PVC Bendit | Heating and Bending 6" PVC

In this video, we go over how you can use the model 9B PVC Bendit tool and a few other tools to heat and bend 6" PVC.
Questions? Comments? Visit us at www.pvcbendit.com or call us at 719-645-7156
Please tell us what you enjoy about this instructional video below, like this video, and subscribe to our channel!
Narrated and produced by Trent Ryan.
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Hey, everyone. I’m Trent with PVC Bendit, and in this video, we’ll be going over how we can bend 6” PVC pipe using our 9B PVC Bendit tool as well as fiberglass pipe insulation, a digital thermometer, a timer, an angle iron, a couple of 2x4s, shop rags, and some heat resistant gloves to protect our hands. To begin, make sure that you have all your supplies ready to go by placing your Bendit on the angle iron and mounting one end on a V-notched 2x4.
Before mounting the other end, slide the PVC down your work space with the angle iron and PVC Bendit inside. Doing this myself was a bit difficult, so it is encouraged to have someone assist you by holding the angle iron in place, or help you slide the PVC. The angle iron should be 2’ longer than the pipe you are wanting to bend so you have ample space between each end of the pipe and the V-notched 2x4s where the angle iron is mounted. This will also give you plenty of space to insulate the ends with shop rags. Make sure the Bendit is centered inside the PVC as well.
If necessary, wipe down the pipe with a rag to free it of any dust and debris. This will help with rotating inside the fiberglass insulation, making it less static. Regardless, we want the pipe to be clean when we go to bend not only for the same reason but it will look nice too.
Let’s go ahead and add the 6” fiberglass insulation. After I put on the insulation, it was rotated with the slits facing upward so reaching inside to rotate the PVC would not be an issue.
Now everything is set up and the PVC is ready to heat! Plug in the Bendit to your 2,000 VA Variac transformer and set the voltage for no higher than 110. Then, plug your Variac into an outlet, flip on the switch, and check to see if the meter matches the voltage you set it for.
For larger diameter PVC pipe, we encourage our customers to use cloth shop rags to further insulate the PVC on the inside. Since we are attempting to heat and bend 6” diameter PVC, some rags were plugged into both ends to keep the heat in. Without doing so, it would potentially take over an hour to heat the pipe. Plugging the ends allows us to spend no more than 45 to 50 minutes to heat the pipe. There is not a specific way to do this either; feel free to do it however you think will work, and the pipe will become insulated.
The last few minutes before attempting to bend will be utilized to prep the PVC for the bend by conclusively checking the pipe wall for consistent flexibility and making sure we have any required tools that are crucial for executing the bend, especially two 6” Greenlee plugs and an air compressor. We will discuss those more in a bit…
Remember to rotate every five minutes or more frequently if necessary.
To spare everyone the time, I skipped ahead to the 50 minute mark and began pushing the PVC to check for warmth and flexibility. Everything is good to go and ready to bend!
After turning off the Variac, I had Mike assist me with installing those Greenlee plugs I mentioned earlier. We use these not only to keep the heat inside but pressurized air as well. Adding 6 to 8 psi of compressed air will prevent any distortion and kinking while bending the PVC. Once the plugs were tightened in both ends, Mike went ahead and added air inside of the pipe. Check out our video titled “Heating and Bending 6” PVC Without Kinking” to get a closer look at the Greenlee plugs with an installed valve stem extender.
Mike and I then removed all sections of the fiberglass insulation. You can see how pliable the PVC looks as I press on it.
Now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! The renowned 6” PVC bend…for a second. You can see there is a kink in the lower half of the pipe. Once Mike added more air, we tried again.
We attempted the bend sideways as well. This took less strain from holding the pipe vertically with practically the same results. If you ever find the PVC beginning to kink, just add more air. Trial and error.
Thanks for watching. If you have any questions or would like to purchase your own PVC Bendit, please visit us at www.pvcbendit.com or call us at 719-645-7156.
Also, tell us what you enjoy about this video in the comments section below, like and share, and subscribe to our channel for more PVC bending.

[@dannybolewski7440]

I’ve seen a video where a guy wanted to custom bend pvc pipes various sizes and in order to get what he needed easily without any kind of kinks he instead of using air he used hot sand in order to not only provide the heat needed but also filling the inside with something solid like that made it easier to maintain the shape.

[@SMEInkJet]

Yes that is a method that could work fine.

[@wjf213]

Good video. What would you say is about the tightest radius you can achieve with 6" PVC pipe without kinking? What I want to do is make a couple dozen giant candy canes from both 4 and 6 inch diameter PVC pipe, and I want them to be kink free, with about a 30 inch diameter bend for the hook part on 6 inch pipe. I'm also thinking that making some sort of wooden jig, along with the air pressure might be the only way to go to ensure repeatability and reducing time per unit. Thanks and keep up the great work.

[@SMEInkJet]

Thanks for your question and explanation of your design. I'm quite sure it can be done if the diameter is long enough. I like the idea of using air inside the pipe as that process has helped eliminate or minimize any kinks. I honestly don't think 30" is a sufficient diameter based on working to make a 90 degree bend. Are you using 20' lengths of pipe? With one PVC Bendit I'm sure you will need 70-90 minutes and you'll need to rotate your pipe for more even heat. Also, you'll need to be able to keep the pipe hot and pliable while placing it in your wooden jig. You'll need to placed insulation around the pipe and plug the ends to keep the heat generated by the PVC Bendit in the pipe until you relocate it in the jig. I'll be interested to hear your experience.

[@th3drizzl378]

never showed completed bend

[@SMEInkJet]

Hi and thanks for your comment. The purpose of the video was to show that even 6" diameter PVC Pipe can be shaped and that was the purpose of the video. If you need to bend a 90 or less in a 10' length of PVC Schedule 40 I believe we demonstrate this is possible but one would want to use a form for the outcome you desire to make it easier.

[@hauntedcaptainphoenix5363]

Where can I buy large pvc pipes.

[@SMEInkJet]

You would need to call a PVC Pipe distributor

[@oscarsanchez6617]

Como doblar CPVC?

[@SMEInkJet]

Same as with PVC. Just may take slightly more time to heat up.

[@jacksbackable]

Great to see you didn’t fake it and hide the kink. Internal air pressure is a good tip! You’ve given me some ideas to test out! Thanks for sharing. 😎🏖🌴☀️🇦🇺

[@SMEInkJet]

For your info: An electrical company owner told me they used the 9B to heat 6" diameter PVC Pipe and obtain a sweeping bend of 22 degrees in six 10' lengths of pipe. They used regular end caps on the ends and installed a valve extension so they could use about 6 psi of compressed air. He didn't mention any kinking. They also used foam insulation vs. fiberglass as it was immediately available. He is going to make a roller to put the pipe in for future use. It took about an hour to get the pipe to the correct temperature. He is considering ordering another Bendit to increase his production capability.

[@hauntedcaptainphoenix5363]

I want to make pvc pipe candy canes I want to make small and large ones can someone join my Halloween crew and help me make them.

[@juanhernandez5257]

Balieron Riata No pudieron

[@danielg.1707]

No offense, but this is a joke. 😅

[@SMEInkJet]

None taken.