Tube Bender: How to Use a 20/20 Compact Bender

The 20/20 Compact Bender is a versatile metal bending tool.  The compact bender is designed to bend round, square, and flat strap hot rolled steel.  Optional tubing dies are available for both round and square tubing.  Dies come in sizes ranging from 1/2″ to 1 1/4″.  If you want to bend 1″ or 1 1/4″ tubing the optional leverage multiplier kit is required to bend these larger size steel tube. 

The 20/20 Compact Bender is more than just a tubing bender; sharp right angle bends are possible with an attachment called a right angle attachment.  The right angle attachment come standard with the metal bender.  Steel stock as large as 3/16″ X 2″ can be bent with a sharp angle. 

Make sure and leave plenty of room behind the tubing bender.  This will allow for bending 1″ and 1 1/4″ tubing.  The larger size tubing tends to swing far behind the metal bender when working with long lengths of metal tubing.

Ornamental iron enthusiasts will enjoy experimenting with the attachments that are available through Shop Outfitters.  The Picket Twister allows for 1/2″ square or 3/16″ X 1″ hot rolled strap to be twisted into pickets.  The Scroll Bender bends metal into scrolls out of either 3/16″ flat steel or 1/4″ round steel. 

There are many projects that can be built using this metal bender.  I use mine for building handrails, small brackets, go cart frames, guard rails, the list is endless.  The example I show in this article is of a steel frame manlift.  It was a specialty design for Mercil Construction.  It fits on the forks of their lift.  The platform is a steel plate and the guardrail was built using a compact bender. 

These branding irons were made using a compact bender.  I didn’t use any additional accessories for the project. 

This go-cart frame was also made using a compact bender.