Nigel R Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 I bought one of these: I sort of expected it to work like a regular bender. But. No moving parts. How does it work then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 One pulley as a restraint the other as a die, fingers bend the tube round the die? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted June 17, 2021 Author Share Posted June 17, 2021 Must be finger operated somehow. There are two large pulleys and one small one. The larger ones look like normal mandrels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven S Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 I found this on line, don't know how much it will help though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 If you buy soft brass or copper tubing, usually 1/8th" specifically sold for fuel lines it will bend by hand easily without kinking. I used to have a set of bending springs but no longer needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Stephenson Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 Soft bendable brass tube available especially for tanks etc is available from SMC... Soft brass tube This does not require a bender but it may make a better job of it if you did use one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 (edited) Not quite on topic but worth a mention as making new fuel tubes can be time consuming. Beware of using brass for fuel tubing if you use fuel with higher nitromethane content. The nitromethane will disolve the copper content of the brass over time leaving a brittle porous zinc shell. This tends to occur when model is stored stored and will show first where the tubing enters the rubber bung in the tank. Using aluminium tubing will prevent this. Another sign is that any dregs of fuel left in the rank tur a green colour ( dissolved copper). I have stopped using the brass tubing on glow models and instead make all tubes up from soft Ali tubing. Bending is easy with a length of nylon inner snake inserted in the tube to keep its shape but the bender pictured looks like a good investment. Edited June 23, 2021 by Engine Doctor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 Oven had a Dubro pipe bender for years. An excellent tool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuphedd Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 Like the doctor said beware of embrittlement on brass tube , so what do I use ??? nylon tube ! easily bent with a little heat never rots or corrodes is very very cheap and lasts for ever , cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Day Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 Just buy a DIY car brake pipe bender kit. Will bend and flare the pipe ends. Bends copper-nickel, alloy and thin steel tubing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 I managed to make some bends in tube using the tool and my hands. I can't say it made a great job of it, so I must be doing something wrong. And I still don't understand why it has two formers and one retainer and no moving parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted July 19, 2021 Author Share Posted July 19, 2021 On 23/06/2021 at 23:07, Stuphedd said: Like the doctor said beware of embrittlement on brass tube , so what do I use ??? nylon tube ! easily bent with a little heat never rots or corrodes is very very cheap and lasts for ever , cheers dragging the thread up again... how do you bend the nylon? flexible tube down the middle, hold in position, then, what, 5 minutes in boiling water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Yes, or a heat gun on low setting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuphedd Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 I started using nylon tube for fuel tanks when I played with 1/2A pylon racers , Cox 051TDs , The aircraft are tiny hence space is limited tanks are small and the fuel pipes have very "sharp" curves and I found that nylon was the only material I found that did not Kink as easily as metal tubes .Using bowden as an inner for ally tubes with tight curves does not work as you cannot pull it out !! cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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