Thread: Roll Cage

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Well Guy's; Started building my roll cage yesterday.
Awwww the first bend didn’t go so well but I was just using that for a practice piece.
NO NO it really was just a practice piece, you believe me don’t you. HE! HE!
Dang thing flattened right out and left a giant crimp in the middle of it.
I guess I’ll have to do it the hard way and fill each piece up with sand and duck tape the ends.
I’ve seen it done like that before and it looked really nice and didn’t flatten out or crimp.
I didn’t have time to mess with it today, but tomorrow I’ll be back at it again.
I was thinking about using the cutting torch to heat it up a little but I’m not sure that would help.
This is the first roll cage I have built, so I have to work on my technic, if you know what I mean.
Well live and learn and I’m all about the learning right now. Kurt

What are you trying to bend the tubes with Kurt???? Got to use a mandrel bender to build a decent cage with.....

heating with a torch will make it easier to bend but will also remove the strength of the steel making the point of the cage moot... As Dave said it is best to use a mandrel bender

Don't heat steel to bend for a cage..

-Chris

Yup, especially stay away from the heat deal!!!! Without proper heat treating to return the tubing to it's manufactured strength, all them little molecules in the steel are going to get all confused and out of order which will make your cage not good for much more then decoration!!!!!!

Thanks Guy's I'll stay away from the heat then.
I've just got one of the 20 ton tube benders.
So I'll try the sand deal and see how that works.
My tubebender is like the one this guy use's in this video.
It's got the V shape to it, I know it's not the best but I'm on a budget here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWT3N3m4bE4
Thanks for your input!!! Kurt

I tried the sand packed in the tube thing and still had a flattened roll, not kinked but a little flat. The bender you have is for pipe that is softer not tubing. Not to mention all the time and mess involved. So I ended up buying a bender from the link provided, and 1st picture. I bought the bench model and stood it up on end and fabbed a frame for it like the #2 picture, and I use my engine crane bottle jack for the power source.

You can buy the one in the 2nd picture but the Die is aluminum and has no warranty. If you break it on the 1st bend its a few hundred bucks for another aluminum die. The one I got has a steel die with a lifetime warranty at least back when I bought it it did. Plus it has a dial indicator to tell what degree your bend is at. I Highly reccomend this bender.


http://www.vansantent.com/model_3_bender.htm

Kurt,what your using is a pipe bender,not a tube bender. They work fine for heavy wall black iron pipe,but just won't get it for thin wall tubing.

Hwoorrell;
Are you saying this will work for my cage or it won't.
I don't mind spending extra time with it,
I just don't have the money right now.
So I will have to put it on hold if it's not going to work.
Thanks Kurt

Sorry I didn't make it clear, But no I don't think your pipe bender will work,
How ever, (ands theres always a how ever.)
Watching some of the you tube videos from the link in this thread,they where making it work with some nice bends by filling the tubing with wet sand. Looked like a slow,slow process but if your like me,ya got more time than money. Soooooooo I say fill a piece of tube with sand and try it,all ya got to loose is some time and a piece of tubing. I have bent 1 inch stainless tubing for nerf bars with one of those pipe benders because I didn't have a 1 inch die for my tubing bender. What ya gotta relize is pipe is measured I.D. and tubing is measured O.D. So your pipe bender 2 inch die is bigger than a 2 inch tubing die. what I did was use a piece of .060 ??? aluminum sheet cut a little longer and wider than the ram die wich on the first bend formed a nice tight die shim wich helped a bunch.....

good comment about pipe size vs tubing size
what sizes are you using?? tube wise and die wise????

I have extra dies that are the same radius as my 1 5/8 and 1 3/4 tube dies that I'll pattern build using electrical conduit---$1 foot trial instead of $15

Ya I see what you guys are saying about the gap inbetween the die and the tube.
So what I was gonna do is go down in die size, to a 1 1/4 from a 1 3/4 This is a tight fit with the 1 5/8 tube that I am using. I'll give it another shot and see how it comes out.
Ya Jerry; I'm all about saving the money, I have a bit of experience with bending conduit I work for a electric company for about five years and if I was not digging a ditch I was bending conduit. So I know how to measure and make the bends, just no experience with the heavy tubes or roll cage building. Thanks Dave, Skids, Moonyeye,Hworrell and Jerry. I'm gonna go and give it another shot, I'll let you guy's know how it comes out.
Kurt

Hey Guy's; I just tried the smaller die, success.
It just has a very very slight flattening spot and absolutely no crimping.
Unless you sit and stare at it you really can't tell there is even a imperfection.
So maybe if I just take my time, this thing will work out.
I know if I had to do this every day like some of you guy's do, I would want to
up grade to a good one. But this is probably the only time I'll ever use this thing.
The good thing is I only wasted about a 2 foot section of tubing, I can live with that.
I just hope I get off this easy when I start bending the DOM for the A - Arms.
Thanks again guys for your help. Kurt

the smaller diameter tube works out better--the larger tube there is so much tension and streching that causes the wrinkle and flattening

PS--I have a Greenlee---they were big in electrical work stuff

Ya I remember the name Jerry.
I got the size tube and thickness from Techinspector a while back,
he said this is what I needed.
The thickness is inbetween 10 and 11 gage I believe.
I've got it written down some where around here.
I need to find it because I am gonna need more.
I've even got me a tube notcher out there, never used that before.
Kurt