Double flaring tool

They are not rocket science, I suspect any brand will work. I have had my set for years; think I bought it at an auto parts store when I really needed it on a Sunday afternoon and did not have much opportunity to shop around. I think it is a K-D. or a Leslie.

Mill

I have a $nap-On. Works wonderful, though doesn't get much use. Better count on around $120.00...

Their catalog is online...

Erik

Robinair/OTC is on ebay real cheap

I bought the Harbor Freight special and was happy with it. Did more flares than I can count on my airplane fuel system. Not a bad one in the bunch. (It was aluminum tubing though) Built some decent hand and forearm muscles in the process.

Don't forget a nice bending tool as well so as not to kink those nicely flared lines.

I thought I could bend the 3/8" and 7/16" line without kinking and I was sorely mistaken. Had to go the 10 miles back to the local Harbor Freight and pick up the bender. Makes it look so nice when its done. Take a look at my engine page and you'll see my handy work.

I never ever buy anything from JC Whitney anymore. Their stuff is the same import stuff everyone else carries, with mediocre pricing. But what gets you is the shipping. Way more than anyone else's for the same items. - GWE

Let's see if I have this right. You used aluminum AN fittings for your aircraft fuel system, forward of the firewall. And you made the flares for those 37.5 degree fittings using a 45 degree flaring tool from Harbor Freight. And you plan to take your friends and family up in this airplane, and fly over populated areas.

Is that about right?

Dale Scroggins

I bought a double flaring toolfrom on of the local auto parts places. It has the different sized holes for the various line that who are using. Went and bought a 3ft. piece of tubing 5/16th tubing from Napa with the flares already formed, cut one end off and went to double flaring, comparing my flares with the store bought ones. Some were good some were not. Is there a secret in getting consistenly good flares or maybe I am being to critical of my flares. I did manage to break one of the tighting bolts, am going to replace it with grade 8 bolt tomorow. I did notice that the store bought flare was not all that perfect itself.

I just thought that if I spend more money on a decent flareing tool that it would help with my results. I also bought one of those plier type benders, got to have a little more practice on that too.

Richard

Dale, Nope, 45 degree flares on automotive "AN-style" fittings. Yes, you do have to be careful not mixing the automotive and true AN stuff.

My plane is using a Soob 2.2L engine so I use automotive components for everything. Much easier to source and just as good if not better than the more expensive airplane stuff.

Good friends now with the local "Speed Shop" once I showed them what I was doing with all that hardware. Real nice to just pick and choose what I wanted off their wall rather than try to mail order all the aircraft AN stuff.

Bart

Yes you need to file / chamfer the tubing before you flare it, then carefully set it the correct height in the tool.

William.....

It would be nice to have a tool specifically made for chamfering steel line before double flaring, using a file doesn't always work out well and the results give so-so uniformity...

Something sort of like chalking a pool cue if you get my drift.

Any ideas?

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Yep! There is a tool made for cartridge reloaders (firearms) to apply after a case-length trimmer. (The case stretches a little with each firing, and it eventually needs to be trimmed back to length.) One end looks like a Severance brand multi-flute countersink, and the other looks like the inverse (only three flutes, IIRC) with a guide pin to start it roughly centered.

One of these should to a nice job of both chamfering the ID and the OD to remove burrs.

The one which I have was made by RCBS.

A quick web serach finds the web page describing it:

URL:

The pin may be a bit too large for the 1/4" copper or steel line, as it is expecting a minimum ID to hold a .17 bullet (0.170").

But Severance does make some OD chamfering tools which are like an inverse of their multi-flute countersinks.

Enjoy, DoN.

Thanks Don.

I'll stop by the gunsmith on monday and see what he can get his hands on. I googled on "Severance" and found their website, I'll probably call them monday also. I make a lot of brake and fuel lines for cars and trucks, the success of the double flare depends on how well the tubing is chamfered, many times you only get one shot at it before you have to start from scratch.