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I’d practice with mild steel. Copper isn’t cheap any more, and bends nothing like stainless. Mild steel is easier to bend than stainless, but a lot closer than copper.

Look for a “bench top” or “vise” bender if googling to weed out most of the high end stuff.

Keel in mind a pipe bender is usually different than a tubing bender in North America.

Stan, you want to do it you self ? If yes Great!! Yea the type of the bender i used is in my opinion best for the job because you can "maneuver" around it with the pipe, and is cheap to. Making the bar: important is that you start from cutting pipe to desired length and making mark at the the center of it (arrow) Next you need to make a sample bend (some 25 cm in the length with bend starting at for example 10 cm from one end than the bend, that's important because you are going to make final measurements off of it, so no random stuff there ) ideally out of the same type of the pipe you using to build the bar or just take thick wire and make two bends with radius of the dice on you bender in two angles (A and . While the long pipe is still straight you must make all the length markings (apart of C and D) from where you start to bend and while bending draw the lines on the dice for the angles so they will be the same left and right. For the difficult part now, that's where simple bender pays of, the two final bends (C, D) towards the end of the pipe where the bar will be fixed to the frame, you have to go by the eye to mark the beginning and to spot the right angle (against the marked red line, imagine straight ledge would be there) while bending the first in, and than the second out than the other side. After that just cutting to desired length, flatting it and making hole.
That's for the pipe. You still gonna need two brackets but that's for later. If You need measurement guidance ill measure and post here. Let me know how it goes, it would be Christmas present for you Kwaka. he he.

Thank you Daro for all the info! Haven't got to it yet but I will make it. Still looking for the pipe bender, and can't find one that's exactly like yours. Some listed on different websites look similar but not as quite, and have mixed reviews. Well, no hurry. It's raining here!

There is one looking great, but the price... US $450!!!! Nuts.

www.mittlerbros.com/180-manual-tube-bender.html?options=cart

A similar one, one step up - $795! LOL

www.baileigh.com/hand-bender-rdb-10

A nice DIY bender project, except you need a lathe and be able to weld

www.wcwelding.com/tubing-bender.html

tube benders on Kijiji Ontario

There out there Stan. Just got to expand your shopping range. Here's 2 benders for $40

Kijiji tube bender Manitoba
And another one for $40. Doesn't give the tube size though. (Just a couple of examples)

KB

I haven't been looking for used ones yet.. I've seen that top on at $40 on Amazon, $57 new, but it has no reviews and by the looks of it I thought I'd pass as it doesn't look like a precision tool. Maybe good for a plumber and copper pipes.

Yeah, I'll keep looking
Cheers!