Cupro-nickel brake line

I know one can build wire straighteners -- can the same thing be done with tubing?

If you're both crazy enough and good enough to restore a TR-4, you're certainly both crazy enough and good enough to build a tubing straightener, for crying out loud!

||Alan wrote: || ||> Does anyone know where I can buy 3/16" cupro-nickel brake ||> line in straight pieces, up to eight feet long? I can ||> find plenty of places that will sell me coils, but not ||> straight pieces. I only need three or four pieces. ||> ||> To my surprise, the local NAPA store didn't even have steel ||> line any longer than 51 inches. I'm *sure* that I used to ||> see it in longer lengths. Needless to say, when I ask them ||> about cupro-nickel, they say, "Huh?". ||> ||> I am doing a frame-up restoration of a Triumph TR-4 and ||> don't like the idea of uncoiling the line first. I want ||> this to look perfect!

72 inches is the longest standard size w/SAE fittings. AGS offers an 84" X 3/16" in European fittings, but not British. Part # BLE-384 These are steel lines. They also offer a "Green lines- Polymer Coated" but I doubt you'd want that on a restoration. Check another store.

or email snipped-for-privacy@aol.com and ask if there are any AGS customers near you that show some purchase history in that number. or you could have them special order some lines. They are packed

5 to a tube, but they are pretty cheap.

Texas Parts Guy

They can be built - We do repair work for a customer who makes aircraft and microwave "hard line" sections for internal component interconnections and time delay lines, out of hard coaxial cable - think 1/8" OD Tinned Copper Tubing with the poly dielectric and center conductor inside...

They buy the cable in coils and have a coax straightener built on a bench, with multiple pulleys with the proper 1/8" radius and decreasing offsets from a straight line to massage the kinks out, and as you pull it through it takes the curl out nicely. At the other end of the straightening line is a mini chop saw with a slitting saw blade to cut to length.

Then they bend it into preforms in jigs, and have megabuck automatic stripping machines to prep the ends.

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No argument there, especially with the crazy part. :-) I was just hoping that I could avoid the time and effort if there was an easy alternative.

I'll probably just use three grooved wheels attached to a flat plate I can hold in the vise. Two wheels on one side of the tube and one on the other, between the first two. The middle one will need to be adjustable in position to put just the right amount of "reverse bend" in the tube as I pull it through. That is the only tricky part of the design.

One easy source for the grooved wheels might be pulleys from the hardware store. I'm going to head over there today to see what they have. That would save a bit of lathe work.

Alan

||Tim Wescott wrote: ||> Alan wrote: ||> ||>> Does anyone know where I can buy 3/16" cupro-nickel brake ||>> line in straight pieces, up to eight feet long? I can ||>> find plenty of places that will sell me coils, but not ||>> straight pieces. I only need three or four pieces. || ||> If you're both crazy enough and good enough to restore a TR-4, you're ||> certainly both crazy enough and good enough to build a tubing ||> straightener, for crying out loud! || ||No argument there, especially with the crazy part. :-) ||I was just hoping that I could avoid the time and effort ||if there was an easy alternative. || ||I'll probably just use three grooved wheels attached to a ||flat plate I can hold in the vise. Two wheels on one side ||of the tube and one on the other, between the first two. ||The middle one will need to be adjustable in position to ||put just the right amount of "reverse bend" in the tube as ||I pull it through. That is the only tricky part of the ||design. || ||One easy source for the grooved wheels might be pulleys ||from the hardware store. I'm going to head over there ||today to see what they have. That would save a bit of ||lathe work.

Sliding door wheels. Steel with ball bearings,

2" OD, 1/4" bore approx. 3/16" round groove like a pulley for a round belt. 2 for $5.00, maybe less.

Texas Parts Guy

Oh, good suggestion! And since they come installed on healthy brackets you may even luck out and get one that can be screwed onto a piece of plywood, or that can be drilled and than screwed.

I bet you end up doing it in two dimensions.

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 15:50:53 -0800, Tim Wescott wrote:

|| snipped-for-privacy@txol.net wrote: || ||> On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 08:52:43 -0800, Alan ||> wrote: ||> ||> ||Tim Wescott wrote: ||> ||> Alan wrote: ||> ||> ||> ||>> Does anyone know where I can buy 3/16" cupro-nickel brake ||> ||>> line in straight pieces, up to eight feet long? I can ||> ||>> find plenty of places that will sell me coils, but not ||> ||>> straight pieces. I only need three or four pieces. ||> || ||> ||> If you're both crazy enough and good enough to restore a TR-4, you're ||> ||> certainly both crazy enough and good enough to build a tubing ||> ||> straightener, for crying out loud! ||> || ||> ||No argument there, especially with the crazy part. :-) ||> ||I was just hoping that I could avoid the time and effort ||> ||if there was an easy alternative. ||> || ||> ||I'll probably just use three grooved wheels attached to a ||> ||flat plate I can hold in the vise. Two wheels on one side ||> ||of the tube and one on the other, between the first two. ||> ||The middle one will need to be adjustable in position to ||> ||put just the right amount of "reverse bend" in the tube as ||> ||I pull it through. That is the only tricky part of the ||> ||design. ||> || ||> ||One easy source for the grooved wheels might be pulleys ||> ||from the hardware store. I'm going to head over there ||> ||today to see what they have. That would save a bit of ||> ||lathe work. ||> ||> Sliding door wheels. ||> Steel with ball bearings, ||> 2" OD, 1/4" bore approx. ||> 3/16" round groove like a pulley for a round belt. ||> 2 for $5.00, maybe less. ||> ||> Texas Parts Guy || ||Oh, good suggestion! And since they come installed on healthy brackets ||you may even luck out and get one that can be screwed onto a piece of ||plywood, or that can be drilled and than screwed.

Actually, they were availably at HD in a pair of wheels, no bracket, or a bracket with wheel. The bracket includes a slot for the axle which is adjusted by a long machine screw, so it may be just the ticket for your purpose. Get a pair of wheels and one bracket with a 3rd wheel, under $10.

Texas Parts Guy

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 14:38:30 -0800, Alan calmly ranted:

Not surprising. My local NAPA dealer said "Huh?" when I asked for screws for my slide hammer puller and double-sided 1/8" drill bits. He was able to order the billdrits but I'll have to grind my own hex head to fit the slide hammer once again.

Look for a truck restoration or hot-rod shop in your town. They should have sources.

I got the high-grade metal wheels, so the total ran $13.49. :-) I can screw them to a piece of old plywood or metal and it's done! The only extra parts will be the screws and some washers to space the two fixed wheels up to the same level as the adjustable one. Thanks for everyone for the excellent idea. I'll let you know how it works out when the tubing arrives.

Of course, the kid at the hardware store must have thought I was a bit bonkers. The conversation went something like this:

Me: I'm looking for sliding door hardware. Kid: It's right here in this aisle. Do you have the old ones? Me: No. Kid: Then how will you know which ones to get? Me (rolling eyes): Because it isn't for a sliding door.

Alan