Bender Mounting

[Doug Krebs]

How have ya'll mounted your benders??? I know David O made a receiver style mount next to his drive way. Could also bolt it to the floor. I'm assuming it takes a decent about of pressure to yank the handle.

How far of a diameter would you suggest around the bender so nothing will interfere with the tube while bending.

This is why I'd like to go hydraulic, so you can just have a cart to roll it around on.

I'm going to be building the buggy in our barn. It has 4x6 supports every 12'. There is one pole in the parn that is only supporting the roof and not the lofts that I'm going to take out. That would leave me with a 24' square. I figure this square will be where I build the buggy.

This is what I need to get started building the buggy:
14 bolt rear: easy and cheap to find
SM465 and 205 not to hard to find

Then I can at least start placing things and trying to figure out the frame.

I started coming up with a general frame last night and it's a real pain in the ass. Trying to figure out the frame so the links have the best placement, overall height, belly clearence, etc...

Oh well hopefully I will start in the next month, although every weekend seems occupied:mad:

[aggielr]

if you have concrete, you can do it like i did, and just drill 4 holes, get some drop in anchors and some lag bolts, and make the base square so the bender can be rotated just in case you need 1 side w/ more room, i mounted it very close to the door so i could swing larger pieces out into the driveway and not worry about hittin the wall

[BMFScout]

why not get some quick-crete, dig a little hole in the yard, and make a mount in the yard you can remove it from. I think it will require a considerable amount of force to bend ****, that wood might not hold up. Of course I am talking out of my ass again, not like I own a bender or anything.

[Cajun]

Yup, it takes a fair amount of force to bend tube. It's not going to kick your ass, but you can't do it with one finger. I've bent tube for 2 cages manually, and I felt like it when I was done. It's not so much the force it takes to pull the handle, but the fact that you're pulling the handle a few hundred times :D Of course, my handle is only 40" long.

I would DEFINITELY mount it on a square like you described so that you can rotate it. As for room around it, give yourself as much room as possible. I probably have 10' to the closest wall. Height from the floor is something else to consider, mine is probably 4' off the floor, and I wouldn't want it any less--overhead room is important as well. Don't forget that you'll eventually be making pieces that require bends in multiple planes.

[aggielr]

they recommended 48" i think on the handle, so thats what i'm using, and i was somewhat limited as to places to mount mine as my driveway is like a 30% slope, but so far makin the fenders and front hoop hasn't been bad, we'll see when i start makin more bends

i'll definatly agree w/ andy, but i think the worst part is havin to rachet it, if it could be one continuous pull it wouldn't be as bad