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cage construction?

that bender is worthless, get a jd2 or protools, im getting mine next week and have spent over $600 on just the bender and 1 die.

it would be cheaper if all you want is your cage, but if your going to do few cages and bumpers and other stuff, it might be worth to buy a bender, but you need to weld good.

a 1.75" .120 wall DOM cage is plenty if designed well.
 
The simple answer is that by the time you acquire the bender, the tubing and the "experience"..... (by making mistakes and wasting tubing) you will have spent a LOT more than either buying a kit, or having someone build it for you.

The only way to break-even on a bender/dies/welder/notcher is to also plan on building your own bumpers, sliders, armor, and maybe a few parts for friends. The initial costs are too high to make it a practical purchase for just a one-off cage project.



/forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif
 
the ebay ad should read [ QUOTE ]
12 Ton Pipe Bender/ Tubing Kinker

[/ QUOTE ] They're really meant for pipe not tubing. On a side note many people use schedule 80 pipe for cages, and schedule 40 for bumpers/armor. Do a search pipe vs. tube has been covered many a times.

Nate /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
Sched 80 for a cage? /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif You do realize sched 80 is 1/4" wall or more right? Two things come to mind...number one is I'd hate to be the poor slob trying to bend a 90 on sched 80 and secondly the cage would weigh around 600 lbs when you were done. Even sched 40 would be way heavier than practical. /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif

Rene
 
Pipe is okay for non-critical pieces such as bumpers, sliders. One member here has used pipe for those and hasn't had any problems; but never use pipe for something critical such as a cage. Pipe isn't made to be used as a cage, it's made to carry water from point a to point B. Tubing though, is made for the purpose of being utilized as cage material.
 
Get one from S&W Racecars. They are cheap, strong, and come pre-bent. All you need to do is weld it all together.
 
My cage was the first thing that I ever built out of metal in my life. It wasn't that hard, but that bender is crap for bending tubing. Trust me, tried one just like it. It just kinks the tubing. I built mine out of 1 3/4" .095 wall NASCAR tubing. Don't know on the cost of the tubing, I got it for christmas. Here is a pic of mine...
11462truck.JPG
 
you got tubing for christmas?

hmmmm /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif
 
Don't know, I just told my dad I wanted tubing, he went in and ask for some for a cage and the guy sold him what they use for the NASCAR circuit on the local track...
 
Whats the difference between tube and pipe? /forums/images/graemlins/1zhelp.gif Im not stupid I Just dont understand /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif
 
A shop called essentiallyoffroad.com make a good cage kit to weld in. It is a big step up from smittybuilt, using DOM and a lot more hands on work. I used up about 60 feet before I really got the hang of bendin' tube. I did my bumpers first to get the skill for a cage. Just my .02
 
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