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Tube bender DIY hydraulic conversion - detailed parts list

Im4yotas

@LuckyCloverRacing
Joined
Feb 25, 2021
Member Number
3549
Messages
219
Loc
SoCal
Some of you may remember 20 + years ago when Jay Kopycinski, aka ROKTOY on the old board, did a detailed write up of how he converted his bender to hydraulic. He included the entire parts list and made it very easy for a noob kid, like I was then, to follow and do their own conversion. I did that with my first bender, and his guide helped a ton.

A couple months ago, I found myself in the same situation needing to convert my new model 32 bender to hydraulic. I wanted to look up Jay's old write up to compare performances and spec out my own build. But, I couldn't find it anywhere. So I decided to design and spec my hydraulic system from the ground up, and post it here, hoping it may help someone who otherwise wouldn't have a chance, like me back then.

Jay, if you are lurking here or ever run across this, thank you so much for your detailed write up. You made it possible for me to dive into something I had no clue about.

So first, a quick video of the system in action. This was the very first test bend, which is why I am looking closely when it starts making a bunch of noise. I am very happy with the speed it bends, and the fine control it offers to sneak up on your exact angle.

This is 2" x .120 DOM

 
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I got most of the parts from Surplus Center to make it easier for anyone following along. My goals were to get the most performance out of a 120v 15 amp outlet I could get and not limit the capacity of my model 32 (bend 2" x .250), keep costs down, limit NPT threads and make packaging small. This meant a 1.5 hp motor and a hydraulic cylinder just long enough to get to the first re-pin. If you would rather have one that made it to 90 degrees before re-pinning, you can just get a longer 2" bore cylinder with the same ports and longer hoses.
First thing I did was call JD Squared and get some information on force required to bend 2" x .250 DOM. While they didn't have an exact pounds of force number for me, they were very helpful and shared some drawings and spec sheets. They use a 1.688 bore cylinder and they said that going over 4000 psi could damage the frame but was plenty to handle the bending. Since I wanted to use a more common, cheap 2" bore cylinder, that meant to get an equivalent ~9000 pounds of force, I only needed 2850 psi. This is important because the pump I chose is capable of peak pressures over 3700 psi. So we must not exceed 2850 psi. There is a relief valve built into the listed directional control valve, pre-set at 2250 psi, which I'm guessing will probably never need to be adjusted for my use.

OK, on with the parts list. Major components:

Motor, 1.5 hp 1800 rpm 110/220v reversible, IronHorse MTR2-1P5-1AB18 - https://www.automationdirect.com/ad...eneral_purpose/general_purpose/mtr2-1p5-1ab18

0.12 cu in Dynamic GPF1020PC Hydraulic Gear Pump - 0.12 cu in Dynamic GPF1020PC Hydraulic Pump | Gear Pumps | Hydraulic Pumps | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

Pump mount - SAE AA 2-Bolt To 56C Thru 145TC Electric Motor To Pump Mount Hydra-Mount Corp E49-AA | Hydra-Mount | Brands | www.surpluscenter.com

Pump side coupler, 1/2" L-075 - 1/2" L-075 Jaw Coupling Half | 3 Piece Flexible Jaw Couplers | Shaft Couplers | Power Transmission | www.surpluscenter.com

Motor side coupler, 5/8" L-075 - 5/8" L-075 Jaw Coupling Half | 3 Piece Flexible Jaw Couplers | Shaft Couplers | Power Transmission | www.surpluscenter.com

Coupling elastomer, open center Lovejoy L-AL 075 (I used the Surplus Center L-075 elastomer, but it didn't have the clearance in the center and i had to modify it to work. This one shoulddrop right in) - Lovejoy - 68514410626 10626 Size L-AL 075 Open Center Type Jaw Coupling Elastomer, Urethane, 3/4" Open Center, 1.75" OD, 0.44" Length, 135 in-lbs Nominal Torque: Spider Couplings: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

1 Spool 10 GPM Chief 220906 DA Hydraulic Valve - 1 Spool 10 GPM Chief 220906 DA Hydraulic Valve | Directional Control Valves | Hydraulic Valves | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

2x14x1.25 DA Hydraulic Cylinder Wolverine WWXT2014-S - 2x14x1.25 DA Hydraulic Cylinder Wolverine WWXT2014-S | Double Acting Hydraulic Cylinders | Hydraulic Cylinders | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

3/4" NPT 20 GPM Return Line Filter Dirty Hand Tools 100116 100448 - 3/4" NPT 20 GPM Return Line Filter Dirty Hand Tools 100116 100448 | New Arrivals | www.surpluscenter.com

5000 PSI 2.5" LF LM Gauge Dynamic CF1P-350-A - 5000 PSI 2.5" LF LM Gauge Dynamic CF1P-350-A | Pressure & Vacuum Gauges | Pressure Gauges | Air & Pneumatics | www.surpluscenter.com



The rest of the parts are basically just fittings and hoses. You will probably need to adjust hose lengths and change elbows to straights and vice-versa to fit your specific bender cart/frame/pedestal. Also, I made my own reservoir to fit within my space constraints, so I am including fittings for that. This list will be in order of how the fluid flows through the system, from reservoir to pump to valve to cylinder, back to the valve, to filter and back into the reservoir.

3/4" NPT Plastic Tank Breather Buyers Products HBF12P - 3/4" NPT Plastic Tank Breather Buyers Products HBF12P | Buyers Products | Brands | www.surpluscenter.com

3/4" NPT Stamped Weld-In Tank Flange Buyers Products FS075 for filling and tank breather - 3/4" NPT Stamped Weld-In Tank Flange Buyers Products FS075 | Weld-in Tank Flanges | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

2 each: 1/2" NPT Stamped Weld-In Tank Flange Buyers Products FS050 for supply and return lines - 1/2" NPT Stamped Weld-In Tank Flange Buyers Products FS050 | Weld-in Tank Flanges | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

1/2" Hosebarb x 1/2" NPT Male Straight 4404-08-08 Adapter - 1/2" Hosebarb x 1/2" NPT Male Straight 4404-08-08 Adapter | Hosebarb to NPT Male - Straight | Hose Barbs | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

Pump supply Hydraulic Hose for Push-on Barbed Fittings, 1/2" ID, 25/32" OD. This could probably purchased elsewhere more efficiently. I only needed 6" but had to buy a minimum of 5 feet. So if anyone local needs 4-1/2 feet, come get it! Any 1/2" ID hose rated for suction and hydraulic fluid should work. - McMaster-Carr

2 each: 1/2" to 1-1/4" SAE #12 Worm Gear Hose Clamp 1/2" Wide Ideal 5212 - 1/2" to 1-1/4" SAE #12 Worm Gear Hose Clamp 1/2" Wide Ideal 5212 | Hose Clamps | Air Fittings | Air & Pneumatics | www.surpluscenter.com

1/2" Hosebarb x SAE 8 Male 90 Degree Elbow 4601-08-08 Adapter, supply line to pump inlet - 1/2" Hosebarb x SAE 8 Male 90 Degree Elbow 4601-08-08 Adapter | Hosebarb to SAE Male - Right Angle | Hose Barbs | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

JIC 6 Male x SAE 6 Male 45 Degree Elbow 6802-06-06 Adapter, pump outlet - JIC 6 Male x SAE 6 Male 45 Degree Elbow 6802-06-06 Adapter | JIC Male to SAE Male - 45 Degree | JIC to SAE O-ring | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

3/8" x 48" JIC 6F Swivel x JIC 6F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5000 PSI, pump to valve hose - 3/8" x 48" JIC 6F Swivel x JIC 6F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5000 PSI NRP Jones | Hydraulic Hose Assemblies | Hydraulic Hose and Hose Assemblies | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

JIC 6 Male x JIC 6 Male x JIC 6 Male Tee 2603-06-06-06 Adapter, Pressure line tee to valve and the pressure gauge - JIC 6 Male x JIC 6 Male x JIC 6 Male Tee 2603-06-06-06 Adapter | JIC Male - Tee | JIC to JIC | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

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awesome thank you for sharing :smokin:

were you using any lube in the video?
No. I don't like to make everything so messy and hard to mark on. But if it is always that loud, I may have to! Hopefully just have to wear in the dies a little or clean up the tube better...
 
JIC 6 Female Swivel x 1/4" NPT Female Straight 6506-06-04 Adapter, Adapter from tee to Pressure gauge - 6506-06-04 Hydraulic Fitting 3/8" Female JIC Swivel X 1/4" Female Pipe Carbon Steel 6506-06-04 Hydraulic Fitting 3/8" Female JIC Swivel X 1/4" Female Pipe Carbon Steel: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

JIC 6 Female Cap 304-C-6, cap for tee because the pressure gauge fitting has been on backorder forever. Skip if you can get the gauge fitting - JIC 6 Female Cap 304-C-6 | JIC Caps | Plugs & Caps | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

JIC 6 Female Swivel x JIC 6 Female Swivel Straight 6508-06-06 Adapter, from tee to valve adapter - JIC 6 Female Swivel x JIC 6 Female Swivel Straight 6508-06-06 Adapter | JIC Female Swivel to JIC Female Swivel Union | JIC to JIC | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

JIC 6 Male x SAE 10 Male Straight 6400-06-10 Adapter, directional control valve inlet, connect to port P - JIC 6 Male x SAE 10 Male Straight 6400-06-10 Adapter | JIC Male to SAE Male - Straight | JIC to SAE O-ring | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

JIC 6 Male x SAE 8 Male 90 Degree Elbow 6801-06-08 Adapter, valve working port to cylinder - JIC 6 Male x SAE 8 Male 90 Degree Elbow 6801-06-08 Adapter | JIC Male to SAE Male - Right Angle | JIC to SAE O-ring | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

SAE 8 Male x JIC 8 Female Swivel Straight 6402-08-08 Adapter, other valve working port. Swivel needed because you can't thread 2 standard elbows in that close to each other, don't ask me how I know this for sure :shaking: - SAE 8 Male x JIC 8 Female Swivel Straight 6402-08-08 Adapter | JIC Female Swivel to SAE Male - Straight | JIC to SAE O-ring | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

JIC 8 Male x JIC 6 Male 90 Degree Elbow 2500-08-06 Adapter, elbow for above Swivel - JIC 8 Male x JIC 6 Male 90 Degree Elbow 2500-08-06 Adapter | JIC Male to JIC Male - Right Angle | JIC to JIC | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

2 each: 1/4" x 12" JIC 6F Swivel x JIC 6F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5800 PSI, valve to cylinder hoses. These are just barely long enough for my setup with the valve mounted directly over the middle of the cylinder. You will most likely need longer hoses here. - 1/4" x 12" JIC 6F Swivel x JIC 6F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5800 PSI NRP Jones | Hydraulic Hose Assemblies | Hydraulic Hose and Hose Assemblies | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

2 each: JIC 6 Male x SAE 6 Male 90 Degree Elbow 6801-06-06 Adapter, cylinder fittings - JIC 6 Male x SAE 6 Male 90 Degree Elbow 6801-06-06 Adapter | JIC Male to SAE Male - Right Angle | JIC to SAE O-ring | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

JIC 8 Male x SAE 10 Male 90 Degree Elbow 6801-08-10 Adapter, valve return line adapter. Connect to port T - JIC 8 Male x SAE 10 Male 90 Degree Elbow 6801-08-10 Adapter | JIC Male to SAE Male - Right Angle | JIC to SAE O-ring | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

3/8" x 36" JIC 8F Swivel x JIC 8F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5000 PSI, return line from valve to filter - 3/8" x 36" JIC 8F Swivel x JIC 8F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5000 PSI NRP Jones | Hydraulic Hose Assemblies | Hydraulic Hose and Hose Assemblies | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

JIC 8 Male x 3/8" NPT Male 45 Degree Elbow 2503-08-06 Adapter, hose to filter inlet bushing adapter - JIC 8 Male x 3/8" NPT Male 45 Degree Elbow 2503-08-06 Adapter | JIC Male to NPT Male - 45 Degree | JIC to NPT | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

2 each: 3/4" NPT Male x 3/8" NPT Female Straight 5406-12-06 Adapter - Economy Bushing No Chamfer, filter inlet and outlet bushings - 3/4" NPT Male x 3/8" NPT Female Straight 5406-12-06 Adapter - Economy Bushing No Chamfer | NPT Female to NPT Male - Bushing | NPT to NPT | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com


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JIC 8 Male x 3/8" NPT Male 90 Degree Elbow 2501-08-06 Adapter, filter outlet bushing to reservoir return line - JIC 8 Male x 3/8" NPT Male 90 Degree Elbow 2501-08-06 Adapter | JIC Male to NPT Male - Right Angle | JIC to NPT | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

3/8" x 12" JIC 8F Swivel x JIC 8F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5000 PSI, reservoir return line - 3/8" x 12" JIC 8F Swivel x JIC 8F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5000 PSI NRP Jones | Hydraulic Hose Assemblies | Hydraulic Hose and Hose Assemblies | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

JIC 8 Male x 1/2" NPT Male 90 Degree Elbow 2501-08-08 Adapter, return line to reservoir fitting - JIC 8 Male x 1/2" NPT Male 90 Degree Elbow 2501-08-08 Adapter | JIC Male to NPT Male - Right Angle | JIC to NPT | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com




OK, I think that covers it. The fittings and hoses are surprisingly cheap, so I would encourage you to buy elbows and straights or longer and shorter hoses in areas where you can't figure out for sure what you need or what will fit on your stand.

That's about $550 from Surplus Center, plus $60 for shipping. $250 for the motor, and another ~$30 for the other small parts from McMaster and Amazon. I also spent $55 on a 5 gallon pail of ISO 68 hydraulic fluid, and another $50 or so on hardware and the electrical components. So I was just under $1000 all in.

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What is your opinion on this vs the swag set up using the HF air over hydro?

I have the model 32 with the swag setup and am pretty happy with it. Yours looks a little smoother and probably faster. Also nice to not be taxing your compressor.
 
I have th HF air over on my got trikes bender. It would be nice to have a two way cylinder to get the tube loose from the dies after bending.
 
What is your opinion on this vs the swag set up using the HF air over hydro?

I have the model 32 with the swag setup and am pretty happy with it. Yours looks a little smoother and probably faster. Also nice to not be taxing your compressor.
Definitely going to be faster than the air over hydro, but cost a little more, too. I do most of my work in the garage late at night and early in the morning, so I can't be running the air compressor. With my cordless power tools, the compressor almost never runs anyways.
 
wow prices are now high. I bought it all from jd2 for 850 2 years ago. Nice job on the write up
 
Yah, prices have definitely gone up. When I originally priced it out a year ago or more it was around $750-800, and things have gone up even since I ordered a couple months ago. I was pretty surprised what the total on this list came to
 
Just curious,

What made you source all these parts VS buying a already together pump?



I am going to probably add all these items together and buy them later!
 
Just curious,

What made you source all these parts VS buying a already together pump?



I am going to probably add all these items together and buy them later!
That's a 10,000PSI max pump rated at 0.25GPM to 1.3GPM with a 1hp motor vs a 3700PSI max pump rated at 0.94PSI at 1800RPM with a 1.5HP motor.
It would be much slower and would need a pressure relief valve between the motor and the ram to limit the pressure to 2200PSI.


Aaron Z
 
That thing looks like a piece of junk, too. I have a lot more confidence in the components I sourced.

I also wanted the control valve separate to mount where I wanted it.
 
Got a little time with this on a roll bar for a friend's flatty. Hydraulics worked awesome. 1.75 x .120 DOM. Wish I would have had the pressure gauge just to see how much it was working to bend it. But the adapter for the gauge has been on back order for several months and kept getting pushed back.
So I found another one on Amazon. 6506-06-04 Hydraulic Fitting 3/8" Female JIC Swivel X 1/4" Female Pipe Carbon Steel 6506-06-04 Hydraulic Fitting 3/8" Female JIC Swivel X 1/4" Female Pipe Carbon Steel: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
I updated the parts list with this new link. Now I have my gauge mounted and I can set my pressure relief right where I want it and see how much different tubes take to bend.
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Thank you for posting this build. Do you have any more detailed pictures of the design of the cylinder mount.
 
Thank you for posting this build. Do you have any more detailed pictures of the design of the cylinder mount.

I was planning on welding it on at first, but I just ended up bolting it on and making it a lot more complicated...

The one large bolt and sleeve was easy, but the second hole was right over the cylinder with not enough room for short bolts. So I welded 1" round bar into the 1/4" plate for dowels and then tapped for a smaller bolt just to keep it all snug.
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Thank you. Some of the designs allow the cylinder to pivot at that point. I was trying to wrap my head around exactly how yours is designed there.

Great write up I have the parts needed to convert mine in the mail. I never used my old bender much given how much work it was. I’m really hoping I’ll use this one more often.
 
Have followers improved over the years? I never went hydro for that one reason.
 
Just curious,

What made you source all these parts VS buying a already together pump?



I am going to probably add all these items together and buy them later!
You would want to use a smaller bore 10k psi cylinder for that pump. That's easy enough to source too but they are usually stroke limited to 10" or so.
 
JIC 8 Male x 3/8" NPT Male 90 Degree Elbow 2501-08-06 Adapter, filter outlet bushing to reservoir return line - JIC 8 Male x 3/8" NPT Male 90 Degree Elbow 2501-08-06 Adapter | JIC Male to NPT Male - Right Angle | JIC to NPT | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

3/8" x 12" JIC 8F Swivel x JIC 8F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5000 PSI, reservoir return line - 3/8" x 12" JIC 8F Swivel x JIC 8F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5000 PSI NRP Jones | Hydraulic Hose Assemblies | Hydraulic Hose and Hose Assemblies | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

JIC 8 Male x 1/2" NPT Male 90 Degree Elbow 2501-08-08 Adapter, return line to reservoir fitting - JIC 8 Male x 1/2" NPT Male 90 Degree Elbow 2501-08-08 Adapter | JIC Male to NPT Male - Right Angle | JIC to NPT | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com




OK, I think that covers it. The fittings and hoses are surprisingly cheap, so I would encourage you to buy elbows and straights or longer and shorter hoses in areas where you can't figure out for sure what you need or what will fit on your stand.

That's about $550 from Surplus Center, plus $60 for shipping. $250 for the motor, and another ~$30 for the other small parts from McMaster and Amazon. I also spent $55 on a 5 gallon pail of ISO 68 hydraulic fluid, and another $50 or so on hardware and the electrical components. So I was just under $1000 all in.

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Kick ass on this build, I get a lot of pride from "useless" added "flair" to tools I build, yours fits that for sure.:beer:
 
Have followers improved over the years? I never went hydro for that one reason.
What was the issue with the followers?

But, yes, they have improved. From JD2 website:
NEWLY DESIGNED GENERATION 3 FOLLOW BARS - They are half the weight of the older style and utilize bolt-on inserts that are on average 243% stronger. Insert pads are machined to within 1/1000th of a degree to the theoretically perfect angle for optimum bend quality. Inserts are made from a non-galling bearing material to prevent scratching of expensive material. Delrin inserts are also available for use with aluminum. A roll pin holds the follow bar in position while loading tubing. With over 600 hours in R&D and tooling preparation, we are confident these are the best die sets on the market today.
 
I have always put some lube on mine, they have never made that horrid noise
nice build, use lube:beer:
 
What was the issue with the followers?
First off its a old jd2 so that into account. The followers would gall and transfer material and create a groove down the entire follower. It was worse on a friends hydro bender. I started using mc chain lube right after it happened the first time, it doesn’t get squished out.
 
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