Shaping plastic pipe with heat - GIF

[ToolTalkBot]

Shaping plastic pipe with heat.




Previously:

Bending and forming steel pipes - GIFs
Concealed tiled shaft for water pipes - GIF
Cutting concrete block wall for pipes - GIF
Extruding water pipes - GIF

[hemmjo]

That's the way you do it!! Smart man. He even has a NASA hat on!!!

[Frank S]

Notice how he kept the pipe from kinking by rolling and twisting it as he bent it. Kust trying to bend a heated plastic pipe without twisting will result in a kink ecery time.

[hemmjo]

Sometimes, if you are making multiple bends in a single piece, it is not easy to roll. Then it is important heat the outside more then the inside of the bend. And a gloved hand helps tp prevent the kink.

[Frank S]

Sometimes, if you are making multiple bends in a single piece, it is not easy to roll. Then it is important heat the outside more then the inside of the bend. And a gloved hand helps tp prevent the kink.

Yep. I have several 3 to 5 feet long springs of sixes to fit the ID of various sizes of copper and plastic pipes when regular tubing or pipe benders cannot be utilized. They help immensely with both cold and heat forming for thin as well as thick pipes.
One thing you really have to guard against is attempting to make too tight of a bend. If a tight bend is required, then the mandrel spring is a must, but more heat needs to be on the inside radius to prevent thinning of the wall thickness. For extremely tight bend radiuses this should be done in small incremental stages allowing the pipes to cool completely between each stage. It helps to prevent ripples and bulges. Even then you may need a shaped forming die that you can hold against the inside radius of the bend while the pipe is still heated and tap with a hammer to massage the shape. With a lot of patience using all available tools some ridiculously tight bend radiuses can be formed.