We’re spoiled nowadays by mandrel bent tubing that is available for just about any project at any radius you can imagine. Some of it is really affordable too. But not always. And every shape and size you can imaging is out there, but that doesn’t always mean they are right for the project you are working on. If you are building an old school, traditional, hot rod or race car then you might want to do it the way they did back in the day anyway, and that’s where the sand bending method comes into play. The idea is pretty simple, here’s how it works.
The basics are that you fill the tubing with sand so that it doesn’t deform as you bend it, and then heat it up to make the bending easier. Of course manhandling a piece of tubing that is hot, and now heavy with sand, isn’t always a walk in the park. But it is effective when done right.
So check out the Iron Trap crew as they work their magic building headers for this 1932 Ford Roadster drag car they are building.
