4 ms·

all you need is a pipe bender, right?

ghostly_s 4y ago
I didn't know pipe benders capable of bending 3" dia steel tubing were accessible to a garage shop. you also need to weld mounting flanges.
- blamazon 4y ago
  I have a pipe bender that looks kinda like this but sideways and yellow and mounted on a tripod. I bought it from a guy who does water-suppression system installs for warehouses. https://www.harborfreight.com/16-ton-hydraulic-pipe-bender-62669.html https://www.harborfreight.com/16-ton-hydraulic-pipe-bender-6...
- throwaway0a5e 4y ago
  The 10/12/14/16-ton pipe benders you get from China go up to 3" nominal (3.5" OD) depending on which one you get. The smallest cheapest ones do 2" nominal pipe (2.5" OD) which is fine for a bike rack.
blamazon 4y ago
For the simplest case yes, a way of bending big pipe and some way to make two big holes in the ground to then cement the thing in. (Or similar) But it quickly gets complicated - making smaller holes in concrete type surfaces is easier, less intrusive, less permanent than making bigger holes, which can lead to the flange method, but then you need some way to make or buy flanges, and then stick them onto the pipe. I make my own flanges out of plate and weld them on but you could go with threaded flanges, I think Home Depot (or similar) can thread high diameter pipe for you. You can also skip the pipe bender by mitering two pipes together with a welder or doing like a pie cut thing. I do that kind of thing for pipe that's harder to bend - bend it to 45deg, miter cut and weld to 90 is a common technique for me. If you look up how DIY car exhausts are fabricated there's a lot of relevant tricks there. With a grinder and some elbow grease you can make it look like it was never welded. For the finishing touch it's nice to have a friend with a galvanizing and powder coating shop :)
- dylan604 4y ago
  - wlesieutre 4y ago
    I think it’s more likely they do it because they know they’re one of relatively few people who has them
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- analog31 4y ago
  >>> With a grinder and some elbow grease you can make it look like it was never welded. Like my 1963 Schwinn! As an alternative, how about threaded pipe and elbows?
  - ithkuil 4y ago
    Wouldn't that allow a thief to just unscrew the pipe? (Yes a tool is necessary, but no need to cut)
    - gog 4y ago
      How would you rotate them to unscrew once the legs are fixed in the ground?
TheSpiceIsLife 4y ago
Not even. 90 degree pipe bends are a stock item most places you can buy pipe.

I didn't know pipe benders capable of bending 3" dia steel tubing were accessible to a garage shop. you also need to weld mounting flanges.

blamazon 4y ago
I have a pipe bender that looks kinda like this but sideways and yellow and mounted on a tripod. I bought it from a guy who does water-suppression system installs for warehouses. https://www.harborfreight.com/16-ton-hydraulic-pipe-bender-62669.html https://www.harborfreight.com/16-ton-hydraulic-pipe-bender-6...
throwaway0a5e 4y ago
The 10/12/14/16-ton pipe benders you get from China go up to 3" nominal (3.5" OD) depending on which one you get. The smallest cheapest ones do 2" nominal pipe (2.5" OD) which is fine for a bike rack.

blamazon 4y ago

For the simplest case yes, a way of bending big pipe and some way to make two big holes in the ground to then cement the thing in. (Or similar) But it quickly gets complicated - making smaller holes in concrete type surfaces is easier, less intrusive, less permanent than making bigger holes, which can lead to the flange method, but then you need some way to make or buy flanges, and then stick them onto the pipe. I make my own flanges out of plate and weld them on but you could go with threaded flanges, I think Home Depot (or similar) can thread high diameter pipe for you. You can also skip the pipe bender by mitering two pipes together with a welder or doing like a pie cut thing. I do that kind of thing for pipe that's harder to bend - bend it to 45deg, miter cut and weld to 90 is a common technique for me. If you look up how DIY car exhausts are fabricated there's a lot of relevant tricks there. With a grinder and some elbow grease you can make it look like it was never welded. For the finishing touch it's nice to have a friend with a galvanizing and powder coating shop :)

dylan604 4y ago
- wlesieutre 4y ago
  I think it’s more likely they do it because they know they’re one of relatively few people who has them
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
analog31 4y ago
>>> With a grinder and some elbow grease you can make it look like it was never welded. Like my 1963 Schwinn! As an alternative, how about threaded pipe and elbows?
- ithkuil 4y ago
  Wouldn't that allow a thief to just unscrew the pipe? (Yes a tool is necessary, but no need to cut)
  - gog 4y ago
    How would you rotate them to unscrew once the legs are fixed in the ground?

TheSpiceIsLife 4y ago

Not even. 90 degree pipe bends are a stock item most places you can buy pipe.