HOMEBREW HYDRO BENDER SETUP
by Jay Kopycinski
I recently purchased a JD2 Model 3 tube bender and
wanted to convert it to hydraulic operation. I wanted
to be able to make single shot bends of greater than
90 degrees without resetting the cylinder or repinning
the die.
I designed and built a metal stand to support the
bender and hydraulic equipment and also hold all the
parts for three bending dies. The stand is about 36"
high x 40" long x ~27" wide at the base. It rides on
casters so I can roll it around as needed.
The bender is powered by a 1hp 110V electric pump
and drives a 3" bore x 24" stroke double acting cylinder.
My setup can bend up to about 105 degrees with
a single cylinder stroke. Full stroke extension takes about
25 seconds. The cylinder provides plenty of power and has bent
2" x .120" wall HREW without problem. I originally thought a 2.5"
cylinder would also be strong enough for this setup but have
been told by someone that tried it that it was not sufficient.
I laid out the Model 3 bender on the floor and studied
the geometry a little to figure out my cylinder size and
mounting.
Movement is controlled by a standard 4-way valve that is
spring loaded to return to center.
I made hangers to hold three dies on the side and their followers
on the end of the bender frame.
A switch located on one end turns
the pump on and off.
The bender works great in all aspects, except I made one mistake.
I didn't allow enough room in the frame box that holds the fixed
bender link to clear the follower for a 2" die. Here you can see
where I plasma cut a chunk out of the box to allow for more clearance.
Needs a little cleanup.
Here are the parts I used to build my bender:
Hydraulic pump (Northern Tool part #105871-B959)
1 HP 115/230V, 1.5 gal reservoir, 1.25 gpm, max. 2000 psi
(Note: Northern does not pack these well and they are
often damaged in transit.)
Hydraulic cylinder - Prince model # SAE9224
(Northern Tool part #909224-B959)
3" bore x 24" stroke with 1" dia attachment pins, ½" working ports
(may or may not come with reducer bushings shown below)
4-way control valve (Northern Tool part #2010-B959)
1000 to 3000 psi relief valve, ¾" inlet/outlet, ½" working ports
Four ½" x 24" 2-wire hydraulic hose (Northern Tool part #50124-B959)
(may need one longer hose depending on your layout and ram movement)
NUMBERS IN ( ) CORRESPOND TO LABELS IN DRAWING BELOW.
(1) Port return plug (Haldex Barnes part #1300191)
(3) Two reducer bushing ¾" M-NPTF ½" F-NPTF
(Northern Tool part #50CSC128-B959)
(4) Connector (Caterpillar #8M-0506)
(5) Two Union (Caterpillar #6V-2481)
(6) Elbow (Caterpillar #4K-6297)
Scrap of 1" tube used to mate moving link to cylinder end
Electrical parts: metal box, cover, switch, flex conduit, wire, plug, etc.
PARTS LAYOUT AND PLUMBING
Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Kopycinski, All Rights Reserved.