Bending a brass tube...

[jlanders001]

Hello again. Is there anything I need to know about putting a slight bend in a brass flex cable stuffing tube with a teflon tube inside? I want to minimize any binding that may occur afterward. Any tricks or techniques?

Thanks,

JTL

[Chilli]

It's not hard to do as long as you go slow. Don't try to do the bend in one shot. Do it a couple degrees at a time and spread the curve of the bend. Don't do it all in the same spot. It's hard to bent the tube at the ends so make your bend toward the middle if possible and then cut the tube to the appropriate length. You may have read about annealing but I have never had to do that in a a dozen builds. By an extra tube or two in case you mess up.

Have fun!!

[SirBudman32]

fill it with salt or sand first to keep from kinking it, then wash it out really good.

[wetsleeves]

I normally anneal the tube by heating it up after I have put dry sand in it, but if its got a teflon liner inside then you wont be able to anneal it. Just take it slow like Nautiboyz said and try not to do it in one go.

[jlanders001]

Sand! Thats the kind of stuff I needed to know about. The teflon tube will not come out. Not sure why. Got it on Ebay. I'll just warm it up a little bit with a heat gun.

Thanks guys. You must be night owls if you are on the east coast. Its 1:42am right now.

[wetsleeves]

No, Im on the other side of the pond. Australia is were I call home.

[T.S.Davis]

Don't heat it if you're trying to save the teflon. I heat gun wont get you there anyway. You need fire. I always anneal but you don't have to. It just makes bending easier. I use sugar and tape off each end until I get the shape I want.

On high powered boats I've started doubling up the brass. Thanks Alan.

[AlanN]

On high powered boats I've started doubling up the brass. Thanks Alan.

You're welcome. And Merry Xmas!

[T.S.Davis]

hehe Been there broke that sh**!

Merry Christmas Alan.

[JIM MARCUM]

To get the teflon liner out, buy the next smaller size of brass tubing (it will fit inside the first one) & push the teflon liner out with it. I have had great results with Annealing the brass tubing about 2-3" along the area you want to bend. Annealing is done with a torch until the brass tubing starts to become flexable. Set it aside & let it cool naturally. The brass tubing should bend easily with your thumbs. Do it slowly a little at a time. Footnote: if you ever need to bend aluminum tubing, anneal it then quench it in cold water. JIM

[wetsleeves]

when annealing the tube get it hot in the area you want to bend it. once hot you can cool it of with water.

obviously with out the teflon liner.

[LarrysDrifter]

when annealing the tube get it hot in the area you want to bend it. once hot you can cool it of with water.

obviously with out the teflon liner.

That is wrong. Heat the tube until red hot. Set aside to cool. Bend as needed. Heat tube again until red hot, THEN quench in cool water. Quenching in water makes the brass hard again. Dont quench the stuffing tube until after you have the bend you want.

[liteumup69]

would a brake line bender work?

[LarrysDrifter]

If its annealed and filled with salt and the ends are capped off and if the bender is for the same size tubing you are working with.

[wetsleeves]

You can cool it off with water as weve done it many times. If the brass way really thick then you wouldnt cool it of with water but stuffing tube you can. In plumbing we do it all the time.