Ever since we launched the Do-It-Yourself column earlier this year, I've been on a mission-literally hellbent on learning things that I should have already known how to do by now. While I don't imagine I'll be a world-renowned metal shaper, custom painter, or professional specialist at any one particular trade, I do intend on broadening my basic skills that apply to assembly, repair, and general upkeep of my cars and trucks.
Lately, I've encountered a number of instances where, had I been just a little bit more proficient in the art of tube bending-not to mention better equipped tool-wise-I would have been able to finish the task at hand much easier-and much better. So, instead of hemming and hawing about it, I went out and purchased the tools I needed (available from Eastwood and Inline Tube as well as most major auto parts stores). For practice, I obtained a random variety of preset lengths and diameters of brake line as well as a 25-foot bulk roll. Now, it was all up to me to perfect the trade-or just learn to make nice bends without kinks, or better yet, bends that aren't too short!
To be super honest, the real thing that got me hot on the tubing kick was the sudden breaking of my one and only tube bender. I was smack-dab in the middle of a plumbing job that required a multitude of bends in 5/16 tubing when my cast bender decided it'd had enough. As I've been learning quite a bit lately, you usually get what you pay for, and when it comes to specialty tools, it pays to step up for the good stuff. So, with that in mind, I went online and found the good stuff-no more cheap parts store throwaways for me.
For someone who'll only be doing occasional bending, a good general-purpose bender should definitely suffice. However, if you're prone to bending more than just a brake line or two every now and then, you might want to consider a variety of benders. For clean, basic bends, the "rolling" type of tool can't be beat. They can form bends by hand or while secured in a bench vise. For more intricate bends, a "multi" type bender is a definite must. Beyond that, make sure your toolbox is equipped with a good tubing cutter (I have both a set of minis as well as a large set with a built-in deburring tip), and it wouldn't hurt to have a set of forming pliers-you know, just in case you're off a tad bit on a bend or two.
While there actually is a science to forming bends in tubing, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand the process. From plotting bend originations and terminations in a multi-angle line to simply becoming familiar with the tools, the more practice, the more confidence. Next month we'll continue our basic tubing tutorial with tips on flaring.
