Bending Brass Tubing

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

Does anyone have a good way of bending brass tubing? I need to make a bar mast for a Graupner Bernhard Gruben model , but the 4mm tubing needs to be bent through almost 90 degrees. All my attempts so far have produced a kink in the bend. I have tried using a wooden dowel as a former and the bending springs . I read on the Net that filling the tube with dry sand works but when I had a quick try yesterday I couldn't bend the tube! I may have another try with the sand later. I would like to keep the tubing open for lighting wiring. I see that there are tools available from Expo etc but at a tenner plus this seems a lot for 4 bends.

Any help would be appreciated.

Tim Cooper

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Tim

Bending tube is a tricky job

You really need to make a bending former on a lathe

Turn a grove (with a circular bottom) in a piece of round steel, to the size, the bend needs to be

Anneal the brass with a blow lamp, by getting it cherry red and plunging into cold water

Place the tube in the groove and bend it round with your fingers…….The brass will be very bendable now that it`s been freshly annealled

You could also use solid brass rod, but you would still need the bending former

Bob

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

Thanks Bob

Unfortunately no lathe or blowtorch. I could probably get the torch passed the holder of the household finances but not the lathe. There is a small pipe bender in the Expo Tools catalogue, sort of like a mini plumbers tool. Do you know if they work? Would it help if I bought some 4mm copper or aluminium tube.

Tim

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Tim

You could make a bending tool, using a of with the required diameter and with two washers spaced apart to suit the tube and two nuts!

Us that cheap enough?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Sorry Tim….My last message has got a bit garbled

You could make a bending tool, using a bolt of the right diameter and with two washers, spaced apart to suit the tube and two nuts

Bob

[Mark Jarvis 2Participant @markjarvis2]

Hi Tim

Was watching how its made on tv, They were bending brass and copper tube by crimping one end after annealing, filling full of water then freazing it, The former looked to be a piece of broom handel in a vice.

They made it look easy LOL.

Mark

[Charles OatesParticipant @charlesoates31738]

Hi Tim, I had a similar problem recently, and I don’t have any special tools or skills.
For the tube that needed a sharp bend, I used copper, when annealed, ( heated and cooled) it bends very well for several minutes. I started the bend, then filed a notch on the inside. That allowed me to re anneal it and finish the bend. Lastly I cleaned the join and put a little solder on the join to make it solid.
If you try this, you will probably take a few tries with the file to get the notch right, and a little solder means just that, or you will have an ugly join. Practice with some spare tube first.

[curlyParticipant @curly]

Hi Tim

I bought a pipe bender from screwfix, to make cooling coils for brushed motors, it works fine. It has three settings 3, 6, 9, mm. the tool works like a pair of pliers .Hope this is some help. Beat of luck

Regards Curly

[CookieOldParticipant @cookieold]

Hi Tim , The sand method works so long as you use annealed tube , if you have no blow lamp then buy ( SOFT BRASS TUBE ) from the model shop and use a nut and bolt former as Bob says .

Dave

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

Thanks for all the help.

On to the next problem.

Tim

[Mark Jarvis 2Participant @markjarvis2]

HI Curly

The pipe bender you mentioned from Screwfix, what was the item code as i cant find it in there catalogue

Mark

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

The aforesaid Screwfix Pipe Bender is made by Rothenberger

Model No 79571

For pipe sizes 6mm to 10mm dia

Price £21,99

Bob

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

There is a small pipe bender in the Expo Tools catalogue for 12.95 plus p&p. It says it's for up to 6 mm.

Tim

[Author]

Posts