Silverline Mini Pipe Bender 6 - 10mm (MS129)

Product Information

Pipe springs can be used in pipes up to 22mm diameter but bending a 22mm pipe with a spring is a herculean task which none of us would attempt. LBSC' used to suggest molten lead in our small bore copper tubes, but it's difficult enough to pour molten lead into a half inch diameter tube, let alone an eighth of an inch or so!

Bending copper pipes also reduces the number of fittings used and although this probably would not make a great deal of difference to the DIY enthusiast as the cost of a pipe bender for 2 days is probably more than the cost of the appropriate fittings, it is important to a plumber who probably saves over 600 fittings in the course of a year.Sorry. Don't know a supplier but I seem to remember a thread here or on a similar group - maybe Yahoo Or use Wood's Metal - that stuff that goes liquid in boiling water. Fill pipe, bend, melt out Wood's. Job-jobbed. Any recommendations please of a suitable tool? I have seen a Record 210 advertised, but no details of the minimum radius is given. I have a bender which will produce a 1" radius, but it would be useful if tighter bends were possible.

I hope to start the plumbing on a model loco using mainly 1/4" copper pipe. To try and achieve a reasonable and tidy appearance, I thought the use of a pipe bender would be better than bending by hand.You will not see many plumbers using springs however as it is very hard to keep the bend neat and to the correct diameter. Another method is to machine a groove in a piece of bar, the groove width being the diameter of the pipe and the inside diameter to suit the radius of the bend. The pipe's simply bent around in the groove. If you are going to try this method, I would suggest Woods Metal, available from Reeves ( possibly other suppliers too?), which melts in boiling water. It sets solid, like lead, but it's far easier to 'handle'. Once used, just keep it safe for re-use whenever you need it. To get over this, aluminium formers (6) are placed between the hook (1) and the pipe and also between the stay (3) and the pipe. Bending pipes with a pipe bender is difficult. Its not actually difficult to bend the pipe, but bending the pipe in the right place is a different ball game. Working out the diameter of the bend and linking it to the place in the run where you want the bend to start and finish can only be done with practice and we would very strongly suggest you buy extra pipe to practice with.