50 foot 1/2 inch SS coil

[Gear101]

This look like a pretty good deal, I can get it shipped for free pick-up here in town

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/Coil-Tubing-3ADD2

 

[TrainSafe]

I bought one of those last year. Had the same thoughts as you.

All I can say is I hope you have better luck than me.

Great product, but I couldn't bend it without kinking. I tried 3 or 4 different tubing Henderson with no luck.

 

[sporksnotforks]

fill the tubing with sand cap it then bend it small stuff kinks very easy.

 

[bja]

fill the tubing with sand cap it then bend it small stuff kinks very easy.

While this can work, it's very hard to get the sand packed in tight enough to prevent displacement when the tubing tries to kink.

 

[MaxOut]

Better 316 grade tubing for a better price-

50'-
316/316L SS Tubing Coil - 1/2" OD x 50' Stainless Steel
100'-
316/316L SS Tubing Coil- 1/2" OD x 100' Stainless Steel

 

[wilserbrewer]

fill the tubing with sand cap it then bend it small stuff kinks very easy.

Curious, how does one fill a 50' coil w/ sand?

 

[TrainSafe]

And how long does it take to get all the sand out?

 

[Gear101]

I bought one of those last year. Had the same thoughts as you.

All I can say is I hope you have better luck than me.

Great product, but I couldn't bend it without kinking. I tried 3 or 4 different tubing Henderson with no luck.

so you are telling me that i am not going to be able to bend it with one of these

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&productId=3234681&cId=

 

[Gear101]

how about this then

http://www.lowes.com/pd_331956-943-...=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=bender&facetInfo=

or something like that, which only goes to 3/8"

 

[milldoggy]

Curious, how does one fill a 50' coil w/ sand?

One grain at a time

 

[BargainFittings]

You are going to kink it. .020 wall is very thin
This is from experience.

The tools you link will not work and you will get tons of kinks and wrinkles when trying to bend that thin a wall.

 

[MaxOut]

I wouldn't say it can't be done but it is not easy. I used a borrowed ratchet bender from a friend to make bends for my dip tubes but needed to ratchet down and move a little then ratchet and repeat to get good 90* bends. I used a bucket and allot of patience and strength to bend around a bucket for my heat exchanger coil. They turned out well with little to no kinking but I did kink a few pieces trying to find the best way to bend it. Good luck and take your time it's nothing like bending copper for sure...

 

[Gear101]

you guys are not giving a real warm feeling about doing this.. LOL

 

[milldoggy]

That's why I went with copper, took 8 minutes, no kinking

 

[BargainFittings]

Just a voice of caution. I get calls from customers asking me how they can salvage their new roll of stainless coil they just kinked up for the nth time...

 

[Gear101]

Then what machine do you have to get in order to make it look good, I am thinking this time about going with copper, but down the road I want to be able to bend SS, not just for brewing, but for my boat too. Thanks

 

[JRems]

You won't be able to bend 1/2" stainless easily. The machine to bend it properly inserts a mandrel inside as it bends so it doesn't kink. I got a quote from Chicago bending to do a 316ss 1/2" 25 foot herms coil and it was over $100. The Ebay link above from ny brew supply ( they also have a website which is a bit cheaper) they said they could not custom bend the 1/2" ss. They did bend me 1/2" copper to my specs For a herms coil and did a very nice job. I would rather pay them to bend it than me kink up a $70 roll of copper.

 

[Hang Glider]

Then what machine do you have to get in order to make it look good, I am thinking this time about going with copper, but down the road I want to be able to bend SS, not just for brewing, but for my boat too. Thanks

link to build-it-yourself book

ProTools

another build-it-yourself


a little google searching...

 

[user 84304]

I would recommend just seeing if NY Brew Supply(where I got my chiller) or anyone else, will make it for you. It's not listed on their product page, but i'm quite sure they can do it, being that they are the ones selling the SS tubing on eBay. I personally prefer copper, but if you want the SS route, I'm sure they'll accommodate at a good price. http://www.nybrewsupply.com/wort-chillers.html

 

[lonepalm]

I am trying to finished coiling mine up.

I ended up buying a 1/2" conduit bender and just going at it slow go. some kinks but nothing terrible.

I still have to coil it down about 1/2 all the way around.

HAHA tried to post from home depot but their site is UNDER CONSTRUCTION..

pics to come

 

[lonepalm]

Photos

 

[forcabrew]

I thought I saw some cheap benders or roller at harbor freight

 

[Texan]

There is a solution.

I coiled 35' of thin walled 1/2" stainless tubing to aproxamately to a 10" to 11" diameter. Without kinks!

A piping bender will not work as I tried that first. You will most likely need to use 90/45 degree compression fittings once coiled as it is to thin to bend.

I had to spend close to $400 for the tooling to do this. (I had already bought the SS tubing and did not want to use copper) (I am stubborn to boot)

FYI, once kinked, forever kinked. Probaly used up 10' of the tubing trying different methods. With my tooling now I can coil that tubing in about 20 minutes of work.

 

[samc]

I would recommend just seeing if NY Brew Supply(where I got my chiller) or anyone else, will make it for you. It's not listed on their product page, but i'm quite sure they can do it, being that they are the ones selling the SS tubing on eBay. I personally prefer copper, but if you want the SS route, I'm sure they'll accommodate at a good price. http://www.nybrewsupply.com/wort-chillers.html

I tried to get them to make a CFC out of stainless for me. They said NO .

 

[BargainFittings]

link to build-it-yourself book

ProTools

another build-it-yourself


a little google searching...

All the links are for pipe benders.
They are calling it tube but the stuff they are bending is basically conduit or larger bore 1" + steel tubes

Tubing is a different animal

 

[P-J]

All the links are for pipe benders.
They are calling it tube but the stuff they are bending is basically conduit or larger bore 1" + steel tubes

Tubing is a different animal

Very well said and I agree 100%

Forming the main coil would not be that big of a deal. However, forming the input & output is a whole 'nother ball game. Same with copper - but - copper is much more forgiving (if done properly).

Just my 2 cents..

 

[adivito]

for those that do want to try it. I got my coil from zorotools.com also mcmaster is cheaper than grainger. zoro normally has coupon codes available too.

 

[Schnibbz]

Just had my go at the coiling process. Filled the tube with dry masonry sand and capped both ends with the plastic caps the coil came with and some duct tape for good measure. I really filled the coil well with sand and ended up with two small kinks. One I can live with (no chance of blockage) and the other will be cut off due to distance from wort in/wort out fittings on the HLT/HEX. This would have gone better if I had used a buddy to sit on the keg to provide assistance coiling, as opposed to using my girlfriend to simply sit on the filled corny which I still was moving around quite a bit. For anyone planning their build and curious how tall a 50' section of 1/2" tubing ends up when coiled around a corny, the answer is 12".

EDIT: Air compressor works wonders for pushing out the sand when completed.

 

[Gear101]

here.. this might work
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-x-7-8-eighth-inch-2-in-1-tubing-bender-94623.html


or this one

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200256024_200256024

but i am going to get some copper and start with that.

 

[Hermit]

here.. this might work
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-x-7-8-eighth-inch-2-in-1-tubing-bender-94623.html

One review saying it would make a good boat anchor?