Coil bending...

[Stewie007]

This has assuredly been asked a thousand times. I'm not necessarily asking how, just for input based on experience.

I am going to be bending 1/2" coil into a ~3.5" outer diameter. I was thinking of using heat to make the bends. Has anyone else done this with more success using other methods?

Should I anneal the tubing? It already has been, obviously.....

Let me know what you think.

[Moc]

Best method: Buy a proper pipe bender! If you don't have one and don't wanna spend money, annealing the pipes does help alot - but they will also fold more easily, so be very careful!
And try to find a cylinder with a suitable diameter so you can bend your pipe around it.

[Stewie007]

Really? It has a tendency to fold when it gets hot???
:-p

Just kidding....

I considered a bender, but those seem more cumbersome than a spring bender...... and I doubt a spring bender would even move along a bend that small unless I greased it... but that negates heating it then......

I could fill it... but then my coil is contaminated....

If I used a bender, I'd want it with a large radius.... Which isn't exactly easy to find... So do you think a spring bender would work? Or perhaps you know where I can get a larger bender...

[Moc]

I never used a spring bender, but I can't imagine that they work good.
Generally (assuming that I calculated it correctly: 3,5"=89mm) I don't think you will be able to bend a 1/2" pipe into such a small coil!
What do you want to build? Maybe you could use 2x 3/8 pipes instead?!

[Stewie007]

I thought of using 2 x 3/8 but wasn't sure if that would cause any issues with the system. I'm thinking that it probably wouldn't as long as the length of the coil is the same.

Anyone else have thoughts on using two separate coils in the same HEX? I'm thinking it shouldn't be a problem.

[Stewie007]

Thanks Moc... I think that settles it.