Tube bender for 1" stainless tubing? Any recommendations?

[Bob Quinn]

Tube bender for 1" stainless tubing? Any recommendations?
I'm looking to make a set of stairs for the swim platform. It's sounding like buying might be cost prohibitive for me.

Does anyone have experience with tube benders that could recommend one?

 

[rsmith]

Conduit benders will kink the tubing. You need a bender that rolls the pipe and slowly bends it.
Google tubing roller

 

[brettportzer]

I just used the tubing bender that is pictured above, and available at Harbor Freight, to make a temporary bow rail section while I am rehabbing my bow pulpit.

I think they are about $250, they are pretty easy to use, but, I would spend some time learning the quirks of it before working on the actual stairs.

The tubing tended to corkscrew a bit, it was easy for me to make a temporary railing, but, it would be harder to do a nice job, because of this.

Also, something that was surprising to me, I used a Milwaukee 10-32 tap drill bit in a small 12v impact gun to drill and tap the holes in the tubing once I had assembled it all, and it worked unbelievably well.

 

[rsmith]

I’ve also used a oxy acetylene torch with a rosebud tip to straighten a friends railing that was bent in one of the hurricanes. The stainless does soften up somewhat but you have to be careful not to turn it blue

 

[Bob Quinn]

I just used the tubing bender that is pictured above, and available at Harbor Freight, to make a temporary bow rail section while I am rehabbing my bow pulpit.

I think they are about $250, they are pretty easy to use, but, I would spend some time learning the quirks of it before working on the actual stairs.

The tubing tended to corkscrew a bit, it was easy for me to make a temporary railing, but, it would be harder to do a nice job, because of this.

Also, something that was surprising to me, I used a Milwaukee 10-32 tap drill bit in a small 12v impact gun to drill and tap the holes in the tubing once I had assembled it all, and it worked unbelievably well.

What kind of bend radius are these set up for? or is it just infinitely adjustable.
I think I'm looking for 3 or 4" inside radius.
Thanks!

 

[Bob Quinn]

Conduit benders will kink the tubing. You need a bender that rolls the pipe and slowly bends it.
Google tubing roller

Interesting. It must be because the stainless is harder.
Thank you.

 

[brettportzer]

What kind of bend radius are these set up for? or is it just infinitely adjustable.
I think I'm looking for 3 or 4" inside radius.
Thanks!

5" for 1" tubing.

https://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/99000-99999/99736.pdf

 

[whoover]

If you use schedule 80 stainless a conduit bender will work. I had access to a Greenlee bender when I was building a radar arch.

Walt Hoover

 

[Bob Quinn]

If you use schedule 80 stainless a conduit bender will work. I had access to a Greenlee bender when I was building a radar arch.

Walt Hoover

How thick is schedule 80? I think what I was looking at was 0.065" wall thickness.
Thanks!

 

[Briankinley2004]

A muffler shop should be able to do whatever you need