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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: Dick Fowler on March 10, 2007, 05:50:36 PM

Title: A Cool Method For Bending Tubing
Post by: Dick Fowler on March 10, 2007, 05:50:36 PM

I saw this on the Discovery Channel today. They were showing a guy building custom Trombones. When it came time to bend the thin wall brass tubing, he fills the tubes with water, plugs the ends and freezes them. When he bends the tubing filled with ice it doesn't crimp!

HOW COOL IS THAT !  (Pun intended) H^^

Title: Re: A Cool Method For Bending Tubing
Post by: frank carlisle on March 10, 2007, 06:19:47 PM

Man that's such a cool idea - it gives me chills!

Did he hve a bending fixture?

Title: Re: A Cool Method For Bending Tubing
Post by: Clint Ormosen on March 12, 2007, 01:43:23 AM

I wonder how he keeps the expanding ice from splitting the thin tube?

Title: Re: A Cool Method For Bending Tubing
Post by: Dick Fowler on March 12, 2007, 05:46:32 AM

Quote from: Clint Ormosen on March 12, 2007, 01:43:23 AM

I wonder how he keeps the expanding ice from splitting the thin tube?

The caps were simple plastic caps that slipped over the ends. I imagine the caps are pushed out rather than the tubing splitting.

Title: Re: A Cool Method For Bending Tubing
Post by: Howard Rush on March 12, 2007, 12:57:04 PM

Did he heat the tubes to bend them?

Title: Re: A Cool Method For Bending Tubing
Post by: phil c on March 13, 2007, 07:06:13 PM

The brass should be tempered before bending.  Heat it red hot and quench it in water.  Then fill it with water and freeze it.  Should bend like spaghetti.

Copper tubing is much better to use for fuel lines in tanks though.  It doesn't corrode and split.