The Affordable Bender Tube Bender. Everybody's first tube bender?

[@thisdj83]

1: Get a pneumatic jack (REDUCES ARM STRESS) 2: Set tool on a level stand 3: WD40 Silicone Spray (Spray your die and tube everytime before every bend). 4: know your die clearance, Set back, 0 point. Remember when calculating multiple bends, your clearance changes depending on what side you are feeding the pipe into the die. Different size Die will have different clearance or setback. This dictates your math when doing multiple bends. 5: Make one test bend at 90° to see how much springback you get so when you do your bends you know how much to overbend. Springback will be different depending on thickness and degree of bend and temperatureof day ( spring back will be differentif a piecehas been out in the sun all day comparedto a piece that has been inside the shop in a cool area. The less degree on a bend, the less springback. *Remember you can always place your piece on a vise to correct the Degree or even twist incase it comes out a bit off. I learned to bend pipe after my place of employment had a large job for handrail, Purchased equipment and thru it at me with a 2 week deadline. It's not something difficult, it just has its steps. Once you learn those steps and follow them every time, everything will be ok. Every bender is a little different. Hopefully this helps anyone who is starting out.

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks for all the info! Very useful!

[@cooksup]

Awesome start for me thanks

[@draxxes1]

Clean your tube before bending using a drill with an adapter to spin it on your hand while holding a scuff pad. It cleans very fast. Also, buy a magnetic level and a bevel protractor to measure your angle properly, assuming your bender is sitting on a level platform.

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks for the input!

[@fabricobblegarage9545]

I’ve had one of there benders for a few years now. Solid product, can’t beat it for the money.

[@sterlingjohnson5147]

Do you mean "solid" product? Or did you sell it?

[@fabricobblegarage9545]

@@sterlingjohnson5147 solid 👍

[@glennstevens805]

A little trick you can try to maintain the tube profile / roundness is pack the ID of tube with fine grain sand. Cap one end fill agitate & compact sand in as tight as possible then cap secure both ends caps. Will help with thinner wall tubing

[@hazynpeterson4083]

pack tube hard with sand and plug ends well with tape or whatever ...big difference. i used to do this when building 316 stainless boilers..works like a charm

[@jamiemacdonald436]

That's setup just like a Greenlee 881 conduit bender (albeit more basic). It's a tried and true setup and will probably serve you very well.

[@milesvinson]

That's what I thought. I just couldn't remember the real name of it. IIRC in my area we called it a one shot bender, but that was many years ago before my health caused me to leave the electrical trade. He needs to get and use a "no dog", not magnetic but that old school set screw and bubble type. He also could benefit from a bending table, clamp the tail end down with a vise ( chain or clamp style) then level the whole conduit/pipe/tube before bending. Make sure to align seam of pipe on the side. Pre-warming the pipe will help with consistency of bends. IIRC it's called annealing. Use a high detail protractor to read the bends. Let the pressure off the ram just enough to unload it. If it springs back 3° then you need to over bend 3° to compensate for the spring back. I never tried the sand trick but it sounds like it should work well on EMT and think wall pipe/tubing. It should be great to use and then pre-warm. The sand would help hold the temperature consistent until you are through bending. For reference, I was in the electrical trade for 22 years. I used to be able to lay out and bend conduit pretty accurately. On 2" and less conduit, I could usually hit the mark within 1/4" of the target on the first try. 2 1/2" and larger required a little more effort and more luck getting it right on first try.

[@nickopedia5669]

I would recommend a grease. Just any old #2 wheel bearing or chassis grease, that's what they use on the pins and bushings in excavators and heavy equipment.

[@Realryancurry]

I don’t have much experience myself, but found it useful to put a (parallel to pipe length) marker line on the pipe if going over 90* to help keep alignment. You know, so it don’t end up all catty-wompus like- lol

[@SWBCrawler]

Good idea! This whole... Working in 3d thing... It's new to me.

[@TheBeardedJeeper]

Great video! Looks like a decent little bender. I’m interested to see how it holds up

[@SWBCrawler]

Me too!

[@jameswieler3295]

Great video, thanks for show casing the Affordable bender. I didn't know about this product but will probably pick one up when the time comes.

[@SWBCrawler]

You bet! and thanks for watching!

[@backseatbroadcasting2356]

I like how he gets high at 8:28 lol might buy or build one of these.

[@catmanee]

my boi😭

[@bowlweevil4161]

use a dab of chassis grease, it will stay in and not make a mess on the floor like that runny stuff others are sugesting, this ain't a hi speed or hi temp situation' this bender rolls the pipe instead of kinking it in the middle, i'm gonna build one next week good vid THANX

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching!

[@hondapilot73]

I just put a magnetic angle finder on the end of the tube and don't even pay attention to the die markings.

[@SWBCrawler]

Yep! That's what I've done on other bends. I haven't done a lot, but I found that leveling a digital angle finder on my work table, then sticking it on the tube, is better than using the indicators on the die.

[@hondapilot73]

Sounds like you have it covered. I sometimes also use a turkey fryer burner to heat thick tubing before bending to help the bend from deforming.

[@SWBCrawler]

@@hondapilot73 thanks for the tip. I haven't seen any deformation so far. Guess we'll see as I get more bends through it.

[@johnpike9612]

For those who wonder about tube thickness this will bend; affordable bender does not recommend trying to bend thin wall tube like exhaust pipe. It is also only rated to .120 wall for HRW and ERW, .095 max for DOM and Cromoly tube.

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks for the comment! I hate to admit it, but I'd overlooked that. I'd read that it'll do up to .120, but I missed the distinction between DOM and HREW. Just another caveat to put into the decision process. So I wonder how people are doing cages and tube chassis with this bender? Surely not using HREW? Is .095 suitable for work like that? No doubt, i've got a lot to learn here.

[@johnpike9612]

Youd be surprised what people will build cages from....ive seen more home built cages that used black pipe from homedepot than i have seen actual tube. And yes .095 wall dom will work fine, just go to bigger od for the same strength as a smaller .120 wall. Btw, clearly it will do .120 wall, just isnt rated for it and probably only shortens the working life....i wouldnt worry too much about it considering the purchase price 😉

[@johnpike9612]

Also i forget the exact strengths but a quick google search will show you what the strength of .080 wall cromo is equal to in DOM.....and its a massive difference in strength. Something like 1" od .080 wall is equal to 1.5" .120 DOM

[@DashnCars]

Love the video man. You and I learn the same way, just dive into it. I'll be picking up a bender soon. 👍👍

[@SWBCrawler]

Yep! Now I just need to get into some more projects! Life keeps delaying things. Hopefully soon.

[@kaleip]

I've had one of these in the past it's a solid buget design only downfall I didnt like was the 7" radius only option was the 5" the large radius would probably be best for roll cages if they come up with a 3" die I'm in ! Good video 👍

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks for the comments. I have a follow-up video scheduled right now outlining some of these limitations. Should be up later this week.

[@hobbyhermit66]

I have a similar bender from Speedway. Haven't gotten to try it out yet.

[@N.California]

What's that little blue welding machine over your right shoulder there? Ah, maybe I'll have to check out some of your videos. Thanks for the bending info.

[@SWBCrawler]

i think that’s the yeswelder mig machine. that or their plasma. they look similar.

[@darenengelage2803]

Tube kinker! Oh that's hilarious! That got a good chuckle!😂🤣😆

[@SWBCrawler]

I cant take all the credit, i've heard lots of other folks call it that. ;) Thanks for watching!

[@tfortexas5098]

Nice bender, did they give you any paperwork on how to bend pipe? I've been bending conduit for along time with Greenlee benders and they give you the numbers on how much to deduct on 90's. It sure makes it easy when you have the numbers for deducting for bends.

[@SWBCrawler]

As far as I know this bender is for tube only, not pipe. Though I haven’t tried.

[@tfortexas5098]

@@SWBCrawler Its the same principle, just different deductions for each.

[@roughout]

That's a better design than the Harbor Freight. I purchased a Harbor Freight pneumatic jack that made my HF bender into a nice setup.

[@SWBCrawler]

That hf kinker is a whole different class. This bender may not be the best thing ever. But it's a great bender for it's cost if you are ok with it's limits.

[@haydendeland8997]

Hey not sure if anyone, or even you thought of saving that first loop you bent up. But if you cut the center of the loop (loop is upside down here ) ________________________BUMPER_____________________________________ \ / \ [WINCH is HERE] / \_ cut here and weld in a piece of tubing __/ put in a smaller diameter tube to re-join the Loop then you'll have the width you need to clear you winch.

[@SWBCrawler]

Yes, I could do that. But honestly. I don't mind trying again. I'll do that once I get some more tube.

[@stevenwindham4049]

Have a hammer to relax the tension in the tubing. Before releasing the pressure of the bender.

[@stevenjordan6389]

spin the pipe as you push it in leaveing on die the u clamp might add some sopy water.

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll give it a try next time. And thanks for watching!

[@bulletproofpepper2]

Thanks for sharing!

[@SWBCrawler]

thanks for watching!

[@BuildSomethingAuto]

Well, good to know there's an alternative to harbor freight at least even if it isn't perfect. Also it's called springback BTW, not snapback 😉.

[@rcclassiccrawlers4368]

Excellent video. Great info and detail. I also had the old Harbor Freight run around on a welder I purchased. Took about 6 weeks to finally get it. Luckily everything was there and it worked perfectly. I’m thankful I haven’t had to go down the Harbor Freight warranty road. That might be a yuge pain in the arse.

[@SWBCrawler]

I'm likely going to them for a press soon. But I'm pretty sure I'll buy it in person. Less chance of a problem that way. Thanks for watching!

[@johnk3386]

Awesome video! Thanks for the demo on the new tool!

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks! And Thanks for wattching!

[@benharroun3746]

The holes elongate due to stretching. Dies are considered consumable components, much like a drill bit or something?

[@SWBCrawler]

I don't believe so. The dies are expensive enough that I would not expect to be replacing them frequently. I suppose they do wear though, with enough use.

[@bigredracer7848]

1.4K+👍's up thanks again for having us all along with you I will subscribe to your channel

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks for watching!

[@bigredracer7848]

@@SWBCrawler you are very welcome

[@bigredracer7848]

@@SWBCrawler do you ues a big block Chevy in your crawler

[@SWBCrawler]

@@bigredracer7848 no. It's got the stock 4.0l. decent engine for what I do! I've thought about a v8 swap. Maybe someday

[@messybench]

I think you always need to oil the dies where they touch your tube.

[@keithstella2278]

I would have put a mark on the first bend to figure out the outside of the tubing.

[@SWBCrawler]

Yep, I have another video where I marked up a piece of tube trying to figure out things like, how much tube gets consumed in a bend. Thanks for watching!

[@drewl4762]

Make a longer , 3ft ish, handle on the jack and it will be even easier to jack

[@SWBCrawler]

Yea I didn't want to break the dang Jack. ;) But I could make it longer for sure.

[@darrylvohs5526]

When I built the stinger and braces for my front bumper I used the same angle for both. After I found the shape I liked, I made a cardboard template of it.. I save all of the templates to get different ideas. Thanks for the vid on this bender! Do you have a tubing notcher yet?.....

[@SWBCrawler]

no notcher yet. Once i get more into it i may pick one up. for now i’m going to do my best with a chop saw. For now i haven’t had many chances to use the bender. i plan on a fender project once i get a little experience with the thing. but as you might have noticed the channel has been on a little bit of a hold while we deal with some family health issues. hopefully ill be coming back strong in 2022. but it’s all up in the air for now. Thanks for watching!

[@danielvrana9444]

They are made in Rock Island IL.

[@SWBCrawler]

Yes they are.

[@MrBlackbutang]

Thanks

[@SWBCrawler]

and thank you for watching!

[@KarlFosburg]

Very helpful video... I would like to bend some exhaust tubing and this may work well...

[@SWBCrawler]

I've asked this question of fabricators more experienced than me, and they don't think it'll bend exhaust. I may try it at some point anyway.

[@johnpike9612]

It wont. According to affordables website it is not recommended for thin wall tube OR wall thickness over .095 for DOM and Cromo tube..... thats why this bend was so difficult. Its rated to .120 wall for HRW and ERW tube only.

[@KarlFosburg]

@@johnpike9612 Thanks for looking into it.

[@flyfishing7357]

nice!

[@SWBCrawler]

thanks!

[@raydreamer7566]

If it was a 2 inch bending die will that die also work on 2 inch thin wall with out kinking the pipe ? Thanks for the demo I am in the Philippines and need to buy a bender.

[@SWBCrawler]

Depends on how thin. I don't know the lower end, but ive been told that things as thin as exhaust tubing would likely kink.

[@bigbothoee8617]

Skip to 9.50 if you want to see bend

[@SWBCrawler]

Yep, i added chapters to this one so folks could skip my little rant. Thanks for watching!

[@loljap25]

Have you figured out how to get a 110 degree bend as the website says is possible?

[@SWBCrawler]

i havent tried, it *shoudl* be a matter of repositioning and continuing the bend. I havent used this bender as much as I want to. I have a few projects i plan to use it on as soon as I can get the time to actually plan them out.

[@loljap25]

@@SWBCrawler ya that’s what I thought, but I’ve tried a couple times and the die doesn’t grip it just slides back to where it started. I was hoping not to waste too much material trying as it’s expensive these days. But I may have to. Thanks

[@garyyorke1080]

A good honest review not a bad video as well cheers. Hope the harbour freight thing arrives somepoint soon so you can throw it back at them

[@SWBCrawler]

After about 3 months I got an email from hf informing me of a computer error where several orders were never processed. And they asked me if I'd like the order processed. I told them I've already asked 3 times to cancel... They cancelled. ;)

[@SWBCrawler]

Without even an apology discount or something. Sheesh!

[@garyyorke1080]

I know how you feel had a similar issue with a plasma cutter from a chinese company . Sent me the wrong item to start with and it was faulty ..took anpther 13 weeks to get the correct one after i sent their mistake back .no apology just a flipant if you wish to order in the future we will discount your next purchase..wont ever order from them again ..glad your getting on ok with the affordable one .ive got one of the 12 ton squashy bendy things that does what i need but would buy an affordable one if i needed to do more . Looking forwards to some more of your videos now

[@SWBCrawler]

@@garyyorke1080 I have a project or two in mind, that might happen over the winter when I dont really want to be outside in the cold. ;) Thanks for watching! I can say that I wont be ordering from HF unless its a really good deal, or a product of proven quality. OR in person in a store. This was not a good first experience. Affordable Bender has been great though, very responsive, they even followed up to this with some more dies and a t-shirt! And if anyone ever needs an affordable bender sticker, ive got about 10 million of them. :P

[@alvarocabrera9156]

Do you recommend this to Bender after all these years I'm looking for a tube bender I'm a quadriplegic so is it easy to bend it with the Jack jacking it down

[@SWBCrawler]

I do, as long as your projects are going to be within the limitations of the bender. The .120 wall tube I was bending in this video was actually thicker than its rated for, and it deformed the retainer on the die because of it. I'm also (just this morning actually) looking into converting this to an air over hydraylic jack instead of the pump jack. So that'll be an upcoming video hopefully.

[@ericandrus7347]

I welded 2 sleeves to the body and slipped a pin thru it to keep die pulled up in zero position when youre trying to load it, if that makes sense?

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks for the tip! I'd considered something like that, something to put backward tension on the die when it's not loaded.

[@bloop6812]

Hey interesting video Did you ever get the Harbour fright bender?

[@SWBCrawler]

Nope! About an month later they wrote me to inform me of an error on their side, and wanted to know if I wanted to cancel the order. Lol

[@RANDALLOLOGY]

HARBOR FREIGHT NOTICE: You're tubing vendor has been shipped and you're checking account will be deducted plus extra shipping to cover the annoyance of you contacting us. Thank you for shopping harbor freight. L M A O !😹😹😹😹💸💸 That's probably what will happen now. 👍

[@SWBCrawler]

Lol. Eventually they contacted me and said they had some sort of order problem where several orders got lost. And wanted to know if I still wanted it. At no discount or anything. Just like.. whoops, still want to pay us?

[@ttamn92]

fyi I've not found a single bender that is sold via harbor freight to actually have dies for TUBE all are spec'd for pipe...remember folks there's a difference between tube and pipe and not all tube benders are actually meant for tube lol

[@SWBCrawler]

absolutely. The HF bender is a pipe bender, no question. Many folks use it to bend tube, with some success. That was my goal by ordering it.

[@stanwooddave9758]

@ 8:18 of the video, you mention elasticity. What your actually describing is metal (all metals) has memory.

[@SWBCrawler]

Yes. Wrong word, same concept. Thanks for the input! And thanks for watching!

[@brucer4021]

SWBCrawler was correct in calling the spring back after bending “elastic”. That’s exactly the word used to define the property of metal when you deform it up until you reach yield strength. The resistance to bending (when in the elastic mode) is called the elastic modulus. The part of the tube that stays bent or deformed, has exceeded its yield strength.

[@stevenlinford4312]

I don't hate it. I sold my jd2 setup because I got in a pinch, this might be it's replacement.

[@SWBCrawler]

It's got it's limits. Worth looking into before buying. But I like it so far.

[@TheOldKid]

Nice overview.

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks!

[@keystonecarpenter3002]

Eastwood makes one, looks just like it. It's got 3 out of 5 stars. Do you still like it?

[@SWBCrawler]

I've had this one a few months. Haven't done any major projects yet. It's definitely got it's limitations. But I think for the price point, it's a good little bender.

[@slange455]

Wd40 is more of a solvent than lubricant nasty stuff would try the cooking spray

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks!

[@CHRIS_CREATIONS]

Would this bender be anygood for Exhaust or Aluminium Snorkels 2.5"Tubing

[@SWBCrawler]

They're not great for tube that thin from what I hear. And I don't think they have 2.5" dies anyway. Thanks for watching!

[@joshuapoche5137]

Can you get smaller radius dies for that bender? I almost bought this bender a couple years ago

[@SWBCrawler]

Not for the higher tube radius. I forget where the beak is, but the smaller tube have two radius options, the larger is just 7".

[@stevelarson6992]

Good vid !

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks! and happy new year!

[@watahyahknow]

hmmmm looks like it can be build at home if i can find a cast iron puley in the right size (the machine costs a lot more if you need to ship it to europe )

[@SWBCrawler]

Maybe you could get just the die from them and then build around it?

[@Creole876]

nice bender

[@SWBCrawler]

Yea! Seems like a great starter bender!

[@joebob7344]

So much talking so little action

[@nathanatwell]

Thank you saved me 18 min

[@robertwent4859]

I was going to watch but I'll search elsewhere.... thanks

[@darrenhoden6399]

Wheres there website cant find it online

[@SWBCrawler]

That would be www.affordablebender.com Thanks for watching!

[@ShawnChristopher10101]

Ranted and Raved about not wanting to spend $1,000 on a bender, got given a $449 bender. The story of KZbin. Everyone's first bender should STILL be a Harbor Freight Bender, just make sure to check the "In Stock" section before you leave the house.

[@SWBCrawler]

i mean, technically I ranted and raved about Harbor freight's terrible customer service. And mentioned that I didnt want to spend a grand on my first bender. but who's counting. Thanks for watching.

[@brandonculver2403]

Just cut it in half and extended it with the excess on the ends

[@adamshartley]

I am ordering one do you still like it?

[@SWBCrawler]

I do. You should check out my follow up video on the build quality. And read through some of the comments both here and on that video. It's definitely a budget bender. A few caveats there. But I do think it's worth the money for a hobbiest.

[@adamshartley]

@@SWBCrawler i definitely will man thanks!

[@SWBCrawler]

@@adamshartley glad I could help!

[@mxguy2438]

Springback...

[@bernabezamora9513]

Cuanto me costaria es herramienta

[@accuratealloys]

Skip to 10:00 to get to the bending and avoid the talking.

[@SWBCrawler]

I added time codes to the description. Sorry for the bit of a rant at the beginning. Thanks for watching!

[@johnkauffman1191]

For $500 it better be good bender. I like the one from Northern tool for 370 and it’s air hydraulic. And it burns The 16 ton bands from half inch to 3 inch tubing or pipe. And will bend 3 inch schedule 40 as long as you put sand in the pipe and will do a 90° bend. And you’re acting like. Spender only came with the one die? I know it’s an old video but maybe read it maybe you don’t tomorrow

[@SWBCrawler]

yea comes with one die. or it did when i got it. i think they have packages for more than one die. the throw of the bender doesn’t quite get to 90 so you have to reposition the tube to get the last few degrees. i haven’t seen the northern tool so far i like this bender. but i haven’t put a lot of projects through it with the pandemic steel prices

[@shawnchapman5916]

I was about to order it but the affordable bender is $500 now... not too affordable..

[@SWBCrawler]

Guess that depends on how expensive the others are. True though. it was cheaper when i made this video.

[@rjm7168]

It's called "spring back" not snap back- duh

[@SWBCrawler]

Yes well we can't all be perfect. Thanks for the comment. this was several years ago i've learned a lot since then.

[@edstimator1]

The lubricity of wd 40 sucks balls. It was never intended to be a lubricant. It is a water displacement formula which has NOTHING to do with lubrication. I discovered just what a pathetic excuse for a lubricant wd40 is when sizing lead by pushing it through a hole smaller than the leads original diamiter. IT SUCKED. It was actually easier to push it through dry than with wd40. Oil worked just fine. Just use a spray lubricant when you need a lubricant. Use wd 40 when you need to displace water. That's why it's ca;;ed wd40

[@SWBCrawler]

Yes. I'm aware of this. Wd-40 is not lubricant. However. You're watching one of my first bends... Ever. I was operating on the info I'd read online. I found that the wd-40 is not great for this job. And have not landed on the best solution yet.

[@edstimator1]

@@SWBCrawler I apologize if my comment came off as a criticism. It was meant to be an informational comment. Many including myself assume wd40 is a spray lubricant and as I explained, it was an eye opener to me when I really put it to the test and found it very lacking for that purpose. I enjoyed your video and had no issues with it other than that.

[@SWBCrawler]

@@edstimator1 thanks for the clarification. I did not take offense. Its a common misconception that wd-40 is a lubricant. So I understand where you're coming from.

[@rsdaarud]

WD40 is a solvent, not a lubricant. Spot-on Brother!

[@thrashmetal7588]

I’m good! Not been impressed with the ones I’ve worked with!

[@lutherbryson2460]

Us forget china we can do it

[@d.p.9005]

Man you talk too much man just show it we learn better when we see how it works thank you no offense.

[@SWBCrawler]

Yes, yes, i have improved my process and try not to go on such long rants in my videos now, but I cant change this one since its live already. I did add chapter markers so folks could skip the rant. Thanks for watching!

[@br5498]

Tap oil… it doesn’t shear

[@davidgroskopf7898]

English speaking wow now that’s a concept

[@SWBCrawler]

It's difficult man.

[@pelassancho24]

Not a bad video just too much talking and like most utubers you guys really like listening to yourself talk.

[@SWBCrawler]

Sorry you feel that way. I try to be thorough. Thanks for watching!

[@kevinhumphrey932]

5 minutes in nothing

[@byronfisher6125]

More bend -- Less talk.

[@SWBCrawler]

I do have a tendency of running on. Sorry about that.

[@olsonspeed]

Horrible Fright

[@SWBCrawler]

Right?

[@patrickkane7207]

your on the payroll, why waist our time?

[@SWBCrawler]

Payroll? Hardly. Yes they sent me the bender, and sure thats why im showing it to you, but... I was about to buy it anyway. So, think what you want I guess.

[@noeaguinaga4018]

You talk to much

[@SWBCrawler]

This may be the most common feedback on this video. The best I can offer is an apology. And thanks for watching!

[@aag6499]

Blah blah blah blah blah blah

[@SWBCrawler]

Yes, thank you for the productive comment, there are chapter markers for a reason.

[@docfischer7291]

To extend your bends just make incremental marks say every 3/8”-1/2” and keep moving the material through it . You’ll get used to it .👍🏼

[@rossk4864]

I really appreciate seeing your trial. I always thought there should be a less expensive tubing bender out there. Thanks!

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found it useful!

[@outdoorfuninthesun2393]

Spring back looked like it was 8-10* to me by the gauge. Thanks for the video.

[@SWBCrawler]

thanks for watching!

[@Fortheloveofmetal]

I've owned this bender for probably two years now and its great after getting used to it. I've used it on countless projects and I've had no issues at all. There is a learning curve just like any bender. But if you take your time it works perfect. The company is actually based in Wyoming. I would love it if they hooked me up with some other dies, I mainly use 1 3/4 but would love more sizes.

[@BackCountryWrenching]

I just spent the money and got a JD2 Model 32 air over hydraulic, wasn't going to be buying a bender twice

[@SWBCrawler]

That's not a bad plan. I didn't have that much to spend. Honestly I didn't have the affordable bender money to spend. But when the hf didn't work out. I figured I'd just figure it out.

[@Weekend_Garage]

Get a magnetic digital angle finder for higher precision bending. If you're bending something non-magnetic then use a hose clamp to hold it on. They're only like $20 and you'll use it more than you think.

[@SWBCrawler]

Yep! I've got one. I thought I used it in this video. I used it in my follow up video on bending a cheater.

[@hansstofberg6398]

He is indeed a novice. But its simple to learn I am retired now but when I worked in the central heating we used them a lot. But if you need a certain amount of space between the bends you have to mark the pipe at a certain way so that you will get the right measurements

[@SWBCrawler]

Yep. You are witnessing my very first bends ever. I have a lot to learn! Thanks for watching!

[@jimrussell1246]

A good practice media is electrical conduit. Same size as NP pipe sizing, but cheaper and readily available at your local home improvement center.

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out!

[@FMJeeping]

Very nice Nate. I will have to consider buying one of those.

[@SWBCrawler]

Well if you have any questions about it, you know where to find me. Feel free to ask!

[@michaelcoger4626]

Exactly like the bender I bought from Speedway motors about 8 years ago. Have built 4 roll cages for drag cars with it. It works. Looking to upgrade.

[@Factory400]

If I have to go to Harbor Frieght.....I usually just look for another project that I can actually afford. I hate that place and cannot support them.

[@SWBCrawler]

Love/hate for me. This experience really left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I do not deal with their web site anymore. I did buy my press from them in store though, and that was OK. Though.... it was missing some parts, and I never did get some of them. Luckily they were nothing essential. they're a budget tool outlet for a reason. Kind of a gamble. Thanks for watching!

[@lrlapua8035]

My first bender was that style.....it did ok, I now have a electric/hydro JD2 on a custom rolling cart and it is so much better....move up now rather than wait....you will be glad you did. almost forgot....get a Bend Tech basic program, it will save you wasting a lot of tubing.

[@SWBCrawler]

thanks for the connect! my fabrication has been on hold while we deal with some family medical stuff. but i’m hoping to start getting into more tube work once that settles down. being able to plan out materials, bands, and cuts will be super helpful.

[@jimmytaylor710]

I have one. I make it work . you have to bend some pre bends to use as a moke up .I have 3 different ones and I use a wood table to make the pattern W--L .I do a layout on the table a magnet degree wheel helps and finding center .on you die and pipe. And the markings don't help .so good luck but it will bend it you figer it out it will work

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks! Yes, i pretty quickly figured out that a magnetic angle finder us not just nice to have, its required. And tube templates. Thanks for watching!

[@livefast9865]

Thanks for info video although I’ll stick with my new awesome RogueFab Hd bender.

[@SWBCrawler]

I'll admit it. I'm jealous. ;) Thanks for watching!

[@jdtracing6502]

Rogue Fab Bender all the way!

[@SWBCrawler]

@@jdtracing6502 no doubt those are nice. But you can buy 3 AB's for the price of one rogue. If I were doing a lot more bending I'd probably consider it. But this is perfect for me.

[@SawyerMotorsports]

Never order something from harbor freight. It’s always late and or damaged. I only buy in-store now.

[@SWBCrawler]

Yep! Bought my press from them, in store, and it still had parts missing!

[@clintinhughes9949]

Will this bend exhaust tube or kink it

[@SWBCrawler]

I've asked this same question and I've been told that it will probably kink it. I may try it at some point. But I'm not expecting much.

[@mikeeagle2653]

It’s called spring back not snap back.

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks!

[@mikeeagle2653]

@@SWBCrawler no problem you gave a good review of the tool 👍🏻.

[@SWBCrawler]

@@mikeeagle2653 I think somewhere I knew it was spring back. Not sure why snap back was in my head. :p

[@cayenne7792]

This doesn't even compare to the JD squared model 32 bender and it is $50 cheaper and can bend 2" x 1/4" wall ! Those bends look like ass! You can only do 180° bends on the very end of pipe! Lube the die not the roller.....

[@SWBCrawler]

Man. No question the JD2 is a better more versatile bender. But it is _not_ a $50 difference. jd2 with hydraulic and no die is over $900. Thanks for the tip on the lubrication though.

[@ciscogsx1000]

Watch rouge benders youtube videos (many cover it) and he goes over how to accurately figure your over bend

[@SWBCrawler]

Thanks! I've done a bit of research, and intend to do more before I start a real project with this bender. You can probably expect more tube and other fab content coming early 2021. Again, Thanks for watching!