• Welcome aboard HomebuiltAirplanes.com, your destination for connecting with a thriving community of more than 10,000 active members, all passionate about home-built aviation. Dive into our comprehensive repository of knowledge, exchange technical insights, arrange get-togethers, and trade aircrafts/parts with like-minded enthusiasts. Unearth a wide-ranging collection of general and kit plane aviation subjects, enriched with engaging imagery, in-depth technical manuals, and rare archives.

    For a nominal fee of $99.99/year or $12.99/month, you can immerse yourself in this dynamic community and unparalleled treasure-trove of aviation knowledge.

    Embark on your journey now!

    Click Here to Become a Premium Member and Experience Homebuilt Airplanes to the Fullest!

Scrappers tube bending jig

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
6,143
Location
Wisconsin
Thought maybe someone could one day use this as an idea one day.

I realize there's people who simply grab tubing and bend it around a telephone pole out back and that certainly works. It just doesn't work for me. Everyone needs to find a way that works for them.

For me at least, I enjoy the process. I enjoy what that process teaches me. Precision is a challenge and it's the challenge itself that I find rewarding because of the person you become after you nail success.

I love my little Black and Decker laminate trim router. It's a product of the 1980's and spins at an incredibly fast RPM. It is a tough old router and has a sole plate made of Micarta and is held on by 4 little screws.

I removed the sole plate and made a aluminum jig using the sole plate as a pattern. This aluminum jig is a radius jig and the radius is adjustable by drilling holes in the right location.

The project is my fin leading edge on the Cassutt which is 1/2" tubing. The bit I used is a $5 round bit from Amazon, they are available at any Ace hardware store.

Once routed then jig saw them apart, nothing fancy.

The goal is to cut to pieces and sandwich them together. The hole in the cheap particle board is used to turn the chosen radius. The later on, that same hole and screw is used to clamp them together.

Once clamped, use a couple C clamps to really hold them. Pre drill one side, and screw the two pieces together.....on one side only.

I use my home made 12" disc sander but anything will work. Smooth the outside (optional but why not).

Then screw to table, pre drill because particle board isn't tolerant of screwing.

Hold up scrap piece of tube and use blocks to hold one end.

Shove tube in and bend.

Now you have a jig for life. This jig will bend 1/2" and if you tape the inside cove you can even bend 3/8" & 1/4".

The aluminum jig is also a life long tool that will be used for turning any diameter you like.

Photos to follow........
 
Back
Top