Bending copper?

What is the easiest way to bend a piece of 1/2" copper tubing to make a pickup tube?

I am going to be making it into an "S" shape..

thanks!

aekdbbop said:

What is the easiest way to bend a piece of 1/2" copper tubing to make a pickup tube?

I am going to be making it into an "S" shape..

thanks!

Click to expand...

Use elbows

Great excuse to buy a propane torch, some flux, and learn how to solder - it's really pretty easy.

yeah i guess that is one way.. what do you use to join the joints? (sounds redundant)

well, i have done circuitry soldering, same idea?

you use flux and solder

aekdbbop said:

well, i have done circuitry soldering, same idea?

Click to expand...

Same idea, yes. Same technique, no.

Clean the fittings with sandpaper (120-220 grit) - a few seconds of sanding to get them mostly shiny is all that is required). Apply a thin coat of flux everywhere you want solder to flow (on both sides of the joint). Push the fittings together snugly, and hold them with a pair of pliers or a vice. Apply torch heat for a few seconds. Concentrate the heat closer to the female side of the joint. Move the torch away, and touch the solder to the edge of the joint. If it's hot enough, the solder will wick right into the joint. If little or no melting occurs, heat it some more. Never just use the flame to melt the solder - you'll get a leaky, cold joint.

I thought we talked about using 3/8" tubing. 1/2" is significantly harder to bend, and I have to concur that soldering some elbows is the way to go at this point.

well, like desertbrew.. didnt he just bend it himself?

Linky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah, 1/2 compression adapters was all i could find, so i had to get 1/2 copper also.. i guess i will venture into soldering a little deeper!

So i need:

2: 1/2" copper elbows
flux
solder

what gauge solder?

rdwj said:

Linky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Easier said than done.

thanks for the encouragement, cheese..

aekdbbop said:

yeah, 1/2 compression adapters was all i could find, so i had to get 1/2 copper also.. i guess i will venture into soldering a little deeper!

So i need:

2: 1/2" copper elbows
flux
solder

what gauge solder?

Click to expand...

Solder comes on a roll, not sold by gauge that I'm aware of. Make sure you get lead-free solder!

aekdbbop said:

what gauge solder?

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Get a roll of solder in the plumbing section. It's pretty thick (mine's 1/8"). I've never seen a wire gauge on it, but it's probably 4 to 8 gauge stuff.

Cheesefood said:

Easier said than done.

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Look, even freakin' BierMuncher managed to solder together a wort chiller! It ain't that hard, you've just got to practice a bit. The key, as Yuri mentioned, is that you've got to heat the copper, not the solder.

It's easy. Get a propane torch, flux, plumbers solder, emery cloth, and a tube cutter.

Cut the tubing to length and dry connect the fittings to make sure the pickup tube is the right length and depth to the bottom of the kettle.

Then clean the areas to be soldered with emery cloth and apply a light coat of flux.

Use the torch to heat up the fittings. After 30 seconds of heating, touch the solder rod on the joint. If the copper is hot enough, you will see the hot solder fill in the joint. Remember that solder wants to move toward the heat source so it's a good idea to keep the flame on the fittings and let the hot solder draw itself into the joint. I usually wipe the joint with a wet rag to make sure the solder is seated around the fitting. Let air cool or dip the pipe in cold water.

the_bird said:

Look, even freakin' BierMuncher managed to solder together a wort chiller! It ain't that hard, you've just got to practice a bit.

Click to expand...

Removing the top of of a keg on the otherhand............

Why don't you get a set of tubing benders?

Hell, even *I* managed to solder a wort chiller together (LOTS of pieces, too - dual coil using the thin fridge tubing). It's a fun skill to learn, and while it does take a wee bit of practice, it's really not that tough.

mr x said:

Why don't you get a set of tubing benders?

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What, these guys?

Heh heh

No this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...0&ih=011&category=104220&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1

Heh, soldering was easy since I learned brazing first .

I tried sweating together some pipes a couple weeks ago. Ended up costing me $450 for the plumber to fix the damage I caused.

Bending copper is easy get rolled copper not straight sections. Then find something sturdy that has the curviture you are looking for ie: a 6" piece of PVC pipe then simply rap the copper around the pipe. Pipe benders work well for 1 or 2 bends but say for making an IC with many curves the 6" pipe is better.

When doing that kind of hand stuff, some people will fill the tubing you are bending with sand to help it from crushing.

mr x said:

When doing that kind of hand stuff, some people will fill the tubing you are bending with sand to help it from crushing.

Click to expand...

That's a great tip.

aekdbbop said:

well, like desertbrew.. didnt he just bend it himself?

Click to expand...

Yes he bent it. Look at the kink (restriction)

Go for the solder and elbows. Once you start you can't stop.
It's easy.

Just keep things clean and use flux.
Buy a pack of elbows and extra pipe in case you don't get it right.
A pipe cutter is handy as well.

Yuri_Rage said:

Same idea, yes. Same technique, no.

Clean the fittings with sandpaper (120-220 grit) - a few seconds of sanding to get them mostly shiny is all that is required). Apply a thin coat of flux everywhere you want solder to flow (on both sides of the joint). Push the fittings together snugly, and hold them with a pair of pliers or a vice. Apply torch heat for a few seconds. Concentrate the heat closer to the female side of the joint. Move the torch away, and touch the solder to the edge of the joint. If it's hot enough, the solder will wick right into the joint. If little or no melting occurs, heat it some more. Never just use the flame to melt the solder - you'll get a leaky, cold joint.

I thought we talked about using 3/8" tubing. 1/2" is significantly harder to bend, and I have to concur that soldering some elbows is the way to go at this point.

Click to expand...

Couple extra tips in case you haven't soldered it yet:
1. Clean all pieces that you are going to solder. Any surface that is going to be soldered should be cleaned. Inside of the elbow outside of the pipe, etc. Buy a cleaning brush (wire brush) if you need to. The cleaner the better, you can't get too clean (unless you sand it away).
2. Lots of flux ... it's my theory you can't use too much flux. Get a big glob coating on both surfaces.
3. IMPORTANT: when you solder, the heat draws in the solder. Therefore, heat the piece that is on the outside (i.e. the male piece).
3A. Get the flame on the pipe, the tip of the blue flame from your torch (the inner flame - not the mushy Bengles song) should touch the pipe.
4. Cool instantly ... either dip it in a tub of water or have a very wet rag and wipe it off.

Is it just me, or upon seeing the title does anyone else think of She Who Must Not Be Named bent over a couch?

Cheesefood said:

Is it just me, or upon seeing the title does anyone else think of She Who Must Not Be Named bent over a couch?

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You saw her pic, would you really want to do that?

You can get the copper too hot and it will not wick up the solder worth a bean. General rule is sand both mating ends, flux the hell out of it, heat the part that is on the outside, when the flux stop bubbling count to 3 and touch the seam with the solder. Perfect solder joints every time. Should see a real thin silver ring around the seam. Bigger the glob better the job does not apply here.
If it does leak, flux it up real good on the outside and apply some heat. When the solder reflows just tap some more on there.

Completely off topic. One of my favorite tricks for working on lines with water in them is to grab some white bread, tear the crust off and ball it up real tight. shove it into the pipe and shove it way back to keep the water away from the area you are trying to sweat. Sweat your joint up . Turn the water pressure back on and open the closet faucet and that clump of bread will break up and come on out. Best plumbing trick ever.

Virtuous said:

You can get the copper too hot and it will not wick up the solder worth a bean. General rule is sand both mating ends, flux the hell out of it, heat the part that is on the outside, when the flux stop bubbling count to 3 and touch the seam with the solder. Perfect solder joints every time. Should see a real think silver ring around the seam. Bigger the glob better the job does not apply here.

Completely off topic. One of my favorite tricks for working on lines with water in them is to grab some white bread, tear the crust off and ball it up real tight. shove it into the pipe and shove it way back to keep the water away from the area you are trying to sweat. Sweat your joint up . Turn the water pressure back on and open the closet faucet and that clump of bread will break up and come on out. Best plumbing trick ever.

Click to expand...

I did that when I was trying to sweat pipes together, but then I had a real small leak in the joint. Enough to spray out water, but sweated enough to where I had to shut off the water and hack the pipe apart and build a new assembly.

Having soldered more than I wanted and bent enough steel to go across this country, I can tell you the tube benders make the nicest, cleanest job (when you have the option). Sometimes you have to solder tight bends.

well got the crap to do this.. will let you know how it goes.. thanks

Virtuous said:

Completely off topic. One of my favorite tricks for working on lines with water in them is to grab some white bread, tear the crust off and ball it up real tight. shove it into the pipe and shove it way back to keep the water away from the area you are trying to sweat. Sweat your joint up . Turn the water pressure back on and open the closet faucet and that clump of bread will break up and come on out. Best plumbing trick ever.

Click to expand...

I've done that too. Wonder bread works well!

A little late to suggest, since you already bought the stuff, but...
Instead of buying all the tools for one job, find a handyman neighbor or friend who already has the tools, and just buy the copper pipe and fittings.
For six pack (or so) of your homebrew, you can get the neighbor/friend to soldier it up for you, and show/teach you how to do it. You may even get them interested in homebrewing as well.

well, soldered my first copper piping tonight... +2 man points for me!
it doesnt look pretty, but i did pretty well for my first time..

quick question: in my keggle, is it ok to have thread tape on my fittings? or should that tape not be inside the kettle.

thanks for all your help guys..

Thread tape should be fairly inert stuff. I would think any exposed tape should be OK.

abracadabra said:

Bending copper is easy get rolled copper not straight sections. Then find something sturdy that has the curviture you are looking for ie: a 6" piece of PVC pipe then simply rap the copper around the pipe. Pipe benders work well for 1 or 2 bends but say for making an IC with many curves the 6" pipe is better.

Click to expand...

I am always driven to profanity in the HD plumbing aisle, so I won't try to set the record completely straight, but there are different types of copper (soft and hard) and differences between "pipe" and "tubing".
The difference between pipe and tubing has to do with outer and inner diameters and rigidity. Google will do you better for a real explanation there.
The stuff on a roll is always soft, always tubing, and can definitely be bent by hand. I don't think I could get sand anywhere past the first few inches though. Bend it gradually and use a guide.
Pipe will definitely need a bender, but even with that and a good sand filling, I think you are limited to pretty mild bends before you start having problems with the pipe walls.
I really wish I knew about the white bread trick a when I was forced to teach myself pipe sweating. I ended up waiting most of the damn day for the pipe to stop dripping from all the residual water from upstairs.
Jeremy.