From: none@none.com99   
      
   Well as much as I would have liked to build one I bought one instead.   
   Its compact, doesn't have to be mounted to work, its cheap, its compact   
   for storage, and it has a long history of DIYers using it on The Tube of   
   U.  Even the DIYers who state some other benders are superior do   
   acknowledge it works within its claimed range.   
      
   Which brings us to the first of its two major drawbacks.   
      
   1.  It only bends a little more than 90 degrees.  I think I recall some   
   users saying that it will bend up to 110 degrees if you reposition the   
   tube once after the first bend.  This is a real drawback, because there   
   are a couple things I'd like to make that would look better with 180   
   degree bend instead of a welded joint, but my welding is getting better,   
   and I do own an angle grinder or two.   
      
   2.  The other drawback is its dead slow.  It uses a manual 8 ton   
   hydraulic jack to operate.  One of the most popular upgrades is to swap   
   out the 8 ton manual jack for a 12 ton air over hydraulic jack.  Its a   
   finicky upgrade, and older models (I ordered a newer model) need the   
   frame cut and welded to fit.  That's a definite upgrade, and if I can   
   get the unit fixed on on my 12 ton press I'll use that jack.  I finally   
   swapped over to an air over jack on my 20 ton press, and I doubt the 12   
   ton will ever get used again.  If for some reason its the best tool for   
   the job or I need to setup multiple presses I still have the original 12   
   ton manual jack.   
      
   I really can't beat the price.  Its $399 (01/23/2026) and includes one   
   standard bending die of choice.  Of course I bought the option that   
   comes with five (5) bending dies.   
      
   There is still one problem, but its self imposed, and its part of why I   
   chose to buy one at this time.  The kids (young men and women) on the   
   BAJA SAE engineering team are having issues with a bender they were   
   loaned by a local fabrication shop.  The die size they need didn't come   
   with it, and a die to fit that bender costs the same or more than this   
   whole machine.  The problem.  This manufacturer doesn't make exactly the   
   right size die.  It comes with a die the right size for the tube, but   
   the kids did their work around a 6 inch bending radius, and the die that   
   comes with the machine comes with a 5 inch bending radius.  There is   
   about 20% higher strain when bending to 5 inch radius.  I invited them   
   over to spend an afternoon making a die just right for their application.   
      
   There are guys who have made limited production plastic dies using 3D   
   printed parts sandwiched between steel plates.  I am 100% sure I can   
   make aluminum "cores" to sandwich between steel plates to do the same   
   job much stronger in a fraction of the time of 3D printing.  6061 would   
   probably last well enough for atleast a few dozen bends, and 7075 would   
   probably last long enough for hundreds if not thousands of bends.  I   
   have both on the shelf, but the 7075 WAS planned for "other" projects.   
      
   I also have some A356 I could cast, but I think making a pattern would   
   take quite a bit longer than just machining a finished part from   
   wrought/extruded bar or plate.   
      
   If you scrolled through all of that just wanting to know what the heck I   
   ordered, I ordered the Affordable Bender with 5 bending dies.   
      
   https://www.yumabassman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Affordable-Bender.webp   
      
   https://www.yumabassman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Affordabl   
   -Bender-Jack.webp   
      
      
   --   
   Bob La Londe   
   CNC Molds N Stuff   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)