would they need to turn on the whole sign at once, what power factor might not sign induce on the utility lines, etc. All for no other reason then to exercise running numbers through equations. Learning is easiest when it has purpose. No lecture on the planet can impart knowledge where there's no interest (or purpose). Find a reason to use it make a problem and solve it with math. And I'll bet you'll start getting interested in the bigger equations the deeper concepts, or at the very least gain an appreciation for what you already know. The hardest thing is to do 😉 (Edit: used speech to text, lots of errors, too lazy to fix them, sorry not sorry.)

[@alexberg6806]

I have tried this at an earlier date and found that if you take out the sand a few minuets after you get the pipe molded, it will cool faster because of the lost thermal mass. You can then reuse the sand at a reduced heating time for other parts. I would also recommend using a crock pot for the sand, as it heats from 3 sides and the porcelain pot in the center can be removed for easier pourability. Thanks for sharing this process.

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Great ideas

[@YukonK9]

I think this is a 360 camera but I think that's ingenious! You won't miss anything when you get to follow around people explaining!

[@michaela.660]

I built a forced hot air flow box, similar to a steam box used for steaming wood for bending. I found the best ply-abilty temperature is 158 -165 f. without molding technique to prevent kink or bulge. I could get a 2 ft. 90 deg. radius bend with moderate flattening and a 1 ft. 90 deg. bend with moderate flattening while stretching, bending and quick quenching technique. This is done without any memory rebound.

[@airsoft3563]

5:30 he didnt even have to look to chatch that.

[@carulzz]

Wow amazing lol

[@brianwade8649]

I had the exact time stamp picked and was about to write the same comment lol.

[@popcorns6472]

@@brianwade8649 Why do people comment stuff like this?

[@jeffffro7674]

Slicker than owl s**t!!!!

[@brianwade8649]

@@popcorns6472 because it's cool

[@TheTrock121]

This is brilliant! I've bent pvc conduit using a heat gun for simple bends, but this makes anything possible. I was going to build a hoop house w/ other materials, but now I will used pvc.

[@furqan98427]

That catch at 5:30 tho😂

[@whatitmeans]

I have vent pvc pipes by introducing inside a semi-rigid plastic hose that just fits inside de pipe, then heat the pvc with a heat-air gun and flex then without collapsing.. then after it colds again I just simply retire the plastic hose from the inside of the PVC pipe by firmly pushing out with my hands.... just keep always out enough hose to ensure you can grab it well with both hands. Hope you try it too. Is fast and easy for not-to-complicated turns or them that would not require a perfect finished.

[@_Snowflame]

5:29 Make your next video about how you caught that shoe without looking at it.

[@ImpetuouslyInsane]

This is a good method for building faux bull bars for trucks. Real bull bars aren't very good, either; they do more harm than good in an accident, but it works for style

[@ChillyJack]

I'm curious if it get soft enough that some sand gets embedded into the pvc on the inside.

[@saccaed]

Not at bending temps. If you get to the point where the surface becomes tacky, the pipe is mostly unworkable and will fall apart if moved.

[@1CHMAGTORT3]

It most definitely would, but it wouldnt affect the the performance of the pipe for the way theyre using it.

[@xenonram]

No, it doesn't get hot enough. You have to get it pretty hot for it to get plastic enough for the same to embed into it. The pvc has almost a "skin" where the same won't stick even when it's plastic.

[@mightyg6383]

If it's sticking it means you have the sand too hot. Avoid breathing any fumes. Polyvinyl chloride will act as a nerve agent if breathing the harmful fumes.

[@SE45CX]

Chilly Jack: If you think you like bending PVC then go for it! I used to overthink these things as well. But I've learned in order to get good results I just have to try things out. Ok, I start with a bit of internet research then do a reasonable experiment (like heating it for 20 minutes at 180 C) and see what you got. If at first you fail, make a reasonable judgement on what you can change and try that next.

[@echodelta9]

I've made a few harmonic flutes. No fingerholes, longer than your arm. The other end is the only "hole" covered in play, so it's bent like a giant U. I get neat heating over the gas stove with an open window to bend with a coil spring inside for 1inch or a flange of wood with the 180 radius between the flanges for 3/4 inch sch40 and 21. Two different ways of doing bends I've tried. It does a 3 inch radius on the 3/4 inch sch21! No kinks. No sand. No waiting. This sand trick would be great if I wanted to make an organ set of pipes with the sea grass octopus tentacles look.

[@firsty8056]

I used this technique to build the skeleton for a dinosaur halloween costume. Used 15mm pipe and just clamped it around some screws as a jig. It holds the shape really well

[@walterpickford3204]

Avery good informative video on thermoplastic bending. For me however the highlight was the bird lying on its back in your hand playing with its toy. Fantastic!

[@3amali1]

Am really fussy when it comes to new ideas, but this method is just ingenious and the gentleman knows exactly what he talks about, clearly when he talked about boundary conditions. Just need a face mask please, if you do many of those it would be worth it.

[@user-zf4qs2jy3n]

I was running lots of underground pvc conduit when i came across the best heater ever. The exhaust stack on the backhoe. 1.5" took 20 seconds for a 7' noodle.

[@6root91]

Looks lit from the start; also I can't wait to see your bird.

[@Nighthawkinlight]

He's in there!

[@whallify]

Very nice! I want to make a 5' tall circular frame that can support 2 pieces of painted coroplast and been racking my brain on how to do it. I saw someone make a PVC ring with a 1ft square base that seemed perfect, but the time it would take to use a heat gun made me look for alternatives, and this method seems perfect. Gonna try it out this week.

[@Deluge4000]

5:30 Super-bird reflexes: Years ago, during a high school excursion to the aviary section at the local zoo, Nighthawk was bitten by a radioactive caique. Since that day he's had super powers like spidey senses, except for birds. That's how he can catch the toy shoe so fast. That, and he and his dear little bird-friend Moses share a close and special bond.

[@L6FT]

I'm making a waterheating system from my wood stove among other projects, and this conveniently popped up. Thanks.

[@daviddroescher]

This would make it a good Archimedes screw for hoisting water out of a ditch with a wind mill

[@DialedInDIY]

Thanks! That is a great tip for bending large sections of PVC. I use sand in PVC, cap the ends and then heat the portions I want to bend... but I really can't wait to try this method! Thanks for sharing this.

[@CeramicDread360]

Maybe try a PVC frame for a camping pack where the PVC can also act as water storage.

[@SumDumGy]

I question the safety of that. PVC pipe is only suitable to transport cold drinking water. Hot water running through releases carcinogens in the pipe, making it hazardous. The hot sand used to bend the pipe would have the same affect, and I imagine possibly remain to taint any cold water later added to that pipe. Not necessarily true but thought and concern all the same.

[@blaster-zy7xx]

I love to see ingenuity with simple tools. This something all of us could do.

[@jsb5188]

@blaster 0416, ........I would just love to see someone use spell check

[@swr1240]

Seem so simple, yet ingenious.

[@jerrywhidby.]

This is an old trick, but better than a heat gun. People use sand to bend copper tubing also, so that it doesn't kink. You can also heat up the end of a PVC pipe, and press another into it.

[@gadgetmantwincities]

I am going to make a roof for my above ground swimming pool!

[@michaelcummings7892]

Such a great and inventive idea. I tried bending the same pipe with a torch for a greenhouse and it was a total fail. I wish I knew this then. Thanks, good job!

[@SebastianPerezG]

This is the old way to bend pipes, filling up with sand an bendit with a spring tool ... i remember a plumber doing it .

[@xenonram]

Not pvc. Sand has been used to fill metal pipes, strictly for it to hold its shape and not kink. Same goes for the spring. If the plumber you observed was not heating the sand, it he wasn't doing it with pvc.

[@pauljs75]

@@xenonram Sand is still heated for metal work bending, but it's to get any possible moisture out so there's no steam build up in it. Ends usually end up capped in some manner to keep the sand packed in place and not let it pour out.

[@stevenmoomey2115]

I did a outdoor stair railing with this method. I only had to put sand in the ends, as I only needed to bend the ends down. I used Schedule 80 Pipe as it is more Sunlight resistant. Glued Caps on both ends, and drilled a tiny hole in the low end in case any moisture got in. No more rotting wood hand rails and no more splinters!

[@PaulGreggBYRC]

Paint will improve the sunlight resistance a lot more. See my channel for testing. Any paint, preferably dark paint. I use spray paint so it stays smooth and looks good, but latex works.

[@BenedictHarris]

5:28 wait for it.

[@wetdroidedition2549]

Paul Gregg is a super cool guy!

[@christhebirb]

The first thing that comes to my mind is a giant marble run.

[@SE45CX]

What is a good ticket price to create a thriving marble amusement park business?

[@enemyofthestate9358]

When I was young I worked with a old man installing swimming pools he bent PVC pipe with the truck exhaust he had adaptors he made for step up and step down it actually surprised me how well it worked!!!

[@nicko198718]

Any warning regarding aerated micro particle silica, on par with dry cement dust......

[@christopherbackus5578]

Dry sand is harmful, but not on the same level as dry cement. Cement contains lime, which becomes corrosive when mixed with water (like the water in your lungs).

[@quoththeraven5631]

Everything is dangerous. Do this at own risk. Do health research before hand. . .HAPPY

[@TheCaphits]

@@quoththeraven5631 You're likely just going to die driving to the hardware store to grab the parts for this project...

[@alflud]

Maybe should put warnings on every faucet in the world "Caution: risk of drowning!"

[@allhumansarejusthuman.5776]

@@TheCaphits silicates getting into the air can very easily cause a long standing disease in your lungs that will persist your entire life. Not death. Wear dust masks whenever you grind or deal with dried sand/concrete mix. It's an accumulative effect meaning just once gets you closer to miserable your entire life.

[@iainparsons9788]

Great, informative video and you have an excellent speaking voice for instruction. You should check out voice over work! Your bird is gorgeous and it's wonderful to see how you guys have bonded!

[@ginginthing]

I see that the bird has taken some classes on "How to get a human to keep you entertained". He's done very well with you.

[@camrouxbg]

Math is a cheat code for building things. Partly. But that is only just a small part of mathematics. Mathematics is about problem solving. It teaches a different way of thinking and breaking up problems, and how to select which tools to use to solve the problem.

[@rasput1n6]

*Damn your bird, it's forcing me to watch all the sponsors every video xD* What's the race? =)

[@Nighthawkinlight]

He's a caique parrot

[@soranuareane]

@@Nighthawkinlight Gorgeous little thing. Also a trouble-maker. I'm surprised how much he got away chewing on your skin; their beaks are painful.

[@Nighthawkinlight]

I file his beak weekly so it doesn't get too sharp.

[@soranuareane]

@@Nighthawkinlight Smart!!! I bet he *loves* that, though...

[@shenzielover]

Came here to watch how to bend PVC for custom bird perches, wasn't expecting a Caique at the end! What a cutie. I have a white bellied and he is..."lovely" :) Feels like they're toddlers on a constant sugar high.

[@hangfire5005]

Through practice, patient meditation, and zenlike focus, you too can learn to speak clearly and calmly while a birb attempts to murder your wrist

[@jonimaricruz1692]

You can also use the same trick to bend copper tubing without kinking it if you don’t have a tube bender. You don’t need to heat up the sand, of course.

[@richmo619]

Please Note: PVC when torsionally stressed will flex up to a certain point - then it will explode/shatter. So don't use it for structural "projects". Or you will be painfully sorry. :)

[@PaulGreggBYRC]

I agree. I use it for backyard roller coasters for my smaller grandchildren (under 60 pounds). Torsional stress is really tension stress at 45 degrees. If you stress it enough to break it, PVC can fail in a brittle manner. But my stresses are low. Fracture toughness is decreased by UV radiation in sunlight, so I paint the tracks. I've done fracture toughness testing on painted and unpainted PVC conduit, after 2 years of sun exposure. If I were to make a BYRC for kids up to 100 pounds, I would use schedule 80 conduit. For riders heavier than that, I would use steel.

[@stanwashighski3553]

Excellent video as usual! For a more confirming end either use an internal plug or simply cut your jig to allow for the difference in diameter at the ends.

[@drz4073]

I can see some Hot Wheels enthusiasts linking something like this to their orange tracks

[@stewiex]

That is an brilliant solution to bending the pipe. It could easily be scaled up as well! The only thing I'm left wondering is how does he weld the pipes together.

[@PaulGreggBYRC]

No weld. 1.25 diameter 6" PVC pipe segment, split lengthwise on one side, compressed and inserted into 1.5 diameter pipes. Countersunk screws to hold together.

[@stewiex]

@@PaulGreggBYRC Thank you for sharing! Do the screws ever come loose out break through the PVC under load? If so, have you considered a light wood like balsa, lathed to match the inner diameter instead of PVC?

[@PaulGreggBYRC]

@@stewiex Screws haven't come loose yet. Screw locations at 45 degrees (halfway between main wheel path and side wheel path) avoids wheels hitting them, which could crack the PVC. I started out turning or sanding down 1.24 inch PVC 6" segments and bonding them in, but that is a lot of work. Plus, with extruded PVC pipe, the manufacturer controls the outside diameter to +_0.005 inches, because the outside usually mates with couplers and fittings, and they have to let the inside diameter vary +_0.015 (due to nature of the extrusion process). So for different batches of PVC pipe, the ID varies, and, if you're turning down internal couplers to match, you find yourself custom fitting each one. BTW - I countersink and screw through a long screw, then break off the tip end at the exit hole in the pipe.

[@stewiex]

@@PaulGreggBYRC It is very interesting to me hearing how you worked through the process. It sounds like you thought of everything. Thanks for the responses!

[@user-wg5jh5vl9m]

Respirator 😷 I kept blowing at the screen

[@jerrywhidby.]

I make my wife wear a mask at the beach, and my kids put on a blast suit when in the sandbox. You can never be to careful in the prevention of silicosis.

[@kemphoss-4791]

@@jerrywhidby. wait, you let your kids outside? Dont you know about all the solar radiation!

[@jerrywhidby.]

@@kemphoss-4791 They wear a welding mask over the blast suit silly. Duh!

[@troublingleaf]

That caique is definitely the star of the show!

[@RichardAStonemasonNOTfreemason]

Great tutorial buddy. You may want to wear a mask because of fumes and dust.

[@xenonram]

You don't get silicosis from pouring sand into a pipe one time, or even the dozens of times he's done it. There was a tiny dust cloud, 99% of which blew away, and of the remaining 1%, he may have inhaled 10% of that. Stay with me, we're at a total of 0.1% inhaled. Then 90% of that is stopped by your house/sinus/mucous membrane. So the few particles of sand he inhaled isn't going to cause him any problems. You get it from exposure over time. I'm struggling to find out where people are getting this silicosis nonsense. If you are cutting concrete dry, once a week, for a couple hours at a time, over years, you might develop silicosis.

[@whosjohngalt6164]

@@xenonram Don't confuse everyone with facts. The world apparently enjoys being terrified of everything. I'm a remodel carpenter and you should see the look of sheer terror on people's faces when you explain to them that some of the dated products in their home contain asbestos. I literally had a couple get so freaked out over the fact that their existing floor tile in their basement contained asbestos that the wife started crying and was convinced that her children were going to die because they'd lived there for about 5 years. The lawyers have done a damn good job of drumming up a lot of panic around a handful of cancer cases.

[@GilbertGandia]

This man is a hero today

[@causmb]

It's like Matt Christiansen and Ted Cruz had a baby.

[@updatemysettings5095]

yes, lol

[@irishcrazy7660]

Seen this technique used by others. It is the best method to use, i.e. hot sand. Surprised Mr. Gregg doesn't use large funnel to fill the PVC pipe hot sand. Also, it may be worth buying a gas grill and heating the sand outside versus the kitchen stove.

[@Palmit_]

This definition of Genius! simple. easy. highly effective. This is genius.

[@Cenmass]

30 seconds in was way more complicated than is reasonable

[@SumDumGy]

That was my reaction. I kept thinking to myself that the bending part is actually the only thing simple about this process. It’s everything on the side to make it plausible that’s makes this beyond most people’s ability.

[@RomanoPRODUCTION]

You come for the eyes, you come back for the DIY and the parrot 💟💟💟💟

[@barharborbasher249]

Building 7 didn’t kill itself.

[@cspann831]

I could think of a few projects to use this for. Long ago I saw a video of some boy scout troop forming up homemade snowshoe frames out of 3/4: sched 40 the same way. That would be my first project since that may help me appreciate winter more because I never learned to ski or skate.

[@stevewalston7089]

Who else held their breath to avoid silicosis?!

[@xenonram]

None of us with any sense. You don't get silicosis from pouring sand into a pipe one time, or even the dozens of times he's done it. There was a tiny dust cloud, 99% of which blew away, and of the remaining 1%, he may have inhaled 10% of that. Stay with me, we're at a total of 0.1% inhaled. Then 90% of that is stopped by your house/sinus/mucous membrane. So the few particles of sand he inhaled isn't going to cause him any problems. You get it from exposure over time. I'm struggling to find out where people are getting this silicosis nonsense. If you are cutting concrete dry, once a week, for a couple hours at a time, over years, you might develop silicosis.

[@stevewalston7089]

@@xenonram Thanks for overreacting, I don't think anyone is under the impression that one time will kill you. It was a joke, however avoid breathing in any particulate material whenever possible. Long term none of it will be good. Kinda like sunburns, get a few really bad burns and never worry about it much, then get into your mid 50s and then you start getting questionable spots that need frozen or cut out. So you really don't know how "one time" of anything may affect you until you get older.

[@SurvivorDiet]

Thanks for the info on curving PVC. Just out of curiosity, what microphone do you use for your video narration? The sound quality is great.

[@Nighthawkinlight]

JK MIC-J 044. I also use some compression on the audio

[@Thee_Sinner]

Oh my. Please wear a dust mask when you start doing this on your own. Silica dust is terrible to breathe.

[@tombolo4120]

For sure!

[@gus473]

"Play Sand" as mentioned and used in the video is far different and safer than silica sand! Please don't unnecessarily spook a lot of people. (And yes, silica dust is very nasty in your lungs and skin.)

[@Thee_Sinner]

Mike Gustafson It’s not shown which specific brand he uses, so I just picked the most common: Quickcrete. Its safety data sheet specifically warns about the silica in the sand. While I understand that play sand is made to be safe in regular use, this application is not regular. You can clearly see the the dust billowing straight toward him as he pours it into the tube. I’m sure the excessive dust is a result of the baking process.

[@tombolo4120]

@@gus473 I knew it! Always thought _play-sand_ was not _real_ sand! xD

[@gus473]

@@Thee_Sinner 💫🤡 You "win!" 🤣

[@LeighVuillermin9]

That was really cool and worth watching. Even though I dont generally like to watch videos under 10min

[@Cynthia_Cantrell]

Is no one going to say anything about "This guy totally looks like... Ted Cruz' little brother?"