Bent rectangular pipe. How to bend a profile pipe with your own hands at home. Using a grinder to bend a pipe

It is quite possible to bend a pipe from a profile on your own and without the help of rather expensive machines. Therefore, if you have a need to bend a pipe, then a special article on the site will allow you to learn how to bend profile pipe at home without a pipe bender.

Bending a pipe using a grinder

In order to bend the profile pipe you will need to use a grinder and a welding machine. Below we describe the details of such a process.

  • Before you start this work, the pipe should be fixed (using a vice). This procedure is necessary to find the product in the same plane. If there is a weld seam on the pipe, then place it with outside bend. This must be done, otherwise the metal will separate.
  • It is necessary to determine the calculation of the radius of the future bend and clean the place of this bend. To do this, you need to use a grinder and make several cuts along the length of the marks. After carrying out this work, you can easily bend the pipe.
  • The resulting cracks should be welded and then cleaned. This work must be done slowly and with extreme care. Thanks to this, you will not spoil the product, and the resulting result will please you.

Bending a pipe using a spring and a blowtorch

In this article we talk about how to bend a profile pipe. Here we present the methods that can be used if there is no special device designed for this purpose. So, in order to bend the profile pipe in the following way you will need steel wire 2 mm thick. It needs to be shaped like a spring in order to pass deep into the pipe. It is worth saying that such a spring should not dangle inside the profile pipe.

In order to bend the pipe, you can buy a spring from finished form, which will be designed for bending pipes. Then you will need to place it in the pipe and mark the bend. Next, heat the product blowtorch. After the procedure, you will special labor You will be able to bend the pipe using a grinder. If the result does not please you, then you can correct it by redoing your work again, but with more accuracy.

Bending a pipe using sand and a gas torch

If you don’t have a pipe bender at home, and you need to bend the profile pipe urgently, then use the means at hand. In this part of the article it is worth talking about how to bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender using a gas torch and sand. It must be said that this method will give the pipe the desired bend without cracks or deformations appearing on it.

  1. To carry out this work you will need sand (preferably quartz), and gas-burner, drill and wooden plugs in the amount of 2 pieces. Next, we perform the following actions according to the established procedure:
  2. If quartz sand If you don’t have it, you can use the usual one after first carrying out the cleaning procedure. The sand should be sifted and dried by heating it with a burner or fire. Heating must be done after the smoke has completely stopped. The finished sand needs to be cooled and poured into a clean container.
  3. One edge of the pipe must be closed with a wooden plug. Next, we pour sand into the pipe, and also seal its second edge with a second plug. Remember that such a filler will help avoid various deformations and cracks. If the pipe is empty, it will deteriorate.
  4. It is necessary to make a small hole in one of the plugs so that air can escape from it during the heating process.
  5. Now you should make a mark of the place where the pipe will be bent and heat it with a burner.
  6. Next, we give the product the shape we need.

When carrying out this work, it is necessary to ensure that the metal does not overheat. This may cause scale to appear, and the material will lose its original quality. When the pipe reaches its desired shape, the wooden plugs should be removed from the holes and the sand should be poured out. To remove plugs more easily, you need to slightly heat the ends of the pipe.

Additional pipe bending methods

There are a large number of methods for bending profile pipes without a pipe bender. consisting of special materials that you can apply. Let's list them below for our readers.

So, in order to bend a copper (or brass) pipe, you need to use water and exposure to low temperatures.

  • One end of the pipe should be sealed with a plug.
  • Then you should fill the product with water and close the other edge of the pipe.
  • You can fill it with either rosin or lead.
  • Now you should place the pipe in a cold place or in the frost so that ice can form.
  • After this, the pipe will take the required shape.

In order to bend a pipe made of metal-plastic, you need to take regular table salt.

  • Before starting work, the salt should be heated in a frying pan. This procedure must be carried out until the salt crystals begin to explode.
  • Then pour salt into the pipe. As soon as it gets inside, our product will take the desired shape and bend with ease.

Finally

Now you have learned how to bend a profile pipe with your own hands. In general, remember that various methods bending pipes can allow this work to be done at home, without the use of expensive equipment and without the services of those people who do this professionally. We hope that our tips will help you bend a profile pipe using handy tools. So watch the process of your work and try to do it carefully and without haste. And the result will definitely please you.

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July 24, 2016
Specialization: Capital construction works(laying a foundation, erecting walls, constructing a roof, etc.). Internal construction work (laying internal communications, rough and fine finishing). Hobby: mobile connection, high tech, computer technology, programming.

Recently it occurred to me to make a gazebo out of rolled metal summer cottage, but not simple, but with fashionable twists and turns, to show off to friends and acquaintances and surprise them with something. For this we needed bent parts, but I didn’t bring a pipe bender from the city and didn’t want to go get it (I’d already taken a little cognac to get me in the mood). Therefore, I had to get out of the situation and decide how to bend a profile pipe at home.

Features of bending profile pipes

If you recently started doing something around the house with your own hands, you may not understand the importance of the problem. Really, what’s so complicated about it: bend it with a hammer in any direction and that’s it.

However, giving a profiled pipe a smooth and curved configuration while maintaining all its technical characteristics is not so easy. This is usually done using a special device under pressure using a cold or hot method.

The point is that when bending a rectangular profile, two forces simultaneously act on it:

  • compression - from the inside;
  • stretching - from the outside.

As a result, several difficulties arise, due to which mechanics come up with various tricks for bending pipes:

  1. Rolled metal during mechanical action can change its shape and also lose the alignment of individual parts. As a result, the edges of the part will lie in different planes, which will not allow it to be used during installation.
  2. The outer wall, which stretches during bending, may not withstand mechanical load and crack, losing the necessary strength.
  3. The inner wall, on the contrary, will contract incorrectly and form folds, in appearance reminiscent of a corrugated pipe.

In principle, I have more than once encountered cases where an incorrectly bent workpiece simply crumples, after which it can only be thrown into scrap metal. This leads to an unjustified increase in construction costs, which is like death for a zealous owner.

That is why you should not immediately rush into battle with pipe scraps, but study pipe bending technologies. And they, by the way, directly depend on technical characteristics rental used. This is what I want to talk about further so that you understand the entire mechanics of the process.

Influence of material characteristics on the choice of bending method

If you don’t know yet, then I inform you that the concept of “profile pipe” includes pipes of all geometric shapes, including round. But for ease of understanding, it is customary to call only products of the following shapes:

  • square;
  • rectangular;
  • oval;
  • flat-oval.

This is due to the fact that a metal round pipe is used to construct water and gas transportation systems, as it is ideal for this and has strong walls that can withstand significant pressure well.

Pipes of other shapes are more used in construction to create various structures and design furnishings. Further I will talk only about square pipes, since that is what I am going to use for construction.

So, there are also a lot of square pipes in the store. They differ from each other in cross-section and wall thickness. And these two parameters, in turn, influence under what minimum angle You can bend square metal without damaging it.

I do not want and will not now go into engineering subtleties and features that home craftsmen do not need for nothing. I will only say that to determine the minimum bending radius you need to know the cross-section of the pipe.

The radius is determined as follows:

  • for thin pipes, the cross-section of which does not exceed 20 mm, the pipe must be bent over an area 2.5 times larger than the height of the profile;
  • for thick pipes, bending must be done over an area 3.5 times larger, otherwise the metal will crack outside or shrink from the inside.

For wall thickness. Personally, I do not recommend bending large cross-section pipes with too thin walls, otherwise the parts will lose alignment.
It is better to use a grinder and a welding machine.

Before bending a profile pipe, it is also useful to know that the carbon steel pipes you use tend to spring back a little, that is, return to shape after the impact stops. Therefore, in order to bend a pipe to the required radius, you need to take into account plasticity, making the bend a little larger than necessary according to the drawing or pattern.

Pipe bending methods

In general, I decided that I’ll stop loading your heads with theory (although I can’t do without it). Therefore, I will move directly to how to bend a profile pipe at home.

Quite often in my practice, I bent profile pipes while simultaneously heating the bend with a blowtorch. Heat increases the plasticity of the material and reduces the risk of damage to the part.

But if you use thin rolled metal for construction, not large section, there is no need to resort to additional tricks. Square pipes will take the shape you want. Of course, if you approach this matter with the proper skill.

I cannot give you unambiguous advice in which cases you should use heat and in which you should not. I can only say that they are valid building regulations it is stipulated that it is necessary to heat a round (not square) pipe if its diameter exceeds 10 cm.

However, I will give my own thoughts that have developed as a result of many years of work on construction sites:

  • if the cross-section of the pipe does not exceed 1 cm, I would not even mention any heating;
  • in cases where the pipe cross-section is more than 4 cm, I would still advise using a blowtorch so as not to spoil the expensive rolled metal;
  • In the interval between the two extremes indicated above, decide for yourself.

You can try bending the pipe by holding one end in a vice. If, when you apply force, the pipe bends easily and does not wrinkle, you don’t have to heat it. If it’s hard to bend, heat it up. I’ll tell you about both methods.

Hot bending of profiled pipes

I'll start with hot bending, as it is more complex. To avoid deformation of the pipe, its cavity must be filled with sand. In this case, you will get a part appearance which will satisfy even the strictest quality control specialist (inspired from the past).

The process of hot bending of a profiled pipe occurs as follows:

  1. From suitable pieces of wood (I take two blocks) I grind out two plugs that are the right size for the existing pipe. They should fit tightly into the side holes of the part and not dangle.
  2. Then, on the side of the plugs, I select small grooves through which hot gases from the bent metal pipe will be vented out.
  3. I pre-anneal the area that will bend.
  4. Then I prepare the filler, the role of which is pure river sand(although, in principle, any fine-grained sand can be used).

Pouring sand into the pipe occurs according to the following scheme:

  • I plug one end of the pipe with a plug;
  • I preheat the sand with a blowtorch;
  • I pour sand into a workpiece installed perpendicular to the ground or at an angle;
  • while falling asleep, I tap the pipe so that the grains of sand are distributed evenly, leaving no voids;
  • After the workpiece is completely filled, I close the second end of the pipe with a stopper.

I recommend sifting the sand before use, getting rid of gravel and small stones. First you need to use a coarse sieve, and then a fine one, with a mesh size of 0.7 mm, to get rid of dust particles.
If this is not done, the sand will bake inside the pipe and pouring it out will be problematic.

  1. After filling in the filler, I move on to bending. To do this, I clamp the workpiece with one end in a vice and mark with chalk the place that will need to be bent. The part must be secured so that the weld seam of the pipe (if it is not seamless) is on the side. Otherwise it may burst.
  2. I heat it up with a blowtorch required area until dark cherry color and give the pipe the desired shape. This should be done with a quick but smooth movement, making sure that the bending is done in the same plane.

  1. After the metal has cooled, I knock out the plugs and pour sand out of the pipes. If wooden blocks I can’t knock them out, so I burn them out with a blowtorch.

I’ll warn you right away that this method is suitable if you need to bend the workpiece to a certain (not very large) radius in one place. That is, the metal will only have to be heated once.

Otherwise, constant temperature fluctuations will disrupt the strength of the rolled metal and the part may simply burst.

Cold bending

You can bend a profiled pipe without heating it with or without filler. If the cross-section of the part does not exceed 10 mm, you can do without filling the cavity. It is better to pour sand into a large pipe.

Sometimes I bent profiled pipes using a dense spring of a suitable size. It is placed in the cavity of the pipe, after which it is bent at the desired angle, without fear of displacement of the axes of the part.

In this case, it is important to choose right size springs. It should fit tightly into the pipe, but move freely. Otherwise, you may not be able to get this part later.

If you need to bend a pipe to the desired radius, but you don’t have a blowtorch at hand, I suggest using another method, which I also had to resort to. To implement it you will need Sander with a metal cutting disc and welding machine.

The work flow is as follows:

  1. It is necessary to calculate in advance the bend radius of the pipe and the segment that will bend.
  2. You need to make cuts along the length of this section on one side, leaving one edge of the pipe intact. The number of these cuts depends on how small the bend radius should be.
  3. After this, thanks to the resulting cuts, you can easily bend the part by holding one end of it in a vice.
  4. The next stage is welding the damaged areas using an electric or gas welding machine.
  5. Once the seams have cooled, they can be cleaned and welded.

Use of special equipment

All the methods described above can be used if there is a small amount of work to be done. However, when to give a smooth bend a large number parts, you will have to use specialized equipment. You can make it yourself, buy it or rent it.

I’ll tell you about this in a little more detail, since I receive quite a lot of questions of this kind, so I consider the topic to be relevant.

The simplest manual pipe benders

At one time I had to bend a considerable amount of rolled metal, so even offhand I can give many examples simple devices for bending. As I already said, the specific mechanism depends on the cross-section of the pipe, the thickness of the walls and the required bending radius.

For home craftsmen who are planning to build an arched structure from profiled pipes, I offer the following options:

  1. Thin profiled pipes can be bent using a horizontal steel plate With drilled holes. Pins are inserted into them, which act as stops when giving the workpiece the desired shape.

You need to place the pipe between the stops and bend it at the desired angle. You need to start from the middle of the part and move towards the edges. As a result, you can bend the pipe, but you will not achieve the ideal shape, and you will have to apply a lot of force.

  1. I recommend bending medium-thick pipes using rollers connected to each other like a Volnov machine. In this case, the part must be secured in a vice, and then the workpiece must be bent using special rollers.
    The quality of the bend is better than using the technology described in the first paragraph. However, given the thickness and cross-section of the workpiece, you need to be a strong athlete to bend the parts. Especially if there are a lot of them.

  1. To bend parts under a small radius (for example, arches for a gazebo), you can use homemade patterns with a groove at the end and a clamp to which the pipe hooks.

As in all previous cases, considerable physical effort is required to bend. But the part takes on an ideal shape, determined by the configuration of the sample.

Bending plate

If you like to make things with your own hands and often use profile pipes, I recommend taking the time to make a stationary bending plate that will help you bend any square and rectangular pipes at the desired angle.

It can take the form of a mobile panel, which is attached to the working surface with clamps for operation. The slab can also be welded to a channel or rail concreted into the workshop floor.

The manufacturing scheme for a universal bending plate is as follows:

  1. The basis for the device will be a thick metal plate. It is better to take thicker metal so that the device does not deform when bending thick pipes of large cross-section.
  2. It is necessary to cut or drill several holes in the slab into which to insert bolts that will serve as stops for bending the pipes at the desired angle.
  3. The bending radius of the pipe during operation can be adjusted with nozzles of a suitable diameter, which are placed on the bolts.
  4. To maintain the alignment of the workpieces being processed while working on them, you can install another plate that prevents the part from bending in a different plane.

Pipe bending mandrel

This metalworking device is used for processing pipes whose cross-section does not exceed 2.5 cm. To make it, you will need a workbench and a large free space Around him. On one edge of the working surface of the workbench you need to drill many holes in different places, which are necessary to secure the support bolts.

In addition, you will need a pattern made of thick plywood, along which the workpiece will be bent. The shape of the part after processing will exactly correspond to the diameter along which the plywood was cut.

The disadvantage of this solution is that you need to change the pattern every time there is a need to bend the pipe to a different radius.

The scheme of working with such a mandrel is as simple as possible:

  1. The end of the pipe is secured between the bolt and the mandrel (pattern), which, in turn, is tightly attached to the workbench using several clamps.
  2. After this, you just need to bend the pipe, resting it on the pattern.
  3. If the workpiece is short, you can put a pipe of a larger cross-section (or diameter) on its end, which will act as a lever.

Manual bending machine

If you are going to open own business for the production of arched structures from profile pipes, all hand tools won't suit you. After several days of work, your hands will simply fall off, so it is better to immediately mechanize the entire process.

To bend pipes in this case, it is better to use a homemade or purchased one. bending machine, consisting of two fixed and one movable rollers. By adjusting the position of the latter, you can change the bending radius of a square or rectangular pipe. Although the price of the machine is rather high, it will save you great amount energy and time.

Conclusion

Now, I hope you understand how to bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender and using special equipment. As you can see, if you know some secrets and technologies, there is nothing complicated in this process. You can safely get to work.

And if you have own technologies bending square or rectangular section, I will be very grateful if you share them in the comments.

Learn more creative ideas regarding the construction of houses and the arrangement of suburban land plots, you can watch the video in this article.

July 24, 2016

If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, or ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!

A garden bench, smooth curves of the entrance gate, a porch decorated with wrought iron decor and garden arch All these items make the estate unique and cozy, giving a feeling of calm and tranquility.

But this was only when what had already been conceived was embodied in finished composition, but when in the creative process the question arises - how to bend the profile to a touching mood is very, very far away.

And, although other technologies, such as electric welding or metal cutting, can be learned by simply buying a regular inverter or an angle grinder with a set of cutting and emery wheels, then in order for a profile pipe to acquire an elegant bend, you need not only to have special equipment in your arsenal - a pipe bender, but also to have a certain understanding of how the workpiece profile itself changes.

It is quite naive to expect that everything will work out smoothly and simply the first time, but on the other hand, only optimists are able to learn from their mistakes.

When working with a material such as a profile pipe, it is important not only to understand the process of changing the configuration, but also to imagine what changes occur in the material itself.

Profile pipe, what if we're talking about about a profile pipe of ordinary rectangular or square cross-section, has slightly different characteristics than the usual round pipe, :

  • The first is a production feature: a profile pipe is basically a welded structure, made by hot or cold drawing with subsequent connection of the edges of the workpiece by welding.
  • Secondly, the section itself has non-uniform wall thickness. This shape is characterized by a significant, up to 30% thickening of the metal in the corners of the rectangle.
  • Thirdly, by simply applying force to the place of bending, you can quickly simply break it, because when deformed by bending, in a part of this shape, one of the sides experiences compression, one side experiences tension, but the two sides of the profile have a combined deformation - in a narrow section the profile is stretched and shrinks at the same time.

And therefore, before bending the profile pipe yourself, to obtain the correct one, the right size and the shape of the workpiece, it is necessary, at a minimum, to take care of using even the most primitive, but extremely necessary equipment for bending pipes.

Basic methods of bending profile pipes

Before bending a profile pipe at home, even using some mechanization or simple hand tools, you should pay attention to some methods of working with a profile pipe. For a separate piece product, for example, a gate, there is no practical point in buying special equipment, but the knowledge of how to give a profile unusual look still follows.

Today, as for ordinary profiles, having square, rectangular, complex and round section There are several methods for changing the shape of pipes:

  • bending using a template
  • manual roller pipe bender
  • mechanical pipe bender with adjustable bending radius
  • hot bending method
  • segment method

The use of any of the listed methods allows you to obtain the required profile shape, while the quality of such a change in shape and the ability to correct errors largely depend on qualifications and ability to work with metal.

Attention! It is very important to understand that when using profiled pipes you need to know about the properties of the metal itself, for example, for steel pipes bending is possible by all methods, but for copper there are, in addition to all the listed methods, two more - the water method and bending using a flexible cable.

In any case, the experience of how to bend a profile pipe with your own hands, an understanding of how to work with pipes of different cross-sections and sizes will come with time, as well as an understanding of what mistakes were made and methods for correcting them.

Errors when working with profile pipes

The process of bending a profile pipe is nothing more than deforming the metal in order to give it the necessary shape. At the same time, as practice shows, in the process when it happens most often there may be the following problems:

  • the appearance of small folds on the inner surface of the profile
  • bending with violation of the axis - torsion of the part, bending in several planes
  • plane or weld rupture
  • crumpling or breaking, cracks appearing at the bend

Such shortcomings mainly arise due to several reasons:

  • low-quality metal profile
  • incorrect choice of bend radius
  • applying too much force
  • incorrect, multidirectional application of effort during work

But this common problems for cases when using bending machines and devices. But how to bend a profile pipe without the slightest experience and additional equipment is worth thinking about.

After all, in this case, many more problems will arise, ranging from simple abrasions and bruises, ending with a broken instrument and disappointment in the started project. Therefore, before embarking on the process of profile bending, you should very seriously consider the feasibility of using bent elements in the project.

From simple to complex

When using a bent profile, you should keep in mind the possibility of its self-bending.

Before bending a profile pipe with your own hands, you should critically evaluate your capabilities and take the most optimal solution, do the work yourself or find a company where this process will be performed by a machine.

Most often, at home, small profiles of 15*15, 20*20, 20*40 mm are used, theoretically independently; without the use of machines and devices, you can bend a profile to a size of 60 mm, but this is only theoretically. But using a grinder, it is quite possible to bend a pipe of the required size and radius.

In practice, this process looks like this:

  • a bend pattern is cut out of paper
  • from a strip of paper equal to the thickness of the profile pipe, segments are cut out so that as a result of bending it turns out required radius template
  • using a scriber or pencil, a paper template with cutouts is transferred to the pipe
  • grinder with thin cutting wheels 1.2 mm thick, appropriate incisions are made and segments are removed
  • the pipe is bent, the radius is checked for correctness
  • if necessary, the seams at the bends are welded using electric or gas welding

From a technological point of view, this is the simplest and most effective way to give a large cross-section profile the required bending radius. In order to perform this operation, it is enough to have basic skills in working with power tools and correctly calculate the locations for the cuts.

Using templates for bending profile pipes

To put several identical parts into production for small-scale production, for example, for fencing a balcony or terrace, it is recommended to use a template method of bending a profile pipe.

For this operation it is enough to have a minimum number of tools and materials:

  • bench vice
  • hammer
  • part template

The general process can be represented as follows:

  • a profile template is made
  • secured in a vice
  • the workpiece is fixed in special clamp and then the profile is given the required shape

From the point of view of how to bend a profile pipe at home, this method allows you to form with minimal deviations from the template required amount blanks of the same type.

Most often, this method is used to form parts from a thin-walled profile pipe small size from 15 to 40 mm.

Universal pipe bender for large radii

From the point of view of work productivity, a three-roll pipe bender is best suited to obtain a large bending radius of a profile pipe.

This mechanical device allows you to produce workpieces of any length and size. Simple in design and effective, the device has a frame base and three shafts rigidly mounted on bearings with a toothed chain drive.

Two shafts are located on the base, and the middle shaft, which has top position located on a movable slide. To form the profile, the slide has a screw that regulates the degree of clamping of the workpiece.

The profile pipe is pulled through the shafts, gradually forming the desired bending radius. By pressing the upper shaft, the desired profile bend is formed.

Among the ways to bend a profile pipe, this is the most effective and high-quality method.

The video shows how to bend a profile pipe at home:

Many people think about how to bend profile pipes themselves at home when the need arises to build a gazebo, greenhouse and other buildings of this type on the site. And this is no coincidence, since profile pipes look much more advantageous compared to products made from pipes of ordinary round sections.

But an ordinary pipe, which has a round cross-section, can be bent using an ordinary pipe bender, but a profile pipe cannot be bent using a pipe bender, because in hydraulic ordinary pipe benders the shoes and rollers have a rounded bend. If you try to bend a profile pipe, kinks and cracks will appear on the pipe, or the pipe will flatten.

Several methods are used for this purpose. These include bending using special machines designed specifically for profile type pipes. This type of machine is called profile bending. However, these machines have a very decent price. Besides, the average homeowner has no need professional equipment. If you only need to bend the pipe once, you can find manual pipe benders on sale that are suitable for both profile and round pipes. They are relatively inexpensive (under $100). When bending pipes using manual pipe bender will require significant physical effort.

Another method that is often used in such cases is to bend the pipe with your own hands using traditional methods. But in a similar way, you can bend pipes that either have a small cross-section or are made of a fairly soft metal, such as copper.

Using a pipe bender

In order to bend a profile pipe yourself, you must take into account the bending radius, the material from which the pipe is made, the wall thickness, and the cross-section of the pipe. In addition, the required bending accuracy, the quality of the resulting product and the production conditions should be taken into account.

Bending of profile pipes is carried out within the permissible limits of their cross-sectional dimensions, as well as wall thickness. In this case, it is necessary to avoid that the cross-section of the pipe is flattened and that the internal part of the pipe breaks.

When the pipe is in the machine, it is grasped at the edges and stretched. At the same time, the pipe bends during the movement of the bending template.

Note! In order to maintain the stability of the pipe walls during bending, bending is performed under the inner hydrostatic pressure. To do this, plugs are put on the ends of the pipe, and liquid is supplied inside the pipe. After this, a bending template is brought to the middle of the pipe. Using this template, the bend is performed, giving the pipe the required shape.

Using welding and grinders

You can also bend a profile pipe without using special tools and machine tools.

Moreover, in most cases it is possible to achieve really good quality bending.

In order to bend a profile pipe using a welding machine and an angle grinder, you must do the following:

  • calculate the radius of bending (rounding) of the pipe;
  • Make cuts evenly along the length of the bending section on 3 sides;
  • after this the pipe bends easily;
  • sawed areas are welded;
  • welding areas are processed and ground.

Good things can be achieved this way external result at the required pipe bending radius.

Using internal countermeasures

A specially made spring can serve as such a means. Before bending the pipe, a square spring is wound from steel wire. Each side of the spring segment should have a value that is 1.5-2 mm less than the internal value of the pipe cross-section. This is necessary so that the spring can insert itself into the pipe without any effort. After the bending point of the pipe is established, before starting to bend it, the bending section is heated with a blowtorch. Then the pipe is bent on the blank. The radius of this blank is equal to the required radius of the bending pipe.

Copper profile pipe (for heating or plumbing) in winter period if necessary, it can be bent using a slightly original method. To do this you need: copper pipe fill with water, first closing one of the ends with a stopper. The pipe is exposed to frost until the liquid freezes completely. The bending of the copper pipe is then carried out according to a template of the appropriate radius. In this case, no effort is applied and the cross-section is not lost.

Video

Like this manual profile bender you can assemble it yourself:

A canopy is necessary on almost any site: this a good place to accommodate a car, it will be useful for creating a mini-greenhouse, recreation area, etc. The design of a canopy most often involves the construction of a frame from profile pipes: they are light in weight and have a high load-bearing capacity.

However, they are quite difficult to bend to give the desired shape, so it is difficult to use them to create arched and other complex designs. How to bend a profile pipe at home?

Common methods of bending profile pipes

There are a lot of options for how to bend a profile pipe for a canopy, but in most cases the use of special tools or equipment is required. Let's take a closer look at several main methods:

Important! With this method, the metal should not be allowed to overheat. In this case, scale will appear, reducing the strength of the metal structure.

This method is generally not applicable to galvanized pipes, since the zinc coating will simply burn off, and the steel will be defenseless against corrosion. Such a frame cannot be installed: it will quickly rust and may collapse at any moment.

Each of the listed methods has both pros and cons: in any case, you have to bend profile pipes very carefully, calculating the radius. The metal is not designed for repeated bending, so it is advisable to complete such work in one go.

If you have to do it again, the pipe may simply break; in any case, the load-bearing capacity of such a frame will be much lower. Since artisanal methods are much less reliable, it is better to use a pipe bender.

Advantages and capabilities of domestic pipe benders

How to bend a profile pipe in a semicircle? To give it the desired shape, you can use various models of pipe bending machines and hand tools. Their use is beneficial for several reasons:

  1. Pipe bending work can be carried out without special education and skills. Not everyone knows how to operate a welding machine. House master, and a mechanical device will be much easier to understand.
  2. It is possible to obtain pipes exactly as originally planned. This is very important if you need to get several identical elements, for example, for building a greenhouse.
  3. The metal will retain its characteristics, and there will be no creases or cracks on it. This will allow you to carry out high-quality work and obtain excellent material for the frame of a canopy or greenhouse.
Copper pipes are much easier to bend than steel pipes, so they can be used hand tools. To work with profile pipes, a pipe bender with a roller mechanism is used: it was specially designed for such tasks and is the most convenient option.

The most common model of a machine of this type is “PG-1”: three rollers installed on the frame make it possible to bend a square pipe to the state of a complete ring.

The PG-2 pipe bender costs almost one and a half times more; this machine is designed for pipes bigger size sections and more durable metals. The powerful design makes it possible to bend pipes with a profile of 30 by 60 mm.

The easiest ways to bend a profile pipe by hand

How to bend a pipe for a canopy if neither a welding machine nor modern pipe benders are available? There are several bending methods that can be carried out in a regular workshop. Although they cannot boast of increased accuracy, some skill and folk ingenuity allow you to get good results.

Such methods always give only relative results. On the machine the result will be more accurate, and Homework largely depends only on the experience of the master. Handicraft methods are suitable for creating ordinary frames for greenhouses and hotbeds, but when building complex ones engineering structures they may be useless.

Not everyone can afford to purchase a stationary factory pipe bender, but you can easily use the services of specialists in this field. If you need to bend pipes, it is better to entrust such work to specialists, so as not to doubt the strength of the supporting frame.

Profile pipes make it possible to implement various construction projects And interesting solutions, and correctly executed bends will allow you to erect canopies and other frame extensions with curved elements.