G'day all,

Had a trawl through some old threads, which suggest that it is possible to make a serviceable bending iron using a heat gun, to heat suitable piping. What are the opinions on this?

Any suggestions on what size pipe is generally suitable?

Any suggestions as to source of offcuts of said pipe; does it have to be steel, or is ally OK?

Once again heaps of questions, but each one gets me closer to actually starting a build.

thanks and regards

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Alastair

A heat gun or gas torch is very noisy. If you can work out some kind of electric element you'd have a more pleasant time.

I used a length of old galvanised hill hoist pipe, about 80mm dia. You need to have thick walls so it retains heat well. A metal downpipe would not work well, because soon as you put the wood onto it, it draws away the heat.

If you can come down to Lindfield one day I can let you have the rest of my hills hoist.

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... double-basses only

Hi CB

That's a very generous offer, and I will take you up on it ! My landlord would have a conniption if I took an angle grinder to his!

I can see that either flame or heatgun might be uncomfortable, (heat and noise), but I am just dipping my toe in at this stage, so want to use stuff to hand. Will then upgrade if I get hooked.

I trust from what has been said elsewhere, that the heatgun-in-hillshoist can generate sufficient heat to do the job?

I will PM you regarding getting in touch.

regards

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Alastair

I know that with a couple of 40 watt tulip shaped lightbulbs in ceramic holders I can get just enough heat in the hillshoist to bend thin stuff. But I need more for bending 2.5mm ribs, so I'm looking around for an electric element.

I'll bring the pipe here from home (I work in Lindfield). Just got to remember to stick it in back of car.

MT

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... double-basses only

I use a fox style bender. But when I have a small job to do I use a heat gun in a bit of gal down pipe. Matt's right, it's unpleasant. Noisy and you have hot air blowing at you, though it's good for the odd small quick job like guitar bindings or whatever. Not a permanent solution however.

A propane torch will work. I never thought it was that noisy, once the pipes up to heat you turn the torch down so it maintains temperature. It's the way I did it for a few years before I built myself one with an electric element.

My new bending iron.

This is a piece of stainless sheet, about 1mm, bent into shape and bolted to a piece of iron lintel. A heating element from an air drier (like a stove element) is mounted inside. The thing glows red hot and the iron works very well.



I haven't done the safety thing yet, enclosing the wires at the back and using silicone coated leads. But I am using an earth leakage detector cutout device on my main circuit.

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... double-basses only

Gawd..looks like something out of an episode of Doctor Who.

Just when you thought the Daleks were the most evil life form in the universe...along come "The Benders". An even more evil species intent on bending anything that lise in their path into the shape of a double bass side

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Whatever note you blow youre never more than a semitone away from the correct one....(Miles Davis)