3 Strategies That Will Help You Bend Pipes With Greater Accuracy
If you need to bend some pipes for a construction job, it is important to realize that this is a specialized job that most people study for in order to do. If you are an amateur at bending pipes with a pipe bender for construction purpose, here are three different strategies you should employ to ensure that you bend the pipes as effectively and as accurately as possible.
#1 Practice First
It takes a while to learn how to bend a pipe properly and use a pipe bender tool. You should not attempt to bend your first pipe with for a job. You should purchase a few pipes and use those to practice using the pipe bender tool.
As you practice, you are going to want to work on your posture. Find a way to sit that allows you to handle the bending tool and get a good grip on it.
You want to be play around with how to leverage the bending tool. Your ability to bend the pipe will vary based on your physical strength, which is why practice is essential. Try to use your legs muscles and your arm muscles, and not your back when using the bending tool. You don't want to throw out your back bending a pipe.
#2 Use Measurements To Your Advantage
Second, it is important to use measurements to your advantage. When working on a pipe for a project, first place it inside of your pipe bending tool and use the tool as a way to hold the pipe in place as you measure it. While holding the pipe in place, measure the length of the pipe, down an eighth of an inch or down to a millimeter for the most precise measurements. Also be sure to measure the diameter of the pipe as well.
Use these measurements to determine where exactly to locate the bend on the pipe so you have the right amount of length on either side of pipe to work with.
#3 Remember How The Pipe Will Move
Finally, you need to remember how the pipe will move. When you bend a pipe, it is not going to stay in that exact position. Generally, the pipe is going to move a little as it settles. It will generally move a little bit back to its previous shape as it settles. The change is small and is most noticeable if you measure the angle you created right after you create it and then after the pipe has settled a little. You need to learn how much the pipe moves after it settles and account for this when creating angles with your pipes.
Contact a welding supplier, like Vern Lewis Welding Supply Inc, for more help.