Valentin Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 Ever had the problem of twisting the tube till it colapsed ? well i had i am just wondering how is this machine made ? Take a look : Rotary Type Tube Swaging Machine, Rotary Swaging Machines, swaging equipment, swaging machine pipe bender exhaust pipe bender beading machine copper pipe bender mandrel pipe bender,Swaging Machine - B2B Manufacturers Directory Taiwan,China Swagers,Sw Any idees about a home made one ? You have to admit that the forms that the machine can make are really nice. In the long turn let's see if we can make one ....we made anvils, forges, power hammers, presses, benders even twisting machines and some of us here i think made a hole lathe ... Man i love the outcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Thompson Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 I came across a chap called Diss in northern France a few years ago who was making spokes for carriage wheels out of tube. He'd made the machine himself and was very proud of it, he produced some very impressive shapes. It's obviously possible to knock something up.The only problem was that he wouldn't even let me into the same room as the machine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgtwister Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 well im not sure how the machine does it if i need to twist say square tube i would packit full of fine sand and drive a plug in it and twist it . the machine i would guess clamps the tube as it turns when you twist any tube it trys to pull back making it shorter and then there for colapseing so if you limit the amount of pull back pressure then that may work these machines may just pull the tube through a mandrel and die in a twisting motion there for making a twist in it and the mandrel stoping the colapse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belargehair Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 It would appear to be more of an extrusion style of fabrication then a twisting type. Maybe that way, they can keep the section of pipe that is receiving the stress of deformation to a fairly short length and avoid collapsing the tube? Quite an amazing machine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 I would say that the title description of the machine pretty much says it all, swaging machine. I looks like a rotary set of swages acting against the outside of the pipe. Thin wall pipe, I think, would need a mandrel of some sort on the inside of it for twisting. I'm sure with a little thought, a junk yard for part and the idea provide by the fine folks with their cross section you could build this machine. These types of machines have been around for a long time so if you look ups some of the old patients maybe you could get some ideas too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aspery Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 I have enjoyed a little success twisting square tubing. I tried to have the corners take more of a supportive role in the twist. To do this I 'gently' tapped the flat sides in to make them slightly concave and the corners proud. I do not try to draw the corners to a point, just make the sides concave. This should twist a little better than stock tubing. Twin convex rollers - one set top and bottom the next set side to side should do this on a large scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeatGuy Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 I twist tubing with a "twist" ... pun intended. I use a large stationary mechanical nibbler either a Pullmax or a Trumpf (currently a Trumpf cn900).Nibbler I usualy make the twist cold but have also made it hot from 5" tube. The nibbler is a very safe, easy to use, and very versitile machine that seems to under utilized within the Blacksmith comunity. In many cases they can be had for a song. brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Leppo Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 A lot of thin-walled tube forming is done over MANDRELS. Bending is done over a flexible BALL Mandrel. (That's how they did it for Motorcycle exhaust when I worked there). I suspect the twisted forms are done by this machine similar to what NeatGuy is doing with his Nibbler, but maybe with rollers. Since the machine exerts consistent pressure across the pipe, distortion and collapse is reduced. During my last year @ the scooter plant, HYDROFORMED pipe was starting to come into use. A collapsed twist is not always bad. Check out Decorative & Sculptural Ironwork by Dona Z. Meilach. Here’s a TP holder I made from 1" od pipe. The 180 deg. turn on the right was twisted AFTER the pipe was slightly flattened to encourage collapse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 SWABA had a whole demo on twisting square tubing to get a number of different designs. The trick was to place a piece of round inside the sq tubing. it turns out that the design you end up with is very dependent on the size difference of the two pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateDJ Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 you can also try filling the tube with sand before twisting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlander Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 you can also try filling the tube with sand before twisting. bah you beat me to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentin Posted November 27, 2008 Author Share Posted November 27, 2008 I twist tubing with a "twist" ... pun intended. I use a large stationary mechanical nibbler either a Pullmax or a Trumpf (currently a Trumpf cn900).Nibbler I usualy make the twist cold but have also made it hot from 5" tube. The nibbler is a very safe, easy to use, and very versitile machine that seems to under utilized within the Blacksmith comunity. In many cases they can be had for a song. brad I like your ideea althow i don't completly understand how the dies are made even after looking at the pictures.Seems that you are twisting tube more easly than i do actualy i am done twisting tubes for now...got tired of tring to insert sand and other pipes in :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devon blacksmith Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 I would think this work is not twisted but swaged by spining it between three adjustable rollers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeatGuy Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 Dies are very easy to make. They are MS fuller dies with a bit piece cut out with a hole saw. The recess is to keep the tubing aligned within the dies. The tool is advanced, raised, (or lower in the case of the trumpf) with each pass. The tube is rotated as it is fed into the dies. There is a spiral in the tube but it is not actually twisted ... if that make sense. I believe that the process could be emulated with a c-frame guiliteene with a fuller or with a power hammer although it would be much slower and harder to control than with a nibbler. I will see if i can make a video of the process. brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Falzone Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 SWABA had a whole demo on twisting square tubing to get a number of different designs. The trick was to place a piece of round inside the sq tubing. it turns out that the design you end up with is very dependent on the size difference of the two pieces. Round bar inside the sqrare tube?!?! That's a great idea - and so logical (reason why I missed it). I had heard about the packed sand method but I couldn't get it to work (granted I only tried once, I kept blowing out the plug and losing the sand). I've got plenty of round bar - gotta try this. Thanks Thomas. Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devon blacksmith Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 NeatGuy I would love to see a video of the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentin Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 I tried round pipe inside the square tubing. It does not work if you want a clasic twist. but it sure works if you whant to have an organic looking shape...just before it brakes. NeatGuy: are the dies perpendicular on the material ?And if they are i supose that the fuller is on an angel towords the material.I also supose that the pipe is round ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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