REQ: field expedient tube bead

Solder on thingys with a bead.

Carl Boyd

Dev Null sezz:

If you are putting a bead on it to use as a roadblock for a clamp or similar - why not just flare the end of the tubing?

-- Doug

"Doug" wrote in news:46dde780$1@127.0.0.1:

I think this will make it difficult to install the plastic tubing.

"Carl Boyd" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

This is probably the best solution.

Thanks

Get a compression collar from the local hardware store that will fit the O.D. of the tubing and sweat solder it on.

Jim Chandler

According to Dev Null :

Hmm ... what about a double-wall flare set taken only part way. IIRC, you start out with a cylinder, clamp it in the bar and compress a die to the end resulting in a shape like this (view with a fixed pitch font like Courier to avoid distortion of the drawing, though I *think* that this one should be pretty immune):

_______/\

-------\/

and the second stage (which you skip) folds that in like this:

________//

--------\\

Try it on some spare 1/2" copper tube to make sure that what it produces is what you need before doing it where it matters.

You might even be able to reduce the size of the bulge by clamping it a bit shorter than it is supposed to be.

Good Luck, DoN.

what Don said - I've done that, works great

That is the easiest, and it's got the added advantage of being easily field reversible. Should you need to change it later just heat the compression sleeve and slide it off, then heat again and wipe off the excess solder film.

You don't say what the use of this widget is, but don't use lead bearing solder in case this is a food contact item - lead free plumbers solder. And if this operates at medium temperatures you use silver solder or silver braze. (Check materials compatibility with the operating fluid before deciding between solder or braze. If the fluid will leach tin into solution...)

A mechanical alternative (no torch, no heat) is to get a double-flare kit and do a very shallow flare on the end of the tubing. But this can only be 'fixed' by cutting the flare off the tubing stub, and you need room to clamp the flare tool to the tubing stub & room to attach and operate the flaring cone.

Oh, and most plastic tubing slides over retention beads like that a whole lot easier if you warm it up first. Welding gloves, a little pot of boiling water and a few seconds dunk should do it.

-->--

Double-ditto. Do it all the time.

In a pinch I also have a trick that will produce a usable metric bubble flare from the standard double-flare tool.

Dave

there is a little tool to do just this. it is basically three balls like a ball bearing component in a cross drilling through a hollow tube. a conical part is pulled into the tube to force the balls out of the holes in the tube. you basically nut it up tight then rotate the entire tool. as you pull the cone up tighter the balls press out and raise the metal more.

the other alternative is to solder a ring of copper wire in place.

Stealth Pilot

Not if you flare a little, check the fit, etc. until the tubing barely fits when heated.

If you anneal the copper you can flare it a little by wiggling a tapered center punch in it or spinning a 6-flute countersink backwards while pushing on the tube, although this can leave chips.

jw

why not flare the end of the copper tubing, and attach a flare fitting with a hose barb.