How to bend a profile pipe with your own hands: technologies and devices for bending. Features and methods of bending profile pipes along a radius with your own hands How to bend a profile pipe at home

When building small architectural forms, making canopies, awnings, or installing heating (water supply) systems, home craftsmen are faced with the need to bend a professional pipe.

In the mass production of metal structures, especially in specialized workshops, industrial pipe benders are used.

Such devices allow you to quickly and without defects bend a professional pipe from 20 to 40 mm in size. However, the purchase of pipe bending equipment for a one-time use is unprofitable, in some cases it is cheaper to go to a workshop and pay for the work on forming a profile. If this option does not suit you, consider ways how to bend shaped tube at home.

Features of forming pipes with a square (rectangular) section

Unlike round pipe, in which the tension of the material is relatively uniform, the profile has angles of 90 °. The inner part of the profile cannot bend without deformation of the side walls. As a result, folds are formed on the inner radius, and tears on the outside are possible.

Without going into the technology of how to bend a pipe without a pipe bender, many "homemade" craftsmen spoil the workpieces, or violate the strength structure of the material.

The basic rule is to avoid critical bends, or force (programmed) to deform the material.

In industrial pipe benders, for even distribution of the load, a stamp is formed on the inner side of the radius. For this, on rollers, or on a mandrel (depending on the design of the pipe bender), a special flange-side is provided.

All "extra" metal is folded inward without forming folds. As a result, the load is distributed evenly, and bend square tube possible at a fairly small radius.

Correctly bend profiled pipes at no additional cost

There are many ways to bend a profile pipe at home without using an industrial pipe bender.

Sector welding

This method is available with a welding machine. You will also need a grinder, but you can get by with a hacksaw for metal. The essence of the method consists in making evenly distributed sector cuts along the inner side.

The amount of material is reduced, and you do not have to worry about the formation of folds and breaks in the metal. After cutting the sectors, the profile easily takes on a given shape, and the resulting cuts are welded in any available way.

The method is laborious, but you can bend the pipe to any radius, including with a variable value. If you are an experienced welder, the tightness and strength characteristics of the workpiece will not deteriorate.

Almost all summer residents and owners of private houses have to deal with the question of how to bend a profile pipe at home. Arcs from a profile pipe are used in the construction of greenhouses, arbors, awnings and arched canopies. Buying or making them with your own hands is economically unprofitable. They are needed for mass production, not for one-off production. Let us consider what methods exist for imparting bending to the profile pipes of the required radius.

The essence of this process is that one side of the pipe is stretched, and interior shrinks. Pressure is applied to the workpiece, which can be accompanied by heating to make the metal more malleable.

Bending a profile pipe along a radius with your own hands is associated with the following difficulties:

displacement of the longitudinal axes and planes of the part, which leads to misalignment;
rupture and the appearance of cracks on the outer part of the workpiece under the influence of the breaking force;
uneven compression of the inner part, leading to a corrugation effect;
changing the diameter or shape of the workpiece.

To know how to properly impart steel pipes the shape of the arch, a number of factors must be taken into account.

Influence of material on the choice of bending method

Profile pipes are made in accordance with the requirements of GOST 54157-2010 and have certain properties.

It is necessary to bend the profile pipes taking into account the following parameters:

The minimum bending radius of the facing material, which is planned to be laid on the arches. Have cellular polycarbonate these indicators depend on the thickness and structure.
Profile size and wall thickness. Products with a wall height of up to 10 mm are allowed to be bent using muscular strength. Profiles from 20 × 40 mm and more, you need to bend in a complex way, by pressure and heating or on a machine.
Elasticity (plastic moment of resistance). It must be invested in preliminary calculations, giving the workpiece a smaller bend radius.

Based on the analysis of this data, the choice of the method for performing the task is made.

Bending methods and bending devices

Using available tools and household tools, you can make a bending device at no additional cost.

As for professional devices, their cost can be several times higher than the price of material for making arches.

Consider the ways in which you can make perfect bent rectangular arches.

Cold

Cold rolling is bent without heating if the muscular strength of the master is sufficient for this procedure. As a rule, these are square pipes with a cross section of 10 × 10 mm and rectangular 10 × 20 mm.

If the walls of the blanks are thick, then the filling of the inner cavity with resistance is not carried out. Consider the main options for creating arches from metal blanks.

Lever with attachment

First, a piece is made with a certain semicircle length corresponding to the specified parameters. They make it from chipboard, plywood, drywall or boards.

After that it is necessary:

secure the vise firmly to a heavy and stable table. In a vice, a pipe section with a larger size than that of the workpiece is firmly fixed;
bend in several stages by inserting the profile into the hole of the segment clamped in the vice and applying force to it.

A lever of sufficient length is placed on the bendable fragment to create the necessary pressure to deform the metal. In the course of work, the curvature is controlled by a piece.

By mandrel

The mandrel is made on a solid base, which is a concrete or asphalt platform, a large workbench. In fact, this is a special template, along the contours of which the profile pipe will bend.

Taking into account the degree of elasticity of the metal, the master needs to give the mandrel a smaller radius.

The procedure is carried out in the following sequence:

the part is securely fixed to the base;
the end of the workpiece is screwed to one of its edges with wire or clamps;
the profile is bent until it is given the desired shape.

The template can be replaced with reinforcement driven into the ground. As the pipe deforms, it is sequentially welded to the pins. After the end of the work, the arch is cut off from the stoppers.

With the use of internal countermeasures (sand, water)

This method is used when the profile parameters are less than: height 10 mm, width 20 mm, wall thickness 1 mm. Pipes filled with a dense substance retain their shape better, even with strong pressure on a small area of the product.

The use of sand and water guarantees a quality result without scrap. And this factor is important, given the cost of rolled steel.

The filler must fill the cavity of the shaped pipe throughout the entire volume. It is much easier to achieve this with a liquid. The sand is rammed by vibration and spilled with water. The holes on both sides are welded or tightly clogged with wooden plugs. If heating is used, it is important to leave one of the sides uncorked for the gases to escape.

Grinder cutting and welding (sector welding)

Grinder cutting and welding does not require significant effort. The master needs to be prepared for the fact that this event will take a long time. The advantage of this technology is that there is no likelihood of damage to the profile, its shape can be corrected throughout the entire bending process.

The work is carried out in the following sequence:

A diagram is drawn up. It shows the distance between the cuts and their configuration.
Marking is applied to the profile. Triangular cuts are made along it with a grinder. The cut fragments are removed.
Bending of the workpiece is carried out. If the metal is elastic and unbends after compression, then the joints are immediately fixed by spot welding.
The gaps remaining after compression are welded or sealed. After the metal has cooled down, the seams are sanded and painted over.
The edges on the arch are almost invisible. When laying polycarbonate, small differences are compensated for by a thick seal.

Hot

Pre-heating is carried out in cases where the profile pipe has a large cross-section or thin walls. That is, it is either impossible to bend it manually, or it is fraught with damage or breakage of the workpiece. Let us dwell on the techniques that are used for thermal bending of rolled steel.

Using a spring and blowtorch

The spring is needed in order to prevent the profile walls from being pushed through during bending. In addition, the elastic insert will give the finished product a neat and even shape. It must be strong enough to absorb and withstand the pressure exerted on the profile.

The section is rigidly fixed at one end in the ground or in a vice. Before folding the piece, it heats up until the metal turns red.

It is possible to cool the bent place only with warm engine oil - the iron cracks and becomes brittle from water.

The use of a spring and blowtorch saves the worker from exerting unnecessary effort.

Hot forming

You can give the desired shape to the profile without prior internal filling... When heated, the steel becomes so soft and ductile that it can be bent by hand, without the use of levers and complex devices.

For this, a convex semicircular stop is made. It must be made of material that is resistant to high temperature... A car disc or fireclay bricks coated with clay are best suited for this. The part is applied to the template by the heated place. Then she flexes in one slow and precise movement. After a few minutes, you can continue the procedure.

Giving profile pipes the shape of an arch is a complex process that requires skills in handling household tools and metal.

When making arches, you should adhere to the following rules:

It is easier and more convenient to work with short workpieces. Before bending, it is advisable to cut the parts into lengths of 1.5-2 meters. Subsequent welding will not weaken the strength of the finished arch.
Heating the metal should be done slowly to prevent uneven heating and deformation. The resulting scale must be cleaned off immediately, as it is corrosive.
Steel rolled products must not be exposed to temperatures above + 800 ºС. This effect leads to the destruction of the crystal lattice of the metal. The profile becomes soft or brittle.
All bending actions should be performed slowly, gradually increasing the load.

How much does it cost to bend a profile for a greenhouse

The cost of services is determined by the status of the workshop, its geographic location and the equipment used.

The average price for bending profiled steel is (in rubles per running meter):

10 × 10 - 80;
20 × 20 - 100;
25 × 25 - 110;
30 × 30 - 120;
20 × 40 - 125;
20 × 45 - 130;
40 × 40 - 140;
50 × 50 - 150;
60 × 40 - 160;
50 × 50 - 180;
80 × 40 - 240;
80 × 80 - 360;
100 × 100 - 480.

The cost may differ depending on the supply and demand market.

Special devices for bending

In order to achieve a high quality finished product, you can take advantage of.

Pipe bender

The tube benders consist of a bed, several rollers, stops and a drive. The device is controlled manually, by an electric motor and hydraulic cylinders. In private construction, profile pipes with a wall height of up to 20 mm are used. A manual pipe bender copes with their bending.

Conductor

This tool is designed for precise manufacturing and joining of profile joints when cutting with a grinder and joining arches with vertical, transverse and inclined posts.

Thanks to the use of a jig, the most accurate connection of parts at a right angle and a neat seam between them are achieved.

Bending plate

This fixture is a removable structure installed on a workbench or workshop floor.

For fastening, embedded parts or anchor bolts are used. The curvature of the base plate is adjustable with bolts.

After the end of bending, the equipment is removed, and the embedded parts are closed with plugs.

Making a bending machine with your own hands

About how to independently assemble a manual pipe bender, we already

Profile pipes are indispensable in the process of assembling frames for building structures... Greenhouses, various greenhouses, gazebos and other objects are built with their help quickly and efficiently. However, things are not so simple.

To bend such a pipe, you have to use expensive special equipment, which is not always acceptable for a home craftsman. Let's talk about how to bend a profile pipe at home.

A profile pipe is considered to have a cross-section other than a circular one. It can be rectangular, oval, hexagonal, or square. The pipe has increased strength, because its edges take on the role of stiffeners.

Profile products cope with significant bending loads, due to which they are good choice for the construction of a metal frame for buildings of various purposes.

The raw material for the production of shaped pipes most often becomes high or low alloy steel. Depending on the manufacturing method, electric-welded, cold-rolled and hot-rolled, seamless pipes are distinguished.

Products differ in wall thickness and profile height. These pipes can be used to make various parts in the form of frames, stairs and railings. Most often, a profile pipe is used in construction for the construction of arched structures and as a replacement for an iron bar in the construction of frames.

Skills in bending a profile pipe will come in handy for home craftsmen who want to independently equip a suburban area:

Image gallery

The simplest cold bending tools

Consider how to independently make two very simple devices that will help you bend a profile pipe.

Profile holder

The workbench will become the basis for the device. It is important that not only work zone, but the space around her was free. To secure the mandrel, you will have to make several closely spaced holes in one edge of the workbench tabletop.

The actual mandrel or template is made of plywood. However, this option is only acceptable if several parts are expected to be completed.

The simplest pipe mandrel is made from thick plywood or plank. This template is enough for a few bends.

If you need to bend a large number of pipes according to this template, the mandrel is best made from a steel angle. In some cases, the profile product must be bent at different angles.

For such work, you will need several templates at once, which should be prepared in advance. Before starting work, the mandrel is firmly attached to the base using clamps.

The pipe to be bent is securely fixed to its edge. Then bending is performed. The operation is performed smoothly, without sudden jerks. The force applied to the pipe should increase gradually. In the process of bending, the part takes the form of a mandrel. This will require significant effort.

Advanced bending plate

This is a convenient multifunctional device that allows you to carry out high-quality bending of a profile with your own hands. The device is a solid metal base plate mounted on a pedestal. The latter is fixed to the workshop floor using fixing bolts.

Set of steel mandrels for different radii

Plywood disposable blanks

Mandrel for narrow profile pipe

Alternatively, you can consider a similar device attached to a workbench. After work, the bending plate can be easily dismantled and removed, or you can use it as a stand for other locksmith operations.

To make such a device, you need a thick metal plate. It is welded onto a telescopic support. For stops for bending, two holes are made on the base plate.

Bolts are placed in them. Nozzles of various radii are put on and fixed on them, which allows the pipes to be bent as needed. The pressure plate is cut from the thick sheet steel.

It is advisable to equip the bending plate with a pressure plate made of durable metal. It will allow you to maintain the alignment of the profile part during the bending process.

Its use is mandatory so that the coaxiality of the bent part is not disturbed, since bending a profile pipe without a pipe bender can accidentally deform it in two different directions. The plate is fixed over the attachments on the stop bolts.

The simplest way to bend a profile pipe:

There are quite a few ways to manually bend profiled pipes. And they all have a common drawback: it takes a lot of effort to bend them. A physically untrained master may not be able to cope with such a job. Bending of parts using specialized devices is much easier, more accurate and does not require much physical effort.

The problem is that the cost of such equipment is quite high. Therefore, buying a device just to perform a one-time job is certainly unprofitable. The best way- rental of specialized equipment, which will allow for a small fee to receive profile products bent exactly according to the template.

In the process of work (usually completely unexpectedly), the question may arise - how to bend a profile pipe at home? Today, there are several enough effective techniques, and if you have a certain skill, you can cope with the task without going to the workshop to the professionals.

Method 1. Using pipe bending machines

When we talk about the bending of shaped pipes, we most often mean the formation of an arc of a certain radius from the workpiece. The larger this radius, the easier our task, since this way the inner cavity will undergo less deformations ().

Note! It will not work to bend round and profile pipes at right angles: a break is almost guaranteed. For this purpose, either a welded joint or special adapters are usually used, allowing two separate segments to be joined.

If the need to manufacture arcs arises quite regularly, then it is worth purchasing a manual or stationary roll forming machine. It is a device with several rollers that act on the workpiece, giving it the desired shape.

The instructions for working on the pipe bender are quite simple:

We put the part of the required size into the machine and clamp it in the fasteners.
We turn on the electric motor or begin to rotate the handle.
The working rolls shift the pipe axis in the direction of bending, while simultaneously stretching one of the walls.
A bending template acts on the opposite wall, giving the workpiece the desired shape.
To reduce the deformation of the internal cavity, hydraulic stabilization is often used: the edges of the part are closed with plugs, and a liquid is pumped inward under low pressure.

To improve the efficiency of all operations, it is worth following these rules:

The slower we process the parts, the lower the risk of breakage or uncontrolled deformation of the parts.
When working, take into account the restrictions on wall thickness and pipe cross-section that are relevant to your machine model.
It is better to bend thick pipes in the factory after preliminary heating: due to the increase in the ductility of the metal, the quality of processing increases.

The price of this type of home appliance starts at about $ 100. That's why you can either rent a machine for a few days to process a small number of parts, or use the services of a workshop.

Folk remedies

Method 2. Cutting and welding

However, a pipe bender is not always at hand. That is why any craftsman should study in advance how to bend a profile pipe at home using more common tools.

If the integrity of the internal cavity is not critical for us, you can use the angular grinder and welding machine:

We apply markings to the part, highlighting the area along which the bend line will pass.
From the inside, using a grinder with a cutting disc, we make several cuts of at least 3/4 of the section.
Grasping the ends of the part, we form a bend.

Advice! if necessary, cut out the excess metal with the same grinder.

We fix the workpiece in the template and weld the edges of the cuts.
After the metal has cooled down, we change the grinder disc to a grinding one and polish the treated surface.

Method 3. Internal spring

If the preservation of the integrity of the walls is essential, then in order to fulfill the task before us, you need to make a special spring with your own hands:

We take steel wire up to 4 mm in diameter... The thicker the pipe wall, the stronger the wire must be.
Using a solid steel blank, we wind a square spring... We select the size of the side of the square in such a way that the resulting structure easily passes into the inner cavity of the pipe.
We put the spring in the bend area, after which we warm up the part with a blowtorch.
Using a template or a round blank of a suitable diameter, we form an arc... In this case, the spring inside will protect the part from kinking and preserve its profile.

This technique is quite laborious, since the manufacture of the spring takes a lot of time and effort. On the other hand, the elastic insert can be used many times, so the described method is quite suitable for large-scale work.

Method 4. Filling with sand or water

If there is no suitable steel wire at hand, and the need to make an arc from a tubular blank is quite acute, you should use one of the methods that involve internal filling.

Liquid can be used as filler:

Before bending a thin-walled copper profile pipe (sometimes they are used in heating systems), fill its cavity with water, hermetically closing both ends.
After pouring, we take the product out into the cold or place it in freezer... We wait until the water is completely frozen.
Using a blank or template, we bend the pipe, then remove the plugs and drain the water.

In the warm season, as well as when processing thick-walled workpieces, we replace the water with sand:

We sift the material, removing all impurities, and then carefully ignite it on fire.
We plug one edge of the workpiece with a wooden stopper.
We fill the cavity with dry sand, carefully compacting it by tapping it on the ground or on a workbench.
We install the plug on the other end of the part and bend it. If you are not in a hurry, the sand, by maintaining internal pressure, will not allow an internal fracture to form.

Conclusion

If you at least periodically work with metal, then you definitely need to know how to bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender. Of course, all the methods described cannot fully replace high-quality professional equipment, but in critical situation they are able to come to the rescue, allowing them to solve the problem as quickly as possible ().

Profile types of pipes with a square or rectangular cross-section allow the construction of a variety of structures that can withstand increased loads. When erecting a private building, you need to have the skills and knowledge of how to bend a profile pipe at home with your own hands so as not to damage its integrity.

Main characteristics of shaped pipes

The main feature of profile pipes in comparison with standard products is their cross section. It is this difference that does not in all cases allow the use of standard bending methods to create the required radius of curvature.

Besides, industrial enterprises produce shaped pipe products from a variety of materials, including copper, aluminum, brass, etc. This leads to the need to use different techniques in order to eventually bend the profile pipe.

In the process of performing mechanical actions in order to obtain a bent product, the pipe can get defects and then during operation the integrity of the structure will eventually collapse. For this reason, it is advisable to investigate the possibility of stretching it before bending the pipe.

To achieve the desired bend radius when doing the work yourself, you should do it smoothly and slowly and control the amount of effort applied. This will significantly reduce the likelihood of damage and obtain the required product shape.

The choice of the option, how to bend a square pipe at home, is influenced by the wall thickness of the pipe products. With a clear idea of what the final result should be, and the correct approach to determining the method of bending, the erected structure will be distinguished by strength, reliability, aesthetic appearance and durability.

You should be aware that under the thermal effect exerted on the profile products, changes occur in the internal structure of the metal from which they are made. As a result, the strength and reliability of the structure can be a big question mark. In addition, repeated attempts to bend a profile pipe with your own hands will lead to its destruction.

Using a pipe bender

It will not be easy to bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender or other similar devices at home, especially with a large wall thickness of metal products (read: ""). If a one-time job is planned, then there is no point in purchasing a pipe bending machine. Special equipment in this case, it is better to rent it by contacting companies that provide such services.

If you have to bend a profile pipe with your own hands, it is most expedient and reasonable to use a pipe bender with a special drive wheel. It, moving along one of the edges, allows you to bend a profile product as needed by a home craftsman in a particular case.

Pipe benders are produced:

manually operated;
with an electric drive.

When the bending of the profile products is done manually, the wheel of the fixture is set in motion by means of a special handle. Apply this way follows in the case when the cross-section of the pipe has a small area, and the future structure should not turn out to be cumbersome and its shape can be changed with your own hands.

With a large amount of work and the same size of pipes, you will need a pipe bender for a profile pipe, equipped with an electric drive, which is set in motion simply by pressing a button. The principle of operation of this device is similar - the wheel moves along the edge of the pipe, but the result is more aesthetic and less labor-intensive.

Other ways to bend pipes with your own hands

There are several options for making the bend of a profile pipe in a domestic environment without special machines.

There are several requirements for bending metal products with respect to the radius. The thickness of their walls must exceed 2 centimeters, otherwise the bend can destroy the integrity of the pipe. With a profile height (designated by the letter Z) of more than 2 centimeters, the pipe bent over a 3.5xZ segment will not collapse and will not become less reliable.

An important role is played by the temperature that the product has during bending. It is known that it is much easier to give curvature to a pipe in a heated state. When working in a domestic environment, you must adhere to safety precautions.

To bend pipes with a profile height of up to 1 centimeter, it is not necessary to heat the products to give them a curvilinear shape. But pipe products with a profile height of more than 4 centimeters cannot be bent by hand without heating.

Using a grinder when bending shaped pipes

To make a hand-made bent profile pipe of the required bend radius, you can use a grinder.

For this:

In the place where you plan to bend, you need to make several cross cuts (as a rule, you will need 3 of them).
Then you should bend the profile pipe with your own hands.
At the end, the cuts are welded with a welding machine.

Since the cross-section of profile products has the correct shape, the resulting product should acquire an aesthetic appearance, provided that the welded areas are carefully sanded. At the same time, the strength indicators will remain the same.

Bending of profile products using a spring

This option is distinguished by its simplicity of execution, for which it will be necessary to perform the following list of works:

They take a wire, preferably steel, about 2 millimeters thick, and make a spring out of it.
Then it is inserted into the pipe.
The place of the future fold is heated.
At the end of the work, the product is bent, observing the required radius.

You should immediately monitor the correctness of the bend of the profile pipe products, since the heated product retains its elasticity for a short time.

In the process of making a spring, you need to pay attention to such important point: its segments should be 1.5–2 millimeters less than the parameters of the corresponding side of the section that the profile has metal product... If you adhere to this rule, there will be no problem with how to insert the spring into the pipe.

Applying sand to bend the pipe

For example, to get a square or rectangular bent pipe, use sand, pre-sieved and well dried. You will also need wooden wedges that have a commensurate cut of the product, and which can be driven into the pipe.

The order of performing the actions looks like this:

A wedge is driven into one side of the tubular.
Sand is poured inside the pipe.
They drive a wedge from the second side, resulting in a kind of plug.
After fixing one end, they begin to bend the pipe by the required radius. If desired, the place of the future fold can be heated to facilitate the process.

Due to the sand poured inside, the strength and integrity of the pipe structure will be ensured. After successful completion of the work, it is removed, after removing the wooden wedges.

Bending pipes with water

Bend the profile tube on their own at home you can also use water. This option is used when tubular products are made of copper or other non-ferrous metal. One end of the product is closed with a plug and water is poured into it. The product should be placed in a place where the water will freeze. After that, it will be easy to bend it yourself. To make it easier to get a square bent pipe, you need to bend it not in the middle, but closer to one of the ends.

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