thanks guys, you couldnt be more helpful !

 

So.. you cant bend 3/4 chrome molly tubing with a pipe bender, with a 3/4 die? Im looking into lightning my frame, and I was gonna buy a small hydraulic pipe bender from northern.

 

pipe is measured by the I.D, tubing by the O.D. So 3/4" tubing would be too small to fit a 3/4" pipe die properly. A tubing bender works differently, it draws tubing around a die instead of pushing a die into it and kinking the tube. Think about a pop can, you can stand on one carefully if its not dented, but they crush easily if you dent the side in. This is how a pipe bender weakens tube, the die creates a flat spot or crease in the tube where it is bent.

I made my first ATV buggy with 1" square tubing. There were more welds to finish but it turned out pretty good. Its still getting beat on and jumped after almost 2 years and hasnt had any structural problems. And I welded that with a 115v mig. lol

If you can weld CORRECTLY, and use good judgement on design and bracing you can make a very solid frame without a tubing bender.

 

its just a fun/go cart type, a mig welder is fine. If youve have to turn the welder down then there shouldnt be a penetration problem. I would use 3/4" 16 gauge tubing. If you are just building a small frame that tubing is plenty strong. Check out my projects. Every thing there is mig welded except for exhaust (tig welding)