Bending station

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JeffKiper

Electrical geek
Occupation
Controls guy
I'm a controls guys, I get to play with pipe very little. My guys want a small bending station for little jobs. So I am going to build them a baby station like the Greenlee Workhorse https://www.greenlee.com/us/en/workhorse-all-in-one-bending-and-threading-workstation-wk100. They don't want a huge station for little quick jobs. Drop it in the back of a truck and go.

I'm wondering for the guys that use a Chicago a lot. Would you want the centerline of the pipe a little higher? I was thinking maybe so we don't have to bend over as much, but then the handle might get to far up and you can't get good leverage.

Yes I try to spoil my guys. We can work hard and just get by with the minimum or we can work more efficient and reduce worker fatigue. This way the guys go home happier at the end of the day. Less fights with spouses because they are tired and grumpy, better workplace because they slept good, its a win all the way around.
 
Gentlemen thank you for the advice. I think I will keep it close to the factory height.
 
We recently picked up the south wire bending station it has some pros and cons.

Pro:
1. Shoe sets higher off the ground meaning less bending over(you have a finite amount of bendovers in your life, don’t waste them)
2. The table has a measuring stick in it
3.It has a spot to square your 90’s.
4. Small platform for tool/part storage
5. Ratchet bender has more available ratcheting positions than a typical greenlee ratchet bender. This allows you to bend say 1” stainless without having to make the first pull all the way from the top.
6. Tools around a plant real easy with all cutting threading equipment on it.

Cons:
1. It weighs more than a ratchet bender. It is a 2 man operation to get up onto a loading dock.
2. The way the ratchet bender works it has a release instead of putting the handle back to the home position. The first few times guys will screw up the pipe because of this. If you go all the way home out of habit the ratchet will not release until you put a couple more degrees into the bend.
Once you figure it out though, it is a pretty sweet bender in my opinion.
3. You could store pipe for transport, but once in a working position you would not want it on there. It gets in the way having a 10’ stick at shin level of a 5’ table.

It is a little pricier, but for me who moves around different plants regularly it is great for those smaller projects. It has increased productivity as it reduces the number of trips out of the plant just to get parts and tools in/out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
We build a bending/threading table on a standard gang box. It worked great for us. A 1/2-1" Chicago bender on the end and a Rigid 535 threader on top. grang box bending threading.jpg
 
Sorry for the loooooong delay. We put this together with a small threader up to 1 1/2" nice and easy.

If you look closely you can see our company initials cut in the support gussets. FCA Full Circle Automation
 

Attachments

  • 20201218_140733.jpg
    20201218_140733.jpg
    1.6 MB · Views: 41
JeffKiper said:
Sorry for the loooooong delay. We put this together with a small threader up to 1 1/2" nice and easy.

If you look closely you can see our company initials cut in the support gussets. FCA Full Circle Automation
Click to expand...

Nice! How's that threader? I have been looking for an affordable one -I have ridgid / wheeler-rex taste and a harborfreight budget...
 
JeffKiper said:
I'm a controls guys, I get to play with pipe very little. My guys want a small bending station for little jobs. So I am going to build them a baby station like the Greenlee Workhorse https://www.greenlee.com/us/en/workhorse-all-in-one-bending-and-threading-workstation-wk100. They don't want a huge station for little quick jobs. Drop it in the back of a truck and go.

I'm wondering for the guys that use a Chicago a lot. Would you want the centerline of the pipe a little higher? I was thinking maybe so we don't have to bend over as much, but then the handle might get to far up and you can't get good leverage.

Yes I try to spoil my guys. We can work hard and just get by with the minimum or we can work more efficient and reduce worker fatigue. This way the guys go home happier at the end of the day. Less fights with spouses because they are tired and grumpy, better workplace because they slept good, its a win all the way around.
Click to expand...
I am an above average height person. With that being said, most everything in the world is built around being in a 5' 4" world. I think getting the materials in a more ergonomic area would ease lots of tension and stress.
 
Todd0x1 I like it. Ridgid makes a 1215 that this is the exact same.

xformer I'm 6'1" and I have guys that are 6'4" to 5'10" so I moved it up and made it easy to reach with a stick. Handle all the way down is 30". It makes loading and bending nice.
 
I liked Chicago benders for not needing power & easy to transport.
1 disadvantage is that the 1/2” shoe bends an illegal 90, radius too sharp. Need to bend 90’s in 2 or 3 shots. I don’t know why they are built this way but many are.

2 is that the tail of the pipe is not level. You need to have it level to measure offsets or kicks. Maybe make spacers to lift the legs to level out the pipe.

Chicago’s are good for low volume jobs where you still have too much work for a hand bender. They are man killers.
 
jmellc said:
I liked Chicago benders for not needing power & easy to transport.
1 disadvantage is that the 1/2” shoe bends an illegal 90, radius too sharp. Need to bend 90’s in 2 or 3 shots. I don’t know why they are built this way but many are.

2 is that the tail of the pipe is not level. You need to have it level to measure offsets or kicks. Maybe make spacers to lift the legs to level out the pipe.

Chicago’s are good for low volume jobs where you still have too much work for a hand bender. They are man killers.
Click to expand...
1) Yes the bend radius is too small for 1/2" but it was very rare for me to ever use that size.

2) You count clicks, or put a mark on the long section of the pipe that matches a perfect 90 when the mark lines up with the end of the conduit support....when they are new, you can rely on the degree markings next to the shoe.

3) I will take a Chicago bender for 3/4" and 1" anytime over any other type of bender if precision bending is required.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top