When laying a home plumbing or heating system often raises a reasonable question: how to bend metal-plastic pipes at home. You can get a quality result even without special skills and knowledge. There are several ways to effectively bend metal-plastic structures, each of which has its advantages and features.
You can bend metal-plastic pipes with your own hands, there are several methods for this
How to bend metal-plastic pipes: basic ways
Bends and turns are found in almost every plan of the pipeline. Therefore, the technology of bending metal-plastic pipes is used very often. If you try to give the pipe the right shape, not knowing its characteristics, you can damage the product. Fragile metal-plastic walls can deform or crack.
If you need to bend a metal-plastic pipe at home, several methods are used.
Bending the pipe by hand. The most affordable method of bending metal-plastic pipes, that does not require the use of tools. You can bend the structure with your hands, whose diameter does not exceed 20 mm. Pipes with large diameters are practically not amenable to bending by hand. Despite the speed, this method can be called the most unreliable. Is it possible to bend metal-plastic pipes in this way, without violating their structure is a matter of practice, but without some experience, the integrity of the material is too likely to be compromised.
Springs for bending of metalplastic pipes. This method is optimal for structures, made of medium-hard metal. Springs for bending of metalplastic pipes on condition of correctly picked up diameter allow to achieve high accuracy of a bend. You will need a fairly strong spring, not subject to deformation. A length of wire is attached to one of its ends, sufficient to obtain a spring after bending.
To facilitate the bending process, the pipe can be heated with a construction blow dryer
The spring moves along the inner part of the pipe to the place, where the bend is planned. It is important to monitor this, so that the centers of the spring and the future bend exactly coincide. The product bends smoothly at the right angle, at the same time it is possible to make an emphasis a knee. Upon completion of bending, the spring is removed.
Rigid wire for bending metal-plastic pipes. The process of bending with a wire is longer, but also quite effective. The wire is cut into small pieces, which should fill all the voids of the pipe at the bend. The layer of wire will serve as a framework, which prevents the appearance of irregularities and faults. Then the pipe bends in the same way, as in the case of the spring. Used wire is carefully removed from the structure. It is also necessary to check, whether there are any segments left in the pipe.
Application of sand. One of the most time consuming ways to bend. It is often used in those cases, if the required spring size cannot be found. In the detail of the pipeline is filled with fine sifted sand so, so that no empty spaces remain in the pipe. Plugs are put on both ends of the pipe, to prevent sand from spilling. The product is clamped in a vise in place, quite far from the intended bend. Before bending, the pipe section is heated with a blowtorch.
Wrinkle! There is a danger of overheating the pipe, therefore it is necessary to check up degree of incandescence of sand. To do this, bring a sheet of paper to the place of heating. If the paper starts to char, so the sand is quite calcined.
Sand, poured inside the pipe, will prevent deformation of a pipe in the course of bending
After giving the product the desired shape, the sand is poured. If necessary, the pipe can be flushed. Salt can also be used instead of sand.
How to bend metal-plastic pipes with a pipe bender
Pipe bender (Volnov's machine) Is a device, thanks to which it is possible to bend easily metalplastic pipes in house conditions. The pipe bender will allow to bend designs without preliminary heating, the bending radius can be reached 180 degrees. Flexible metal-plastic products with the help of a pipe bender are absolutely safe, at the same time the possibility of marriage of a detail is completely excluded. Volnov's manual machine has a simple design. It consists of a handle, moving roller, roller template, brackets and bent pipe. It is very easy to use this device, you can even make it yourself.
Crossbow or spring pipe benders are most often used at home. Surface, which will bend the pipe, it is better to lightly lubricate with oil before starting work. This will reduce friction between parts, and the surface of the pipe will not be damaged.
Wrinkle! An analogue of a pipe bender can be made at home. It will consist of boards, sawn in a semicircular pattern. Such a pipe bender must be tightly fixed to the base. Importantly, so that the thickness of the board exceeds the diameter of the pipe.
On sale there are more modernized models of pipe benders, such as hydraulic or electromechanical. In the economy, the pipe bender can be useful only for its intended purpose, that is, during the repair or installation of the pipeline. Therefore, buying expensive models makes sense only if, if a very large amount of work is to be performed or if such work is to be permanent.
Working with pipe benders reduces the risk of deformation of the pipe during bending
Calculation of the bending radius of a metal-plastic pipe
There is a universal formula for calculating the bending radius of a metal-plastic structure. According to this formula, the bending radius will be equal to 5 pipe cross-sectional diameters. The principle of operation of this rule can be clearly seen in the example of a pipe with a diameter 20 mm:
- For further calculations, you need to determine a quarter of a circle. If the specified diameter is equal to 20 mm, then the radius, according to the formula is equal to 100 mm (20 X 5 = 100).
- The starting points for bending the angle are calculated. The formula C = is used 2? R / 4, where C is the size of the plot, on which work will be carried out; ? = 3,14; and R is the radius obtained above. Substituting your own data, it turns out the following: 2 * 3,14 * 100 mm / 4 = 157 mm. so, section of pipe length 157 mm will be involved in bending.
- It turns out, that everyone 10-20 mm are about 15 degrees of total bending. On the surface of the pipe is marked with a pencil the boundaries of the site. Now you can start any way flexible.
Flexible metal-plastic pipes at home: tips and tricks
Before starting work, you should make a few test bends on the sample. This will help determine the desired pressure force, choose a comfortable position and flexible way. But whatever bending method was chosen, strong pressure and inflections must not be allowed. Perfectly smooth bending will not be possible to make a sharp movement.
Metal-plastic pipes of different brands and manufacturers will have different degrees of rigidity. In accordance, they will also bend differently. If you have no experience in using plastic products, you can buy several segments for training. For, that the pipe kept the necessary form, you can bend it to a sharper angle, and then unfold to the desired. So the design will be securely fixed.
All technologies are flexible metal-plastic pipes, described above, time-tested and actively used in the construction industry. In creating a smooth bend of the pipe, does not disrupt the system, there is nothing technically complicated. The main thing is to follow the instructions and act as carefully as possible.