another option that works well: Temporarily cap one end of the pvc, heat up some sand in your oven or over a burner/grill to about 250-275ºF, use a funnel to pour the hot sand into the pvc and cap the other end, let the pvc heat up then bend as much as you need and leave to cool. The sand will both heat the pipe and prevent it from collapsing/kinking.
I first saw one of those heat guns when I was in the Job Corps in the early '80s. The automotive instructor was using it to solder a carb float back onto its bracket. He told me that the Job Corps had originally bought 3 of them to be used in the gym locker room as blow dryers. They were soon removed and given to a couple of the training courses when they started "frizzing" the guys' hair.
had one of these exact models. after about 6 months the element broke/ burned out. i found the replacement element cost more than the gun and the warranty specifically excludes the element. bought cheap guns ever since. you can get 1500 watt guns cheap. that's the max you can get from a 120 outlet anyway.
Thanks for this video. Have you tried larger diameter pipe, like 4-inch PVC using this method and does it work OK? Also have you tried thinner-walled Sewer and Drain pipe made from HDPE?
@@MrHolz1234 no, so far the biggest I’ve done is 2 inch. And it takes a bit more skill than bending the smaller diameters. Nor have I done any thin wall, I bet it’s so fragile you’d have to pack it with sand in order to get a king free bend.
@@MrHardware1 Many thanks. That's getting to be a good bit of sand when you get up to 4" pipe so that is why I have avoided trying that. Plus the wife really not wanted 50 lbs of sand in her oven! I also have not seen anyone trying to bend HDPE pipe (and although HDPE may bend easier in general, the triple wall, and thinness of that pipe make me wonder how it would work).
Huh. That's sch 40 PVC designed for water supply, right? I occasionally use EMT for projects outside of its intended use, never thought about using PVC for anything other than plumbing. Opens up a lot of possibilities!
Great advice! It looks like the PVC push bar on your screen door is painted. I've been making Halloween fencing out of PVC and CPVC. I sand each piece and then right before I apply paint, I clean the piece with acetone. The paint sticks OK, but if it was something designed to be handled multiple times a day like a door handle I can't imagine it would last very long. What is your trick to making the paint stick to PVC?
I’m using rust-oleum painters touch 2X. It’s the ultra cover paint and primer spray paint. It’s a couple years old but I’m pretty sure that it’s still made but under another label now. Most spray paint now states that it’s for all surfaces including plastic. That’s the one I would be looking for.
A reasonable and clever method.. Additional benefit: He said the finished product is stronger than a store-bought bend coupled to a straight tube. But to this forces the occasional practitioner to work "blind." SO... I AM CURIOUS: It would be easier to use a tubing bender, after heating the PVC... ¿No? Would that result in a DREADED KINK?
@@stevetakacs849 I just did, and after bending it and holding it for about a minute when I released it from my bender, it’s sprung back to 80% straight. I’m still going to be heating to bend them so that when they cool they stay at the exact shape I wanted.
Ppl say heat sand and dump in pipe. Well iv never done it but im about to do it jus a lil diff. Im gonna just fill pipe with cold sand and then use a heat gun. Sand kepps pip from kinking and its way faster and not have to cook sand then cools way quicker as well. I mean im guessing because iv never shaped pvc befor but i dnt see why thats not the fastest go to ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR YARD IS SAND
@@rickyrickharris4908 the sand is a heat sink and probably will triple the time required to get the pipe up to temperature to bend. Good idea but with a ‘top plate’ on your template to prevent the kink the job is much faster.
Looking to use this method to make large wedding arch's- 2meter diameter large. What diameter pvc pipe have you used please and do you think this will work? Trying to use PVC as I can paint it unlike metal.
@@tp0741tp 1 1/2” pvc pipe should do it easily. Seeing as there is no ‘load’ other than flowers you could probably godown to 1 1/4”. 2 meters wide mean’s you’ll need to bend
2 -10’ pieces of pipe and join them in the center. I’d look for ‘pressure couplings’ (pressure couplings are almost twice as long as drain couplings) for the coupler and use several sheet metal screws for the attachment. Don’t glue…. I’d make a template w/wood on a piece of plywood so both halves are bent the same shape.
It is an old Milwaukee that I purchased back when I used to do a lot of laminate, and that heat gun would soften up the glue without ruining the laminate so I could remove it and reposition it.
I have a question I'm wanting to bend a 3" 5' pvc pipe and I capped both ends already is it dangerous for me to use a heat gun just enough for me to Bend it a few inches 😅 I'm thinking not and probably need to jist buy new pipes but hopefully not
The increased air pressure on the inside of that pipe when you heat it just may cause that pipe to bubble, as you are trying to bend it. If possible, I would suggest drilling a hole that you could take a sheet metal screw with a rubber washer under the head of it to resealed the pipe after you drilled an escape pole.
In other words if you need to bend a pipe only 45 degrees you got nothing to worry about. And if you just put hot sand inside the pipe, youi can bend it to your hearts content with no concern about any kinks. Pur your sand in the oven and heat it to 450 degrees, pour it in your pipe. No need to fill the pipe. Just block one of the pipe and pour it where you want to bend. When you are satisfied just pour the sand out from the other end.
I just bent eight pvc rafters for a kayak rack in my complex here using heat gun. I was bending them in about two minutes each. My tougher bends. I do make a jig with the spacer and a plywood cap to keep them from kinking because I just can’t get the sand to the section of the pipe where I want to make the bend without getting the rest of the pipe too soft.
@@MrHardware1 The idea of confining the pipe by some means ( i.e. plywood) is brilliant. Yesterday I used your technic of heating and bending a 3 inch pvc used for drain and since I only needed a 45 degree angle I figured it won't need confinement. Plus I did not need to have a short length 45 degrees as long as my entire 3 foot pipe was at 45 was all I cared about. It worked just as the doctor ordered. 🙂 Thank you.
Not that I noticed, however if you had a meter to measure the parts per million while the pipe is being heated, I bet it would be elevated. I would think very little though.
The tubing can only kink as wide as the gap built by spacing the plywood off the base. There is a learning curve which I’m hoping this video will minimize. I ruined a few bends by not getting the pvc hot enough or even enough through the bend.
The idea is fine but the execution is painful. Oy. When I do this I like to put a spring inside, hook a vacuum hose to 1 end & turn it on to help it cool
You're doing that all wrong. Throw that heat gun away and buy yourself a heat box. Take a piece of pipe and cut it to a workable length. fill the pipe slap full of sand, place an end cap on each end of the pipe, heat in the heat box, then form. The reason you get kinks in the pipe is from air space. Eliminate air space for a perfect bend.
another option that works well: Temporarily cap one end of the pvc, heat up some sand in your oven or over a burner/grill to about 250-275ºF, use a funnel to pour the hot sand into the pvc and cap the other end, let the pvc heat up then bend as much as you need and leave to cool. The sand will both heat the pipe and prevent it from collapsing/kinking.
But how do you keep the hot sand just in the bend area. Or do you make a forming jig for the entire length?
@@billsemenoffyou fill the entire length of pvc pipe with sand. There is a TH-cam on that version btw. Good luck!
@@billsemenoffyou could probably make a sand sandwich.
Prefill with cold , then hot, then cold sand again. Probably premesure amounts as well.
This 100%
are there any tips to created nested pvc pipes ( pipe within pipe) that are bent while still maintaining gap without kink
Thumbs up. Best hardware advice and hardware store on the planet!
One trick I've been using is to roll/rotate the pipe while bending it. This rotates the bend in the corner and it smooths out.
Thanks sir, I need to make a couple rod holders for my raft, they are from $350 to $500 to buy. If I can make something that works I’ll be damn happy…
I first saw one of those heat guns when I was in the Job Corps in the early '80s. The automotive instructor was using it to solder a carb float back onto its bracket. He told me that the Job Corps had originally bought 3 of them to be used in the gym locker room as blow dryers. They were soon removed and given to a couple of the training courses when they started "frizzing" the guys' hair.
had one of these exact models. after about 6 months the element broke/ burned out. i found the replacement element cost more than the gun and the warranty specifically excludes the element. bought cheap guns ever since. you can get 1500 watt guns cheap. that's the max you can get from a 120 outlet anyway.
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Thanks for posting this! Working on another PVC project that I need to bend some! Love it!
Wow that awesome your first one I saw to do it kink free AAA My friend 😊 I got remember what you did, I'll hold on to your video if you don't mind
Thanks, my headache is gone 👍
thanks - awesome tip. Will use this to fit a PVR downpipe.
VERY NICE
Great video and great ideas for PVC!
Thanks for this video. Have you tried larger diameter pipe, like 4-inch PVC using this method and does it work OK? Also have you tried thinner-walled Sewer and Drain pipe made from HDPE?
@@MrHolz1234 no, so far the biggest I’ve done is 2 inch. And it takes a bit more skill than bending the smaller diameters. Nor have I done any thin wall, I bet it’s so fragile you’d have to pack it with sand in order to get a king free bend.
@@MrHardware1 Many thanks. That's getting to be a good bit of sand when you get up to 4" pipe so that is why I have avoided trying that. Plus the wife really not wanted 50 lbs of sand in her oven! I also have not seen anyone trying to bend HDPE pipe (and although HDPE may bend easier in general, the triple wall, and thinness of that pipe make me wonder how it would work).
Not fussed on kinky benders , good vid by the way 👍🏻
Good stuff, like the plywood squash trick. Thanks!
I do this but have a thin bent piece of aluminum to keep the heat in while using the heat gun.
Great advice and great comments! Thanks so much😊
Huh. That's sch 40 PVC designed for water supply, right? I occasionally use EMT for projects outside of its intended use, never thought about using PVC for anything other than plumbing. Opens up a lot of possibilities!
Always the best
I like the health & safety aspect, working in flip-flops....🤣
@@lawrencehenson8409 you’re just jealous. 🩴🥽👨🔬
Great advice! It looks like the PVC push bar on your screen door is painted. I've been making Halloween fencing out of PVC and CPVC. I sand each piece and then right before I apply paint, I clean the piece with acetone. The paint sticks OK, but if it was something designed to be handled multiple times a day like a door handle I can't imagine it would last very long. What is your trick to making the paint stick to PVC?
I’m using rust-oleum painters touch 2X. It’s the ultra cover paint and primer spray paint. It’s a couple years old but I’m pretty sure that it’s still made but under another label now. Most spray paint now states that it’s for all surfaces including plastic. That’s the one I would be looking for.
VERY GOOD.
Outstanding
A reasonable and clever method.. Additional benefit: He said the finished product is stronger than a store-bought bend coupled to a straight tube. But to this forces the occasional practitioner to work "blind." SO... I AM CURIOUS: It would be easier to use a tubing bender, after heating the PVC... ¿No? Would that result in a DREADED KINK?
I used to bend 90s on pvc conduit all the time by just sticking it in a conduit bender and bending it cold. Try it.
@@stevetakacs849 I just did, and after bending it and holding it for about a minute when I released it from my bender, it’s sprung back to 80% straight. I’m still going to be heating to bend them so that when they cool they stay at the exact shape I wanted.
Ppl say heat sand and dump in pipe. Well iv never done it but im about to do it jus a lil diff. Im gonna just fill pipe with cold sand and then use a heat gun. Sand kepps pip from kinking and its way faster and not have to cook sand then cools way quicker as well. I mean im guessing because iv never shaped pvc befor but i dnt see why thats not the fastest go to ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR YARD IS SAND
@@rickyrickharris4908 the sand is a heat sink and probably will triple the time required to get the pipe up to temperature to bend. Good idea but with a ‘top plate’ on your template to prevent the kink the job is much faster.
Would bending the PVC weaken it to the point of it not being as structural as strong as the original straight piece of PVC?
I know it’s not stronger but it seem to ‘temper’ it a little making it stiffer. Not as flexible.
@@MrHardware1 Thanks, I was just curious and didn't know.
Looking to use this method to make large wedding arch's- 2meter diameter large. What diameter pvc pipe have you used please and do you think this will work? Trying to use PVC as I can paint it unlike metal.
@@tp0741tp 1 1/2” pvc pipe should do it easily. Seeing as there is no ‘load’ other than flowers you could probably godown to 1 1/4”. 2 meters wide mean’s you’ll need to bend
2 -10’ pieces of pipe and join them in the center. I’d look for ‘pressure couplings’ (pressure couplings are almost twice as long as drain couplings) for the coupler and use several sheet metal screws for the attachment. Don’t glue…. I’d make a template w/wood on a piece of plywood so both halves are bent the same shape.
Email a pic or sketch to blair@mrhardware if you want more guidance. I’m traveling for a few days so I won’t see them until next week…..
What kind of heat gun is that ?
It is an old Milwaukee that I purchased back when I used to do a lot of laminate, and that heat gun would soften up the glue without ruining the laminate so I could remove it and reposition it.
@@MrHardware1 a red one.
I am wanting to make a 30" diameter 1/2 circle with 3/4 x 11/2 pvc bar stock. Will this method work on my project?
You’ll have to try, I never bent pvc barstock. If it’s the same material as pvc pipe I would.
fill it up with heated sand and it will be so much easier and kink free.
I have a question I'm wanting to bend a 3" 5' pvc pipe and I capped both ends already is it dangerous for me to use a heat gun just enough for me to Bend it a few inches 😅 I'm thinking not and probably need to jist buy new pipes but hopefully not
The increased air pressure on the inside of that pipe when you heat it just may cause that pipe to bubble, as you are trying to bend it. If possible, I would suggest drilling a hole that you could take a sheet metal screw with a rubber washer under the head of it to resealed the pipe after you drilled an escape pole.
@MrHardware1 I thought the same as to make a small hole but what can I plug it with after so water don't get in it and ty for the reply
do you use a special paint to prevent the tubing from going bad from uv light. sun light??
White PVC does not go bad in the sunlight, but when I want a particular color I paint it with fusion spray paint.
mind as well pull out all your tools just to heat and bend pvc, for a hoop garden I won't mind the knink
In other words if you need to bend a pipe only 45 degrees you got nothing to worry about. And if you just put hot sand inside the pipe, youi can bend it to your hearts content with no concern about any kinks.
Pur your sand in the oven and heat it to 450 degrees, pour it in your pipe. No need to fill the pipe. Just block one of the pipe and pour it where you want to bend.
When you are satisfied just pour the sand out from the other end.
I just bent eight pvc rafters for a kayak rack in my complex here using heat gun. I was bending them in about two minutes each. My tougher bends. I do make a jig with the spacer and a plywood cap to keep them from kinking because I just can’t get the sand to the section of the pipe where I want to make the bend without getting the rest of the pipe too soft.
@@MrHardware1 The idea of confining the pipe by some means ( i.e. plywood) is brilliant. Yesterday I used your technic of heating and bending a 3 inch pvc used for drain and since I only needed a 45 degree angle I figured it won't need confinement. Plus I did not need to have a short length 45 degrees as long as my entire 3 foot pipe was at 45 was all I cared about.
It worked just as the doctor ordered. 🙂
Thank you.
we used to fill pvc conduit with sand, we did not have a heat gun so used a propane torch very carefully.
Do you have to worry about fumes while heating the pipe.
Not that I noticed, however if you had a meter to measure the parts per million while the pipe is being heated, I bet it would be elevated. I would think very little though.
Have tried just rolling it while you bend it hot
@@magenlin it gets worse, folds and collapses
@@MrHardware1 dude I made a sweep 90 today for wire today looks factory
@@magenlin Nice, did you roll it? What diameter, 1/2, 3/4 and 1” aren’t too hard.
Glad to see that safety flip flops.
You know it's easy if you cap it electrical tape on it put hot water then in a few minutes you can bend it easy.
Oh, I see.. the plywood "squashes" the pipe back into a round shape
No, the plywood traps the pipe so it can’t kink as you bend it.
You can't see shi8t with the plywood on top so how do you even know what is going on underneath it or if there is or is not a kink?
The tubing can only kink as wide as the gap built by spacing the plywood off the base. There is a learning curve which I’m hoping this video will minimize. I ruined a few bends by not getting the pvc hot enough or even enough through the bend.
The idea is fine but the execution is painful. Oy. When I do this I like to put a spring inside, hook a vacuum hose to 1 end & turn it on to help it cool
You're doing that all wrong. Throw that heat gun away and buy yourself a heat box. Take a piece of pipe and cut it to a workable length. fill the pipe slap full of sand, place an end cap on each end of the pipe, heat in the heat box, then form. The reason you get kinks in the pipe is from air space. Eliminate air space for a perfect bend.
Leftylou6070 what do you use to heat your heatbox.?