How to Bend PVC & Make Incredible Shapes
Intro: How to Bend PVC & Make Incredible Shapes
I was recently working on a project where I needed to bend pvc pipes into smooth, round shapes. After some trial and error I found an easy way to get great results.
STEP 1: Testing
First of all, cut your pipe to size, I used a variation of different sized pipes for this test. I found that if you heat up the pipe only with a heat gun from the outside it's hard to get a smooth curve, and you easily get kinks. Plus, you can only heat up a small section at a time. What I needed to do was find a way to heat up the pipe from the inside out.
STEP 2: Tape the End
Duck tape on the end makes a nice block and then I measured out how much sand fit inside the pipe. I used regular sand that I had on hand and then I heat it up in a pot until it was pretty hot.
STEP 3: Filling the Pipe
I filled the pipe almost to the top, maybe with two inch empty space, and taped it shut.
Let the pipe rest for a few minutes to heat up thoroughly. Then with gloved hands you can start bending and manipulating the pipes. You can either do this freehand, or bend around something, like a jig or something round to get a precise shape.
STEP 4: Different Pipes
Once I held the shape for a little while, I poured out the sand, and there you go!
I tried this technique with a couple of different sized pipes. The larger pipes took longer to heat up and were a little harder to bend, however it's still possible to get slight curves. The thinner pipes however become very maluable and easy to bend into all sorts of crazy shapes!
STEP 5: Conclusion - Watch the Video
For a much better perspective, make sure to watch the video that goes over the steps, and to see how easily the different pipes bend.
129 Comments
freshJoseph 3 years ago
annielauraflores 3 years ago
egreythorne 3 years ago
3pspets 3 years ago
Microbe 4 years ago
BardP 4 years ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape
"Duct tape was originally known as "duck tape" because it was originally made out of cotton duckfabric and was said to repel water like the back of a duck."
M.J2 4 years ago
GTO3x2 6 years ago
Duct tape - It came from using it on furnace ductwork.
MillerI 6 years ago
Seconded! Also, malleable: a term meaning the ability to change shapes with ease.
M.J2 4 years ago
What's best is the "aluminum foil/HVAC" tape, much more ductile and a better adhesive that lasts longer and doesn't peel over time like duct tape.
unclmike 5 years ago
Correct, but there is now a tape brand called Duck Tape so her use is ok.
MillerI 5 years ago
I did some research a while back based on another forum and it turns out that it was originally duck tape. Based on regional "accents" or usage, duct tape became a common usage (the way I grew up saying it) and so now it's a war of words like whether or not Porsche is one or two syllables. It's two BTW ;-).
Duck brand came around many years later. Cheers!
powerfulcreativeandfree 4 years ago
elguapoeg 6 years ago
powerfulcreativeandfree 4 years ago
lorenkinzel 4 years ago
SusanH75 4 years ago
AnitaH25 6 years ago
Rae1929 4 years ago
sedmayne 5 years ago
Back when I was younger and poorer, I couldn't afford to buy all the elbow joints when replumbing our old swimming pool. I used the tape and sand technique on two inch poly pipe with a heat (hot air) gun. Worked a treat. Trying to manipulate four inch pipe full of sand would be difficult because of the weight, I would think.