slight radius bend ??

[johnakay]

I've been ask if I can do some bending of 19mm x 1.5mm tubing.
yes and no.
the tubes are for the support frame of folding roof top of a kit car.
the radius is a very slight curve over roughly over 4ft.
I've thought about cutting a length of wood to form a radius is there any other method that can be used??this isn't going to be a big job for the future but maybe the odd ones every months or so.
so I don't want to spend big!!
the kit car look like a Morgan sport car so that is what these are for.
any idea what these cost if you can buy them.
obviously I don't want to undercut myself.if these cost £150 I don't want to sell them for £25 do I.

 

[Paul.]

I've just made some 25mm dia stainless steel curtain rails for bay windows using a wooden former clamped to the bench, they form very easily but you will get a bit of springback so the former will need a smaller rad than the finished size, I usually over bend them a bit then its easy to push them back out to size, just mark the curve out on the floor or a piece of board to give something to work to.

 

[BrokenBiker]

^^^what he said, I did this to bend some flat bar for a gate, worked well although I didn't think to draw the curve out and ended going back and forth to the gate to measure the height of the curve

 

[johnakay]

just as I thought cheers.