How can you bend pvc without a kink?

Hobster · #1 07/23/2006, 04:19 PM

I want to bend a 1/2"d cvpc piece of pipe into a a 45 or 90 angle. Is there a way to heat and bend it without putting a kink in it? I seem to remember something about filling it with sand and then heating ? Any ideas??

BeanAnimal · #2 07/23/2006, 04:42 PM

Fill it with sand. You can also buy springs designed to keep the tube from collapsing.

Marcusaltec · #3 07/23/2006, 06:06 PM

Buy a heat gun.

poedag · #4 07/23/2006, 08:04 PM

i'd say a combination of the two posts above. i've had pretty good success using sand and a heat gun to create funky angles, you just have to play with it a little bit and get used to it. DO IT OUTSIDE OR IN A VERY WELL VENTILATED AREA, when PVC burns the C, is released, C as in chlorine gas that is highly noxious. hope this helps.

raaden · #5 07/23/2006, 08:51 PM

Try using cooking oil in the pipe and heating it until the pvc gets soft, the oil will retain the heat and will also allow you to bend it easier than the sand will. You shouldn't get to the point where it starts giving off gas but as poedag said it is bad stuff, effectively mustard gas.

Honestly you are better off getting some flexible tubing to make the turn and just join it or clamp it to the two ends of pvc than trying to bend it.

marm64 · #6 07/23/2006, 10:35 PM

Somebody had a heated cloth for bending PVC pipe that worked out great. The cloth had some type of heat tape in it and you just wraped the cloth around the pipe and left it on a for a while, it depended on the size of the pipe, and the pipe bent really nice. I saw some retun piping from a tank in 1" PVC with no fittings that was really neat. I think that the thing came from Harbor Freight.

david8956 · #7 07/24/2006, 06:09 AM

Lowes and Home Depot both carry flexible PVC (smaller sizes only). You can bend this stuff by hand and glue it to regular PVC. It's quite a bit more expensive than regular PVC, but if you're just using it to make your bends it isn't too much.

doox00 · #8 07/24/2006, 09:35 AM

think they have 45 and 90 degree angles you can just buy also

Hobster · #9 07/24/2006, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by doox00
think they have 45 and 90 degree angles you can just buy also

Yes, I think they do, but were is the fun in that?

xtrstangx · #10 07/24/2006, 11:04 AM

Fill it with sand and then heat it up. We used a propane blowtorch on ours.

jason or george · #11 07/24/2006, 11:55 AM

Depending on the size of the turn you want, there are also "street" fittings. You can get a 90 sweep. Just a guesstimate, but total length of pipe might be 12" or so.

Karl K · #12 08/02/2006, 09:24 PM

Talk to an electrician. He will be able to hook you up with the tools we use to bend PVC conduit.

Works great and quick

Daemonfly · #13 08/03/2006, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by david8956
Lowes and Home Depot both carry flexible PVC (smaller sizes only). You can bend this stuff by hand and glue it to regular PVC. It's quite a bit more expensive than regular PVC, but if you're just using it to make your bends it isn't too much.

I wish mine did

CoolUsername · #14 08/03/2006, 02:05 AM

Yep flexible PVC it's commonly called "spa flex." My home depot and lowes both carry it.

CoolUsername · #15 08/03/2006, 02:07 AM

Great idea with the sand and heat gun. I am going to have to try that. I don't need to, I'm just reeaaallllyy curious. Sounds like an awful lot of fun to me.

I can't imaging it working to bend at 45 or for sure 90 without the sand without constricting the pipe.

How much sand do you use? Do you fill the pipe completely or just the area where the bend is intended?

hyperfocal · #16 08/03/2006, 01:31 PM

Pack the sand tight and cap each end. You want a solid, difficult-to-compress core to resist kinking.

SA057 · #17 08/03/2006, 01:40 PM

I have used sand but water works just as well. use caps ond the end and heat it slowly. I use my shop kerosene blower heater. Works like a charm.

I wear welding gloves too.

pjhaddock · #18 08/03/2006, 01:58 PM

My electricians bend PVC with a large blow torch.. Heat it up, keep turning it to heat all sides and it turns into a limp noodle, takes a few minutes, hold it like you want and pour water on/in it or just give it time to cool. Not sure how well it would work with a small propane torch that most of us have available though....

richierich2000 · #19 08/03/2006, 03:20 PM

I have done it on the stove with boiling water to soften it. you have to hold the parts that is cool and wait till it cools alittle and it will stay there

Aquayne_wv · #20 08/03/2006, 03:37 PM

I have done the sand thing but used salt. That way it cannot get caught in the tube. If it sticks just soak in water and it is gone.
Pack it tight and heat.