Irwin Hilman GLM Pipe Bender

[Schmill]

Ok, so I bought myself an Irwin Hilman GLM Pipe Bender, but I am confused

Firstly, the guide seems really quite hard to get between the pipe and the roller with the bender open.
Then when I do eventually manage to get it in place, when I use the bender the pipe bends nicely with no rippling, but the whole curved section ends up narrower than 15mm, and slightly squashed, (ie. it seems to squeeze out at the sides.
I've heard of benders causing problems when they get worn, so is it common that a brand new one might just be a bit 'tight' and that's what is causing the problems?

Also I just don't understand the angle markings on the former
From what I had read I believed that they were markings for 30, 45 and 90 degrees, so you pull until the centerline of the pipe aligns with the marking and then you have the correct angle, however I just can't seem to make any sense of mine, and the instruction leaflet that came with it isn't much help either!

Below I've pulled the pipe to near enough 90 degrees, but nothing lines up, it almost looks to me like the markings are the wrong way around the former, (or I am using it backwards somehow?!?)

Irwin Hilman GLM Pipe Bender

• Schmill
• 7 Feb 2011
• 1

90 deg pipe bend, but what are the former markings showing?

Just looking for some guidance on whether the squashing is to be expected, and I am reading the markings wrong, or whether I should be looking to return it?

Thanks

 

[kirkgas]

the throating is quite normal as long as the former is the right one for the machine, it will reduce slightly as it wears in a bit, send me a PM with an email address and i will send you a pipebending tutorial, which explains things really well

 

[Schmill]

@KirkGas: Thanks, I did try but it says you need to accept my 'Friendship request' before I can send you a PM ?

This is the tutorial that I had been looking at so far:
http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/plumbing/Pipe Bending (BillP).pdf

However the markings on the former (given at the end of that PDF) do not seem to correspond to the markings shown on my hilmor GLM former (shown in the photo on the thread), so I am finding it really difficult to pull to the right angle, (ignoring the difficulty I am having actually getting the guide in between the roller and the pipe in the first place!)

 

[Schmill]

Does the lack of response mean that either no-one else has the GLM pipebender, or at least no-one knows how to use the degree markers on the former

 

[plstering]

are they propper glm's or did you get them from ebay m8

 

[Schmill]

They should be 'proper' GLM's, were not an ebay jobbie.

Got them here:

nextday.diy.com - Irwin Hilman GLM Pipe Bender

 

[Whitespirit66]

The Hilmor GLM is a nice bit of kit, and the best bender in my opinion.

As said before, don't worry about the throating. When you bend a pipe, you are stretching the metal as well, which alters the circumference of the pipe.

After a while, you will be able to pull 90s and 45s by eye. Until then, a set-square or triangle may help things.

As for the marks on the former, I am at a loss to know which bit of the handle should line up with them. I pulled a 90 earlier, but couldn't work out what was supposed to line up on the markings. Probably why I never use them!

 

[Schmill]

I think that will be the best - thanks

I finally managed to get a contact email address for Irwin, and asked what the markings indicated and how to use them.

Their official response...

The marks are for guidance only.

No idea of what sort of guidance, or how to use them, so I can only assume that the markings are on the former moulds an no-one really knows why, or what they mean!

As above, I'll ignore the throating, and use 'best guess' on the bending, then measuring for confirmation and hope I can train my eyes

Thanks all!

 

[Nige F]

You`ll get your eye in : then one day you`ll do an offset in 15mm without even measurin The tube is so thin nowadays I`m surprised it can bend at all - it`s hardly worth saving the ends for scrap

 

[Troutmask]

I've just bought one of these an had a go with a scrap piece of 15 mm. I lined up the 90 degree mark with the inner edge of the pipe but when I took it out the angle was less than 90. That's as far a I got - other, domestic duties called! - but wouldn't mind betting the mark should meet the middle of the pipe, as in halfway between either edge. So, it's the eye which decides the angle, via the mark, and practice makes perfect.