Bending tool — UB-100

A hand-operated universal bar bender for bending flat, round, square and angle steel with interchangeable tooling. The tool is identified locally as Millart UB-100, consistent with the brand on its existing manual. It uses an eccentric clamp and a lever-driven bending arm.

Identification photos

Left: illustration from the Millart manual, showing a reference configuration. Right: Daniel Armyr's 22 January 2026 photograph of the local tool before it was remounted. The floor position is storage, not an operating setup; neither image verifies present condition or the complete fitted tooling.

Materials and published capacities

The existing Millart V1.0 manual, PDF p. 5 / printed p. 4, lists the following UB-100 figures:

The manual quotes a maximum bending angle of 120°. Check the released workpiece rather than assuming the scale represents its finished included angle. These are published model ratings, not measured capacities of the worn local tool. The source does not specify steel strength/grade or hot-working temperature. Stainless steel, hardened stock and other alloys need their own suitability check; a solid-bar rating is not a tube/pipe rating.

Treat the hot-bending column as reference data. Establish a suitable heating, handling and tooling method with an experienced member before attempting hot work. For angle sections, confirm the bend orientation and any required relief/notching rather than assuming the table covers every setup.

Parts and what they do

The Millart manual's die labels describe the tooling, rather than guaranteeing the finished workpiece radius. The illustrated supplier configurations and their part numbers are not an inventory of the local box.

How to use the bender — cold stock

Use this sequence only with sound tooling, a secure mounting and the reported faults checked. Have the local clamping and stop arrangement demonstrated if unfamiliar. The supplementary Holzmann guide explains the same type of mechanism; compare it with the actual tool before adjusting anything.

1. Prepare the area. Wear safety glasses and suitable footwear; secure loose clothing and jewellery. Support long stock and clear the full sweep of the lever and both ends of the work. Keep others outside that area.

2. Inspect the tool. Check fixing bolts, handle, pressure-plate pin, clamping block and inserts for looseness, wear, cracks or deformation. Use the intended lever; do not add a pipe extension, hammer it or try to force a damaged setup.

3. Select and secure the tooling. Choose a profile/radius suitable for the section and material. Plan the bend sequence and how the finished part will be removed, especially for U/Z shapes. Use a test piece from the same stock before a batch.

4. Position and clamp. Align the work to your datum/mark; use the length stop if fitted. Set the eccentric block for the stock thickness and clamp firmly. Keep fingers out of the jaws and bend zone.

5. Set the moving block and bend stop. Bring the moving pressure block against the work with its adjustment screw, and check that the pressure-plate pin is correctly seated and fitted. Separately, set and secure the angle stop for the trial bend. The scale is a setup aid, not a measurement of the released part.

6. Bend smoothly. Move the operating lever steadily to the set position, keeping control of the work and lever. Avoid impact against the stop. If the stock slips, the fixture moves or excessive force is needed, stop and unload before investigating.

7. Unload, release and measure. Control the lever as you back off the bending force, then release the clamp and remove the work. Measure the unloaded angle and bend position; adjust the setup for springback before repeating.

Return inserts, stop parts and hand tools to their storage box. Wipe off debris and leave the work area clear.

Practical tips from users

• Calibrate on a test piece. Measure the bend after release, then compensate for springback and secure the stop. Keep the material, section, tooling and orientation consistent. Owners of similar benders discuss angle-mark and stop limitations; the test-bend principle is also explained in Grizzly's general forming guidance, printed p. 4 / PDF p. 5, for a different bender.

• Use relieved tooling for close U/Z bends when appropriate. A UB-100 owner discussion, February 2014, identifies the relieved eccentric block and slim relieved pressure plate as aids for closely spaced bends. Verify that the matching pair is present and how it clears the existing leg. The forum's spacing example is not a guaranteed local minimum.

• Check a batch as it progresses. Where fitted, secure the work-position and angle stops and remeasure finished parts during the run. A UB70/UB100-family owner report describes good repeatability; other similar-bender users report moving stops. Those reports are setup reminders, rather than findings about this machine.

Forum advice is first-hand experience, not a replacement for the manual, suitable tooling or a condition inspection.

Care and service

Clean after use and protect bare steel against rust. Use suitable lubricant on mechanical sliding/pivot parts without contaminating clamping faces. The supplementary Holzmann manual describes cleaning, connection checks and lubrication on p. 17; its specific service interval is a reference for that version, not a recorded local schedule.

Do not straighten, weld or substitute a damaged load-bearing pin/die as a routine user adjustment. Have the repair method and replacement fit established by a competent maintainer.

See the maintenance and repairs log for the dated fault reports and photographs. Unresolved identification, tooling and condition checks are tracked in Metal — Open questions.

Documents and links

Main manual — retain this reference

• UB-100 manual (PDF)

Millart Machinery & Tools, Universal Bender, V1.0, five PDF pages. PDF pp. 3–5 cover intended stock, installation cautions, capacities and die illustrations. The public Toolots copy is byte-identical to the retained attachment. It does not contain a complete operating sequence or full-machine exploded parts list.

Supplementary illustrated user guide

Holzmann UB70 / UB100 / UB100A, DE/EN, 16 February 2024, 22 pages. Use pp. 4–5 for control identification, 14–16 for safe setup and operation and 17 for care.

Download supplementary Holzmann guide — PDF

This is a different supplier/version. Its capacities, numbered parts and spare-part fit must not be substituted for the Millart data or assumed compatible with the local tool.

Supplier demonstrations

• Hare & Forbes — UB-100 Workshop Bar Bender, In The Shed, 30 seconds, 2017. See the supplier's accompanying article.

• KAKA Industrial — Heavy Duty Universal Bender UB 100, 2 minutes 16 seconds, 2018.

These show supplier versions of the UB-100 family, with tooling details that can differ from ours. They are demonstrations, rather than complete local safety instruction.

Researched and expanded on 15 October 2026.