While making our way around the 2015 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, we visited Van Sant Tools, parent company of Trick-Tools. Lucky for us, they were giving a live English wheel demonstration during our visit, which made the booth lively and full of curious onlookers.

We spoke with Carter Vos, the man who handles graphic design and marketing at Trick-Tools, who said, “We do everything from English wheels to radius-break machines, and shrinker/stretchers with Metal Ace, who we recently acquired.”

An interesting product Vos showed us was the Bend-Tech Dragon Tube Cutting and Marking System. It is a full-fledged plasma cutter that is also capable of engraving. With Bend-Tech’s industrial CAD software included, the Dragon is a complete solution for all of your cutting needs when working with materials from 3/4-inch, up to three inches in diameter.

“The Dragon can take a length of tubing, cut it to a given length, notch the end profile, mark bends, and also make holes if necessary,” said Ron Dabill, commercial account manager at Bend-Tech. The two-inch pass-through chuck allows for positioning of longer material for the Dragon’s built-in laser pointer. With a 150-pound material capacity, and the ability to work with various-size OD round tubing, the Dragon is one piece of machinery that will help simplify some intense labor requirements.

“Bend-Tech’s primary tool is the software, which you can use to layout your bends and projects over a three-dimensional rendering,” said Vos. “The software will essentially tell you what materials you need, create a job list, and let you know exactly where to make your cuts. The Dragon is a really neat machine that will help simplify plasma-cutting and the bending of pipe for your specific application.”

Ice Engine Works tube-modeling kit helps builders get everything right the first time.

Another unique piece of machinery Vos showed us was the Ice Engine Works Design and Modeling Stage 1 Kit. “Ice Engine Works has crafted an exhaust/header modeling kit, which uses plastic pieces to help you form the bends you need,” said Vos. “It’s essentially Legos for your engine, since there is so much versatility with the product.”

A simple and easy system, the kit requires no calculations, computer software, measurements, or sophisticated equipment to successfully make a custom-shaped tubing. By snapping the plastic pieces together, a builder can design any bend imaginable, which essentially becomes a blueprint for making the final product.

With these tools available, why would you settle for less when you can significantly expedite the building and fabrication process? To learn more about these products, be sure to visit the Trick-Tools and Ice Engine Works websites for pricing and specifications.