Bend arc radius?

[Peppy]

Welcome to the 21st century! I'm the proud new operator of a bend arc and crown arc-er-doie! I just have to figure out it's secrets....What radiuses do you guys use? Mine has a 12" and it seems really big. My old wheel was around 8".

And when you crown the bars do you do it before you bend the legs or after?

We went to an auction at a boat factory that went tits up. Mostly we bought mountains of foam and vinyl. Some stuff went pretty cheap, two bosch foam cutters went for $50. I don't think anyone knew what they were.

[Mike8560]

Pepy if you look there may be the direction o line at bend arc somwere.
On small boats I use 6" radius
10 on larger 12" I'd large what boat maker went belly up?

You want to bend your corners first. The the crown Lea e the legs  under ent to allow for the extra curve from the crown.  I've got a simple method  to figure the cuts and bending if you like I'll type it up  for you
oh and key to the whole thing is cut the pipe length  and mark the center you need a measuring stick
on the left side and if the top is going to be  96" wide make marks to 96" in half inch marks set the center mark o. The pipe on the 96" mark to the left if the bender on the stick tape or whatever ( I hAve a wooden bow you would use in a trund bed cover a bow and with. Hole on it and a de k mount on the block side secure it there )  anyway lut the mark on 96 bend the leg unclamps Nd turn it around agIn clamp the MRI on 96" this is why the 1/2" marks on the stick  bend the second leg  then over to the crowner. 
And. Wcome to the 21st century.  Howard like his also he. Right ne some canadian beer for my tips. 

[Peppy]

Thanks Mike! So you use 6" mostly? The more I think about it, I'm thinking we need to get the 8" to stay with the same program. Since we'll be repairing old damaged bars when people run their tops into garage doors.

When you use your crowner, do you always tighten it to the same place? I'm really looking forward to playing with it. I've got the bender on my bench where my old wheel was and the crowner on the wall.

The company was Grew

http://grew.ca/

made Cutter and Pro-Fisher too. Sad it's gone. Crazy about how it happened. This was the owner-

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2991666&archive=true

[fragged8]

that sounds awfully complicated, i like my wooden block .

I mark the center of the pipe and the leg length both sides thats it. the block bender
bends and crowns and I havent had a boat yet i couldn't make a frame for.

all for under $200

what i couldn't do is a curved frame like on a European sailboat dodger.

Rich

[Mike8560]

Rich it is costly.  I've made some wooded gis to make a matching  frame when needed.  But the bend arc is do much faster on e you get you system down clamp on the center mark bend the leg.
Unclap spin around coMp the center mark agin bend the other leg. U clamp and to the crowner a few cranks or on I'll just pu the fram in a hurry and your done.  Just that fast. 3 pipes and that a top   
Peppy I do t chNfe the crown much  if it's. Wide frame a lite crowngoese along way o. A beamy top.
A small top I may crank it up a bit mode cause it's a short pipe. 
It will take me longer to measure the lenghthen of the 3 tube and cut them then bendiing.
On a aliluminum crams I use nylon fitting with inside eye ends and have to ream the. End of the tube clean inside. There less expensive  and I have to keep costs down on less expensive  jobs
Rich for a dodger cur Ed frame like you say I use the crowner to make a more contuos curved frame

[Mike8560]

To do for that peppy i make. Pattern of the deck either a sail oat or. Center console bow for the shape of the curve o wa t the dodger/sprayhood to lay down on then tOe my pipe cur e it o. The crowner and bend it a little more till it fits.  And peppy  as far as crowning
if you crown a pipe and then want some more crown and tighten it up a run the pipe  again. The next pipe will not cur e the same with just the final setting from the last pipe.  Unless you bend /crown each pipe twice the same  the first. They won't match the first.
I usdxfi have.  Rive behind my shop in NH  a average  runabout would fit under top down bit you couldn't stand. You bad to sit.  I made allot of money from that bridge.      

[DBR1957]

Bend-arc makes different radii blocks. The base plate is drilled
and threaded to accommodate them. When you order them
you need to specify the radius and tubing diameter.

[Mike8560]

Es snd the blocks sent cheap
either. Oh I have a square block also bor the bender snd crowner for doing 1" square tube for pontoons.  I havnt used it much in Florida.
I
messed up. Bend today with some 1" ss it was  for a rear shade top on a big power cat.
A swang top peppy. The sasr oars leg was to be  aprox 100" a 90" beam of the top and a 72" port leg.    I somehow mesed up the pipe length and finding the offset centerline so one leg would be longer and one shorter. I ended up with equal lenth legs so I cut it at the radiuses to save what it could bent a second correctly. And had to order a new pipe I had to vet some aluminum also so no biggy 

[fragged8]

I know they are good for different radi but my bender is probably faster Mike, and i know
how you like fast hehe..

this is my bender.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctY4hvK9eTQ

how about one of these in your shop Peppy ? do you think the boss
will pay for it ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yigRgG_NIyU

[Peppy]

Bend-arc makes different radii blocks. The base plate is drilled
and threaded to accommodate them. When you order them
you need to specify the radius and tubing diameter.

Sorry, I think you misunderstood. The bender I have came with a 12" block. I was wondering what everyone else used. Mike uses 6" I used to use 8" and think I will again. Called around yesterday and seems they're back ordered for months. The guy on the phone at trican/vantage said "why don't you just build one?" So I may. We also got a sheet of starboard at the auction, anybody know how to laminate it? Like what glue works?

I used it yesterday to build a campertop. I'll like it when I'm used to it. It's a lot like reinventing the wheel after ten years and 1000ish boattops it's hard to change the method. I don't think it will be faster than my plywood wheel though. Lifting the arm out of the way, fiddiling with the clamp, weaseling it into the crowner. It does make much nicer bars though.

[Eric]

Sweet bender video. You can use pvc glue for starboard.
Eric

[Mike8560]

Crowning s got to be faster with a few sranks crowning all in one.
I'll have to set up my video camera and wer can hVe a video race  rich If I had vides chat we could do it that way.  :)