Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc vs Weldbend Field Reference App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc
This app calculates precise layout dimensions for pipe intersections, generating full-size pattern templates for accurate cuts. It supports various pipe and elbow sizes, wall thicknesses, and output configurations, eliminating the need for traditional reference books or complex calculations.
- Calculates layout dimensions for pipe intersections
- Generates full-size pattern templates
- Supports various pipe and elbow sizes
- Considers pipe wall thickness
- Outputs for different printer sizes
- Provides imperial and metric units
- Allows adjustable cut line accuracy
Read full descriptionHide full description
Piping Base Elbow Layout Calculator is a iPhone app that provides the fitter with the points to make an accurate cut (fish mouth, cope, etc) for piping (base pipe cylinder to elbow radius) intersections. This app is intended to be used by fitters, welders, fabricators, or anyone who needs to join a metal cylinder at an elbow. Are you still carrying that blue book around? Confused about how to layout cut lines for joining a piece of pipe to an elbow? If you are a pipe fabricator, welder, or fitter who needs to make perfect elbow base support cuts, then this app is for you. Forget books, calculators, compasses, ancient saddle layout procedures, laptops, expensive CAD programs, mathematics or internet access to figure out how to make that perfect base ell joint. Piping Base Elbow Layout Calculator is easy. Piping Base Elbow Layout Calculator provides the offset layout dimensions for that perfect pipe joint. This calculator works with any size pipe, any size elbow of any radius, and any wall thickness of pipe. User enters: main pipe outside diameter, base support diameter, wall thickness (this app considers wall thickness, you don't want to leave too much metal, or take too much off) and elbow or bend radius. The calculator does the rest. The calculator will provide dimensions for three different configurations: CENTER (base support), TOP (dummy leg), or BOTTOM (dummy leg). This calculator immediately produces an ordinate table of the offsets. The beauty of this app is that it also produces full size pattern templates, so you don't have to measure and layout all of the work points. Now you can print out your pipe pattern templates for any size and any angle intersection. This version outputs patterns configured for an 8.5 X 11 (everyone has access to one of these), 11 X 17, and 24 X 36 printer sizes. So with this app and a 8.5 X 11 printer, the user can still produce any size pipe coping pattern. The calculator is very versatile. Presently input and output is US based imperial and/or metric. Output is feet, or feet and inches, decimal or fractions (to 1/32"). User can control how much cut line accuracy he/she wants by setting how many control points are desired (infinite amount, user can get 8 control points, i.e. every 45 degrees or 360 control points, i.e every degree, or more). Most books only give 8 or 16 control points. This app allows an infinite amount. For example, a 2" pipe needs fewer control points than a 48".
Weldbend Field Reference App
Access dimensional data for carbon steel butt-weld fittings and flanges. This digital companion also provides technical and general information for carbon steel pipe systems.
- Dimensional data for butt-weld fittings
- Dimensional data for flanges
- Technical information for carbon steel pipe systems
- General information for carbon steel pipe systems
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Weldbend Field Reference Digital Companion is an app which contains dimensional data for carbon steel butt-weld fittings and flanges, as well and technical and general information pertaining to carbon steel pipe systems.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Weldbend Field Reference App at Free against Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc's $4.99. Weldbend Field Reference App also leads on ratings volume (38 vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Weldbend Field Reference App is free to download; Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Weldbend Field Reference App has 38 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc's written reviews are positive against 50% of Weldbend Field Reference App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc ships an update every 6 months, Weldbend Field Reference App every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 19, 2026.
| Parameter | Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc | Weldbend Field Reference App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 3.1 (38 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 38 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jean-Paul Lanaux | Weldbend Corporation |
Customer experience
Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc
Weldbend Field Reference App
In-app purchases
Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc
No in-app purchases
Weldbend Field Reference App
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc free?
Is Weldbend Field Reference App free?
Which has better reviews, Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc or Weldbend Field Reference App?
Do Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc or Weldbend Field Reference App have ads?
Which is updated more often, Piping Base Elbow Layout Calc or Weldbend Field Reference App?
Other comparisons















