brake line/tubing ?

[Unimoger]

Originally Posted by braceysdad

Is 3/16" the smalllest brake line available?

I really like the look of 1/8" but, all I can find it in is solid rod. Solid rod is much harder for me to braze.

I use 1/8 solid welding rod sticks, I tig weld it and it is BOMB proof.

[Double J]

Originally Posted by braceysdad

How are the bending/brazing pros getting their bends and lengths so accurate? I eye ball everthing and find myself bending the same peice several times. I have a really BIG scrap box!

I wouldn't call my self a pro but you will have a hard time getting them exact everytime.

What I do to match one side to another is basically place the first piece on the bench and bend the second one to match. Mark cut lines on both pieces then fishmouth.

I also haven't touched my bending tool in over a year. I've bent everything by hand. It makes it easier to feel the bends and match that feeling in your fingers.

[braceysdad]

Originally Posted by Double J

I wouldn't call my self a pro but you will have a hard time getting them exact everytime.

What I do to match one side to another is basically place the first piece on the bench and bend the second one to match. Mark cut lines on both pieces then fishmouth.

I also haven't touched my bending tool in over a year. I've bent everything by hand. It makes it easier to feel the bends and match that feeling in your fingers.

Do you heat the rod/tubing up to "free hand" bend?

[FrankyRizzo]

Originally Posted by braceysdad

Do you heat the rod/tubing up to "free hand" bend?

I use my wifes oven mitts to hold it as well.

[RCCrawlerTT]

I am learning the brazing art now, and have found that the benders just don't cut it. They tend to not get tight enough for me, here are a few things I have learned so far:

1. If you are seeking symmetry between two sides of a frame, tape two straight pieces together very tightly, then bend them both at the same time. Once done, untape them and flip one over, it will match your bends perfectly.
2. Close a vice until it is just about to close on the tube (you know want it to hold the tube, just be able to bend it) then put the end of the tube in there and start pulling/pushing 'til you get what you are looking for. You'll have to bend, move the tube, bend, move the tube. That way you can get even bends. The only downside I have found to this is that you may get some kinks or gouges in the metal from the edges of the vice.
3. Take 4 drill stops and 2 screws and screw them in to a 2x4 as I did here. They should be close enough together to just get the tubing in between. This has allowed me to be able to get as wide a bend or as narrow a bend as can be had without heating the metal (from my limited experience anyway).
4. From what I have read, heating the metal prior to bending it is not a good thing, as it will lose its temper. You should read up more before trying to do that.

[Double J]

Originally Posted by braceysdad

Do you heat the rod/tubing up to "free hand" bend?

I don't heat it up, uless I'm going to be flatten or oddly shape something out of solid rod with a hammer and anvil (that's on the back of the vise). But then I'll dunk it in water while it's still red hot. Supposidly that will help keep it strong.

RCCcrawlerTT has made some verry good points, that I've also used.

I'll use the vise in the same way for bends that are shallow or next to the end of my material that I can't hold in my hand to make the bend.

I've also started a jig for one of my tuber designs that I'm using the same method as the wood with drill stops although I'm not using drill stops but other similar materials.

[Grizzly4x4]

Originally Posted by Double J

I don't heat it up, uless I'm going to be flatten or oddly shape something out of solid rod with a hammer and anvil (that's on the back of the vise). But then I'll dunk it in water while it's still red hot. Supposidly that will help keep it strong.

Quenching metal in water has the opposite effect. The faster you cool metal the more bittle it becomes. Cooling it by quenching in oil is better (but more dangerous due to fire), air cooling is better than water cooling.

In college, we heat treated the stainless steel wheel spindles for our FSAE race car by heating them to about 800 degrees F and quenching them in 30 weight motor oil.

[Mechanicalbob]

To help with the bending I am going to get one of these

[RCCrawlerTT]

This will probably go against popular concensus with that people will say, but if I were to have to get one of those, I'd go with the middle one. It is more simple to setup when working and does basically just like the picture I posted above.

Let us know what you get and how you like it!

[gone_wheelin]

Yeah, let us know which you pick and how it works.

I contemplated getting the bender in the last photo. Are those from Micro-Mark?

[JasonInAugusta]

According to the image properties, they're from micromark.

I still bend everything by hand on the back side of my 6" bench vise.

I can keep things symmetrical from left to right too, just takes planning and patience.

[gone_wheelin]

Originally Posted by JasonInAugusta

According to the image properties, they're from micromark.

I still bend everything by hand on the back side of my 6" bench vise.

I can keep things symmetrical from left to right too, just takes planning and patience.

I thought it looked familiar.

I unfortunately don't have easy access to a bench vise. The vise is out in the detatched garabe. I did however make a simple little bender using my Dremel tool hanger and some nylon spacers. Works pretty good so far, just need to get better at the symetry.

[fixinbigtrucks]

filling the tube with sand while bending will prove to help prevent the tubing from kinking in one spot during the bend, fill the tube up full, and cap the ends with whatever method you see fit as long as the caps or tape or whatever you use is secure, then bend, helps alot in tight bends..

or using a stiff spring that fits snugly over the outside of the tubing also helps, but is harder to come by in the various outer diameters used with tubing...