roll cages exhaust pipes

[511 nova]

How do you guys bend your tubing for your cages and exhaust? Do you use solid or hollow tubing. Thanks

[am73grand]

I use solid Evergreen rod and bend it over a candle

[511 nova]

Thanks for the reply. Im trying to get a tight 45 and it wants to kink and distort

[tubbs]

I use solid styrene rod. if you use hollow, you can put a piece of aluminum or brass rod inside to keep it from collapsing. I usually bend mine with no heat. takes longer, I just haven't mastered the "how long you heat the rod" part of the whole candle thing. I end up with a wet noodle rod. it takes practice.

[John Pol]

Use #222 evergreen solid rod for your roll bar

[W-409]

I use solid rod, too. It's made by Evergreen and it can be bent really easily with a candle. I think it's important to heat up the rod as little as possible so that it won't melt. If you heat too little and it doesn't bend, you can always heat it up a bit more and try again. But if it melts, of course you need a new piece of styrene rod...

[Ace-Garageguy]

If you bend solid rod cold, slowly and carefully, PAST the point you want it to be, and then glue it in place before it springs back...well, that's how I do it.

It helps to pin the ends, and reinforce the joints (make "weld fillets") with gel superglue.

Edited August 7, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ratrodtommy77]

I just use the frame that all the parts are on and when I have an empty frame I trim it and sort out what sizes i need and warm it and bend it accordingly

[wayne swayze]

Using heat does the trick, but DON'T BURN YOURSELF. Keep the styrene rod far enough away from your heat source, and as soon as you feel the styrene "getting loose" ( before it shrivels up), bend it around a form to get the angles uniform, then let it cool down on it's own. Years ago, I used a lit cigarette to heat the styrene, but I don't smoke any more.....wished I never had started! Anyway, using that method, this is an example of uniform bends to make headers. These are 1/32 scale, so .060 in diameter.