Wooden Bending Block - how to?

Hi all,

Currently bored at work and have been trying to make an old-school conduit bending block from wood. I have a block of oak about 10cm x 5 cm x 1.2m, is it just a case of drilling a 20mm hole in it? I experimented with a hole on a 30 degree angle but the bend was poor and kinked slightly. 

Cheers,

Ben

I used one at my first job as apprentice  , size I think was as yours but  I think it was about 7cm thick  (3")  .

The sides of the hole MUST support the sides of your bend , like a Hilmore  wheel but it was more oval in height .

The hole was straight through with a chamfer facing you . 

90deg bends  were not too good , mostly used a those awful inspection bends  ( This was industry)  but the bending block was mainly used for double sets .     You needed to bend the tube in small increments .

After 3 years I moved from industry to contracting  and found the wonders of the Hilmore pipe bender . 

Whats the next project  ?  Fixings with a Rawlplug   jumper bit .?      Resurrecting the wind up Megger ?

Using tallow to lubricate conduit threading  and cooling Enox Cutter Blades ?         Threading your own nipples  and cutting round edge locknuts from 3/4" couplers ?   

I made mine from a piece of 4x3. I used a 22mm drill in the radial arm drill. Initially drill though the short side at 90° then twist the wood upwards with the drill still running to about 30°. This will give a Vee shape to the hole and a curve where the two holes intersect.

Mr DMXRR   ,  

Technology has progressed  from wooden blocks  don't you know  ,   see photo below . 

For doing a few sets a block is all you need. If you’re doing a full installation then the Hillmore along with the block are my weapons of choice.

Evans Electric said:

Using tallow to lubricate conduit threading

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Thats what I have in the box with my stocks and dies.... when I last needed some (don't do it very often) ordered a pot of cutting compound with the lengths of tube, thats what turned up... was a little supprised as I never thought that it would still be what they kept on the shelf.

Prepped come short sections of conduit for a small job once in my garage... couldn't work out why the dog was so interested in what I was doing :slap

I've seen how tallow is made, its not a nice process

I never liked the smell of it TBH  .   Bought myself  a tin of the stuff pipe fitters use  about 20 yrs ago , still half full in the garage  .  ( Or half empty of course) 

Tallow...as an apprentice I remember being sent to the corner shop to buy LARD when the tallow ran out. It reeked.

Now I use Trefolex, RTD, Temaxol. Got a can of squirty pink stuff too I can't remembef the name of, got it off of a pipe fitter.

Evans Electric said:

I never liked the smell of it TBH  .  

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Try being in a boiler house where its used for fuel (I gather it has advantages under the RHI), its a slightly sickening smell at first

Onoff said:

Now I use Trefolex, RTD, Temaxol. Got a can of squirty pink stuff too I can't remembef the name of, got it off of a pipe fitter.

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Thats the stuff  M8.  

And working at Cadbury's once , we found when running out of tallow that a hazelnut whirl,  scraped across the thread,  did just as good a job . 

Just pick one off the line ...eat as many as you want there ..but never ...never ...stick one in your pocket . 

Once, tapping something on site & desperate for some cutting compound all I had was...a heavy cold...

Onoff said:

Got a can of squirty pink stuff too I can't remembef the name of, got it off of a pipe fitter.

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Durex  pleasure Gel Ylang Ylang flavour by any chance?

just saying