bending stainless tube for canopy

[bazzthebarra]

Hi guys,
after some advice on how to bend 1 inch and 1 and 1/4 inch 1.4mm stainless tubing. Iam building a radar launcher on centre console and need to know the best way without kinking it. I live in Mackay NQ and no one seems to be able to bend it at that size. Needs to be bent at 90 deg angle. Any comments welcomed.

[SeaSaw]

Gidday Bazzthebarra. Check out this thread. Cheech gives an explanation of how to bend stainless tubing.

http://www.ausfish.com.au/cgi-ausfish/board/YaBB.cgi?board=Boats;action=display;num=1086061339

Cheers,

Mark

[blaze]

Hi Bazz
I built a bender that worked ok with 1" ali, will see if i can find a pic

[blaze]

here it is i think

[SeaSaw]

Woops, on second check, I think that post is about aluminium tubing, not stainless ???

Sorry

[bazzthebarra]

thanks guys that was quick. Blaze would your set up work with stainless? Bending steel isn,t my area soi,m sailing blind so to speak. Cheers Bazz.

[blaze]

another thought on the bending, stainless and ali pipe is measured by outside diameter, electrical steel conduit ( not used now) was also measured on the outside diameter, so if you know of any electrcal contractors they may have an old bender, you can still buy them new for $850. Our local marine shop has one that was purchased at an action for $10 because no one new the value and its the only bender in town that will bend it
cheers
blaze

[MarcusD]

Have you tried a muffler shop? Those sizes are fairly normal and a lot of muffler shops work with stainless now days.

Just make sure to ask them if they can mandrel bend the pipes, not press bend. Press bending is easier but will leave a narrow section in the pipe where the bend is.