cz metal bender

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Mmmn – I paid a bit more than that for the one that's just been delivered here – and mine's in a plastic box too (that metal one does look a wee bit nicer).

I've also just seen the "review" (link posted above by Ady1)…. I wasn't planning to abuse (e.g. stretch) it, so hopefully it will be OK. It did take the shine off things a bit though… I think I'll just go to bed now (sniff)

IanT

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

That Frost one looks like it may be an uprated version of the one I have, it has much higher capacities compared to the one I have, 6 x 50 flatbar and 16mm roundbar

Different box too

They must do a light and a heavier version, and the light version is over a tenner more…

Edit:

The instructions on mine say "metal bender kit"

The instructions on the Frost item say "Groz Metal Bender"

Looks like they are from different sources

Edited By Ady1 on 03/01/2015 01:56:36

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Now you're just trying to cheer me up (aren't you?)

IanT

[Rod AshtonParticipant @rodashton53132]

Dammit guys! I`ve just had to buy one of those!!!!!!!

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

The bottom line is (Ian etc) the main casting is made of an aluminium type casting on all these kits.

If you want a really good tough lifetime use higher capacity versatile bending unit then you will need to fabricate/weld your own "castings" from bits of steel using the original as a guide

I would also put a roller option on the end of the ratchet

This kit takes a lot of the mystery out of building your own metal forming tools

Edited By Ady1 on 03/01/2015 11:45:04

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Yes, the monies spent – so provided I don't break it – there's not a problem.

(and I'm not planning to bend anything too big!)

I'm sure it will be fine…

 

IanT

Edited By IanT on 03/01/2015 19:58:06

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Gentlemen,

I've just been looking at the Frost bender with the aim of ordering one and I've just spotted a little problem with the description, when you find the item it states 50mm x 6mm, if you scroll down to the description this dimension drops to 40mm x 4mm, I have just rung frosts and they say the latter is correct and will modify the listing of 50mm x 6mm.

Martin P

[Rod AshtonParticipant @rodashton53132]

Now that is a bit annoying. Having just ordered one!

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Posted by Rod Ashton on 05/01/2015 13:29:34:

Now that is a bit annoying. Having just ordered one!

Hate to see a grown man cry. Tell you what I'll take it off your hands for half price. ain't I nice.

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Cheer up Rod – you paid less than me and got a nice metal box to put it in too!

IanT

[Rod AshtonParticipant @rodashton53132]

Bazyle – Could I interest you in renting one? Only £38 a day!!!!!!

[Rod AshtonParticipant @rodashton53132]

The ADY1 article from 1991 say`s "to be concluded" . Was it ever?

[the artfull-codgerParticipant @theartfull-codger]

I bought mine a lot of yrs ago, the main spindle/feed lever was allways rough to operate on the rack & I eventually sussed that it was out of mesh, so I set it up in the mill & bored the 2 arms out & turned bronze bushes up & it's nice & smooth now [as well as being better for wear than the alloy] , I've made all sorts with it, a really usefull tool.

Graham T

[Rod AshtonParticipant @rodashton53132]

Graham – Yes on my todu list also. I was told that there are some additional parts that can be made. Over and above simple, non standard rolls. But wondered what they might be. Hence my interest in the follow up article.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

As ADY1 says above "the main casting is aluminium" yes they do break!

[mgnbukParticipant @mgnbuk]

The Groz copy sold by at one time by Axminster is very poorly made from poor quality materials – the steel box mine came in is the best bit of the whole arrangement. If you fancy one of these, I would suggest trying to get a German original – they do come up on Ebay from time to time.

Nigel B

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

C.Z. metal bender trivia.

The original, I believe, was sold as the UNIVERSAL multi-purpose metal bender. Or it appears to be the same. Made in Germany. Mine was advertised as 'new to the UK' and was received on 31st Jan 1985 at a cost of £29.50 plus £2.50 p&p. from an advert in ME 18th Jan 1985.

It came with 3 page 'Directions for use', A3 folded, comprising a drawing with part numbers 1-15 described under (first page), 3 diagrams of basic operations (second page) and a one page set of operating instructions. This a bit yellowed with age and does not photocopy too well.

Mine is housed in a home made wooden box with internal dims of 285 x 210 x 100mm and prhaps could do with a little more space (I bolted on a 220 x 120 x 18mm piece of ply for easy vise mounting) if more

mandrels were required. It is also just too small to contain the instructions in a plastic folder, without bendi

ng!

It did need that article, six years later, to allow its ubiquitous nature to be more fully appreciated.

I don't use mine often enough – but its not eating anything!

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I finally got around to uprating the original aluminium cheese unit and fabricated one in steel, finishing the main fitments today

Still got to do a few things to finish it off though…

there’s always just-another-thing isn’t there…

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

CZ ? Are they the same people who made motorbikes, with huge tanks and which ran for ever on a spoon full of petrol ?

[mgnbukParticipant @mgnbuk]

CZ ? Are they the same people who made motorbikes, with huge tanks and which ran for ever on a spoon full of petrol ?

Nope. Carl Zeiss Jena in the DDR era AFAIK.

At one point in the UK the benders were sold by the company that imported ORWO camera film from the DDR and operated “The Pentacon Club” for Praktica camera users. I was one of those & still have a pile of the magazines somewhere (as well as some of the cameras & lenses). That company died along with the DDR.

The current iterations are not very well made in India.

Nigel B.

 

 

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I’m not sure their products will cover all that very fancy small work shown above but for heavier and simpler shapes, it’s worth having a look at WNS ( W. Neal Services) catalogue.

Most of their range is big, power-driven industrial equipment for duct-forming and the like, but they do stock smaller manual machines.

I’ve two bar-benders and a jenny from them.  Though there’s obviously a knack to using a tinman’s jenny for flanging discs, and the apprentices’ training-manual I have does not tell me that knack!

The company is based in Essex.

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