Bend PVC pipes correctly

How to bend a PVC pipe at home with your own hands is not the most difficult task for a craftsman, but what about those who do not have such an experience? Of course, take advantage of our tips and get useful skills. Only manufacturers of these plastic structures do not recommend such manipulations.

How to work with plastic

Plastic is a high melting material. From temperature increase it easily changes shape, if suitable temperatures are used, it is simple to give the desired shape to polypropylene, the main thing is to avoid overheating and exposure to open flame.

Prepare a place to work. Isolate it from children, pets, and annoying family members. Work will require maximum attention and accuracy. Follow fire safety regulations. There should be no flammable objects or any source of fire nearby. To avoid burns, use gloves.

Use a building hair dryer to heat the plastic. Do not exceed the operating temperature of more than 170 degrees. Bend in a smooth motion, controlling the radius of fracture. It should correspond to the diameter of the pipe, increased by 8 times.

Maximum allowable bending radius

Hot way

It is carried out using heating equipment - a building hair dryer or a molding machine. You can buy the latter - not cheap pleasure, rent or borrow from friends. Some craftsmen resort to using a burner, but we do not recommend doing this, since the probability of overheating the pipe and spoiling it is too high for an inexperienced craftsman. When choosing a bend, keep in mind that the appearance will not have a presentable appearance, so think about how to hide it.

Using a hair dryer

Install the device vertically, lock it in this position. Take the pipe and start heating it at the bend. Gradually rotate along the axis, ensuring uniform heating of the plastic. When the consistency is similar to plasticine, you can use the previously prepared form to give the necessary bend. The movements are smooth, gradual, otherwise cracks will appear and the tightness will be broken. When the desired radius is transferred to the product, hold it for about 15 minutes until the polypropylene completely solidifies.

Using a molding machine

This method is the most effective, but also time-consuming, requires experience with lumber, silicone.

1. Make a frame from the fiberboard with which the pipe will take the necessary shape.
2. Use a molding machine and silicone to create a shell. It will protect the plastic from damage at the time of attachment to the frame.
3. Insert the pipe into the silicone shell, fix it in the frame, move everything into the machine. Heat the structure and it will gradually take the desired shape. After 10 minutes, remove the product, wait until it cools completely.

Cold way

The most difficult and risky way. Suitable for trained people. It consists in a smooth, slow bending of cold material. It requires careful monitoring of the process so that cracks do not form. To shape, use a wooden object that you can navigate by controlling the fold line.

The process of changing the shape of a plastic pipe is not very complicated, but requires experience. Consider gaining this experience on unnecessary pipe cuts before making the part you need.To help you will be templates made of fiberboard, according to which you can check the radius of the arc, and sand - fill the pipe with it when you heat it with a hairdryer.