Bending 1 1/4\" copper

Ron Schroeder

Hi,

Has anybody had any experience bending 1 1/4" drawn copper? Copper.org only shows info on bending soft copper this large. I need a smooth 90 with a radius of 8 to 12".

Thanks,

Ron

Weezbo

once again, our codes do not show the level of current...

application and availability of tools and materials .... however there is an EIN reference that should help...do not know the number off the top of my head...let me roll this idea by, why would the manufacturer spend mondo duckette R&D ing the tools and manufacturing them were it not in the realm of feasibility...

all kinds of destructive material inspection/testing goes into the development of tools so ...short answer is , it can be done ... are you thinking of arguing about cold micro fractures? i hate getting testy like i have been doing of late.

Some material comes in straight sticks though it may be often sold in coils, this is another option ....

well, clear as mud as usual ? *~/:)

application of products is something that goes back and forth in manufacturing processes....small wonder the interpretation of codes is not left to me to write at this point of my career


it is done every day all over the world.

Mitch_4

I Haven't

tried 1-1/4" but did 1" with an EMT bender I borrowed from an electrician on a job once when I worked in a commercial company. Worked like a charm..

MAybe there is one for 1-1/4" I know I have seen EMT that big.

Mitch

hot_rod

I can bend type L

1-1/4" with my REMS bender. Do you need a specfic piece I could bend and ship? 10" is the radius of my bender.

hot rod

Unknown

If it`s,

hard drawn you`ll have to anneal it first in the bend area to make it soft, then fill that area with dry sand and bend-away, using the bending tool.
Alot of work, and tough to do with this diameter, but not impossible(most codes don`t allow HD tube to be bent anyway), I would opt for the soft!

Dave

hot_rod

Dave, which codes

don't allow bending?

The CDA has a whole section on bending hard drawn copper tube. A lot of refrigeration guys bend hard drawn copper tube.

The copper ells you buy were bent from straight tube

hot rodh

Unknown

Hot Rod

I guess I shouldn`t have been so quick to say most codes, here are some excerpts from code-books in my area, #3 seems to have left out the HD issue completely.
I apologize!

Dave

bruce_21

You might try a muffler shop. They have power benders to do big steel tube so they ought to be able to do the copper.

TGO_54

Bending 1 1/4\"

Hot Rod,

Do you have to do anything special to bend the 1 1/4"? My curvo will not bend it, the machine stalls.

Thanks

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Ron Schroeder

Hi Bruce,

A muffler shop was my first thought but I haven't found one with a 1 3/8" die to match the 1 1/4" copper. 1 1/4" EMT is 1.510" o.d. so EMT benders are too large.

Hotrod,

I may take you up on your offer if I can't find a muffler shop with the correct size dies. Have you had to heat hard drawn 1 1/4" copper to bend it? 10" radius would be great.

Thanks,

Ron

Rich L.

Bending EMT

Hi Ron, Have you tried a commercial electrical shop? In my area the large commercial/ industrial electricians shops have power benders for some very large EMT. I don't see why they wouldn't work on copper also. I've used the smaller manual conduit benders on hard drawn copper up to 1" with great success after annealing.

Good luck! Rich L.

hot_rod

WD 40

or the lube REMS sells helps a lot. I have done 180 bends with type K 1-1/4 a couple times without a problem.

It's very important to have the correct size dies when bending copper. Too much play and it will wrinkle or kink. I would guess any power bender with 1-3/8" dies and at least an 8-10 radius would work.

I noticed a lot of bent copper in Germany last year as we toured around. Mostly panel radiator jobs. Also a lot of press fittings used with installs. But I suspect the PAP tube will replace copper.

hot rod

Weezbo

Hot Rod did you see the 1 1/2 bender in your travels ?

i hope that is not leting the cat out of the bag ..buh the manufacturers sent me a photograph more than a year ago ( ok. maybe two..well er three) of the larger bender ...is it available in Europe as a stock item now? id like to get one ...

Weezbo

i have a Uie i made with a 3/4 \" tap in a strategic location ...

that i might part with

hot_rod

Weezer..

I've heard REMS now has a bender that will go up to 2" copper. It has a much larger motor. I rarely go above 1-1/4". I suspect it is a fairly pricey tool?

hot rod

bob_50

Hot Rod

Are you sure your bender is 10" radius? From the picture it looks more like 5".

Unknown

bob,

looks like you caught HR actually making a mistake , most certainly a rare occurrence!

Dave

Ron Schroeder

The catalog shows 140mm radius for the 1 3/8" former.

hot_rod

Right you are, 5\"

or there abouts, metricly speaking

hot rod

bob young

copper tube 1 \" & up

in the shipyards all copper was bent with large stationary hydraulic benders. twenty foot table & fully automatic. these were the portable models. the pipeshop had more elaborate equipment. copper [t.p. ] needed a mandrel to prevent egging or distortion. it needed annealing. copper nickel [monel ] --no annealing. this was in the late sixties , methods may have improved. we made templates out of 1/4 " solid rod & bent the pipe to sketch. not many elbows but a million couplings. being a shipyard pipefitter was a wonderful job