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Main Boards => Gear => Topic started by: gunwharfman on 11:07:30, 10/04/19

Title: Never done it before but I bent a tent pole to shape!
Post by: gunwharfman on 11:07:30, 10/04/19

I'm not that practical but I had a long-standing problem with trying to replace a couple of Marmot tent poles that were broken. At one end there is a curve which by design forces the inner tent to erect correctly. Marmot was useless, no help whatsoever and no spares!

I thought I had fixed it by just using straight replacement poles, but my feet end remained vulnerable to getting wet, the 'bath' area just stayed flat to the floor.

I wandered all over Portsmouth looking for an engineering firm that could bend the poles for me but had no luck at all, they all explained that my pole diameter (8mm) was a problem for them. In one place a young bloke suggested I should go to 'Machine Mart' and look for a handheld tube bender. So off I trotted, and they had one, a small handheld that could deal with had an 8mm and 10mm tubing, £15.00 so I bought it.

I went home and took the shop advice, I filled the tubes with sand, secured them at both ends and started bending. I was convinced the tubes would snap but they didn't! My tent now works properly and I feel so pleased with myself! Who would have thought it, I did something and it worked!

I now have a tube bender which I'm sure I will never use again!

Title: Re: Never done it before but I bent a tent pole to shape!
Post by: kinkyboots on 11:35:25, 10/04/19

Glad you finally managed to get it sorted out.

For the benefit of other forum members who find themselves with a similar problem is this the item you bought?  https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cht264-3-in-1-automotive-pipe-bender/ (https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cht264-3-in-1-automotive-pipe-bender/)

Title: Re: Never done it before but I bent a tent pole to shape!
Post by: pdstsp on 12:20:20, 10/04/19

Quote from: gunwharfman on 11:07:30, 10/04/19

I'm not that practical. I was convinced the tubes would snap and they did. I did something and it did not work

I now have a tube bender which my wife is clubbing me with!

Well done GWM - here's my version if I ever tried anything similar. ;D

Title: Re: Never done it before but I bent a tent pole to shape!
Post by: gunwharfman on 12:26:02, 10/04/19

Yes, that's the pipe bender. I forgot to mention that I also looked for guidance on You Tube. I also find it amazing that with my tent a simple bend achieves so much! Marmot designed my tent in such a way that when the poles are in their correct position my side walls are almost vertical, that has always impressed me.

Title: Re: Never done it before but I bent a tent pole to shape!
Post by: richardh1905 on 21:22:20, 13/04/19

Interesting, GWM. Approximately what radius was the bend?