Thread: Pipe Vice-pipe bender identity and info please

See also images of 'Record 183C chain pipe vice'
A.

Originally Posted by AndrewOC

See also images of 'Record 183C chain pipe vice'
A.

Thanks,
I just did a Google and I've seen those. They don't have the pipe bending posts.
I'm trying to find pic of the arm etc that plugs into the hole in the bending posts for bending the pipe. I can make up something to my own design but would really like to see an original so I could make one to look pretty close.

Cheers.

If I'm not right, then I'm wrong, I'll just go bend some more bananas.

like this?

maybe this bit - or something like it - is missing:

Originally Posted by jhovel

maybe this bit - or something like it - is missing:

Ahr, yes maybe there is supposed to be a "nut" that was held in the vice part and a former was screwed against the pipe to effect the bending. That though would mean a fairly small former to fit between the posts. The capacity is also up to 1 inch which would probably preclude the screw/former arrangement.

Because there are large holes in the two posts I was thinking an arm plugged into a hole and the arm swung around to bend the pipe.
There is a bolt hole at the back for attaching to bench and 2 lugs on the underside at the front to locate against the front edge of the bench so this arrangement leaves the two holes in the post clear. This still indicates to me the possibility/probability of an arm arrangement.

Cheers.

If I'm not right, then I'm wrong, I'll just go bend some more bananas.

G'day Log,
I've got a Ridgid variant of this type of vice and my understanding was that the lobes were just basic mandrels.
I've only used the bender once, put the pipe angled between the lobes and bent it a bit, move it along half and inch and bend it a bit more, repeat until required bend was achieved.
The mandrels are fixed so you cant really roll form the pipe. It worked pretty good in a pinch.

Just did a quick search and found this:

Bench Chain Vises - RIDGID Professional Tools

There's no mention of a handle or such for the bender in the ordering info.
Cheers,
Greg.

Edit: Ive got bolts in all three holes on mine.

Originally Posted by kwijibo99

G'day Log,
I've got a Ridgid variant of this type of vice and my understanding was that the lobes were just basic mandrels.
I've only used the bender once, put the pipe angled between the lobes and bent it a bit, move it along half and inch and bend it a bit more, repeat until required bend was achieved.
The mandrels are fixed so you cant really roll form the pipe. It worked pretty good in a pinch.

Just did a quick search and found this:

Bench Chain Vises - RIDGID Professional Tools

There's no mention of a handle or such for the bender in the ordering info.
Cheers,
Greg.

Edit: Ive got bolts in all three holes on mine.

Thanks. I had thought of that originally and I've just gotten too complicated seeing as the holes in the two posts are larger than the bolt hole.

As you describe, that would be the way of using the bender.

Cheers.

If I'm not right, then I'm wrong, I'll just go bend some more bananas.

Yup,
add my vote for the Rigid model comparison.
ya see i did some proper research (unlike my first attempt) and looked at an Old Book.
McPherson's catalogue, 1966 ed, page 541; 'Rigid top-screw bench chain vices... "Handy pipe rest and bender." models BC-210, 410, 610'

Basically the same as what Greg found, only 46 years older!

next you are going to show us some handy bent pipe work ??

A.

Originally Posted by AndrewOC

Yup,
add my vote for the Rigid model comparison.
ya see i did some proper research (unlike my first attempt) and looked at an Old Book.
McPherson's catalogue, 1966 ed, page 541; 'Rigid top-screw bench chain vices... "Handy pipe rest and bender." models BC-210, 410, 610'

Basically the same as what Greg found, only 46 years older!

next you are going to show us some handy bent pipe work ??

A.

Thanks, so does mine look like it's a Rigid brand one?. Mine has B.C.4 cast on it plus a couple of what looks like two C's stamped on the side the C's could possibly be incomplete 0's (zero's).
So the bending technique is solved but I'd still like to know the brand, don't really know why.
Cheers.

If I'm not right, then I'm wrong, I'll just go bend some more bananas.

G'day Log,
Yours isn't a Ridgid as they're made in the US.
I just did a quick search on the HTPAA site and came up with the following:

HTPAA :: Australian Makers Database

So maybe your vice was made by Kelley Engineering?

Best bet would be to contact the blokes at HTPAA, I have found them to be really helpful with this sort of thing and the amount of collective knowledge they have on old tools is amazing.
Cheers,
Greg.

Log,

I scanned a few Ridgid catalogue pages. The cover graphics are neat. As has already been pointed out , there was no handle. Were you thinking along the lines of a tube bender as in the last scan?

Bob.

The only way i have seen the bender part used is pry the pipe against the left side of the back wheel and the right side of the front wheel and give it a yank. If it doesn't kink do it again until you have a nice big radius made in the angle you need. I have never seen any other tooling with them...Bob

Thanks to everyone who helped with the vice/bender.
Still don't know the manufacturer but it looks a lot nicer now though.
Thanks Anorak Bob for doing the pdf files and uploading them, mine looks like the Rigid BC4A Bottom Screw Bench Chain Vise(American spelling) as shown in the second pdf file and as mine is marked BC4 it may have been made under licence from Rigid or someone else, who knows the history.





For non members, the images are also here.
http://photobucket.com/Pipe_Vice_and_Bender

Cheers.

If I'm not right, then I'm wrong, I'll just go bend some more bananas.

As you have worked out there was no handle ,I have used this type of pipe vice in the past .
The bending mandrels are use mainly for putting an off set in the pipe rather than a bend
Having said that with careful manipulation and a bit of patience good bends can be achieved.

Kev.