The Murphy Builders Site

I am working on the fuel lines where they come into the fuselage. I have to
make quite a few bends in a short piece of tubing. I tried it with some
5052, and got a kink in the 90* bend where it first comes through the root
rib. I had some 3/8 aluminum tube I got from the hardware store to use for
mocking up tricky bends. It is quite a bit softer than the 5052 stuff, and
can make a smaller radius without kinking. It looks and bends like some
3003
I got from ACS (1/4" used for tank internal vent line). My question is,
can
I use the cheap hardware store stuff for this tricky tube section? It has
a
good wall thickness, and flares well. Otherwise I will order some 3003
from
ACS, but it will probably be the same stuff anyway.
Thanks.
Jesse

From: "Mike Davis" <mike.davis@dcsol.com>
Reply-To: <rebel-builders@dcsol.com>
To: <rebel-builders@dcsol.com>
Subject: Re: [rebel-builders] Hardware store fuel line?
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:08:52 -0800

Can't comment on what materials are good to use, but do have a technic that
might help. When bending tubing by hand, fill the entire tube table salt,
or sand, or something equivilent. Now when you make your bends it will not
kink, and once the bends are done the sand/salt pours out easily. Another
method for making tight radius bends is to put two large fender washers on
a
bolt, tighten the nut down so the tubing just fits between the washers,
then
bend the tubing around the bolt. The washers keep the tubing from kinking.
You do need to put some kind of spacer on the opposite side of the bolt to
keep the washers aligned.

Mike

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jesse Jenks" <jessejenks@hotmail.com>
To: <rebel-builders@dcsol.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 7:42 PM
Subject: [rebel-builders] Hardware store fuel line?

I am working on the fuel lines where they come into the fuselage. I have

to

make quite a few bends in a short piece of tubing. I tried it with some
5052, and got a kink in the 90* bend where it first comes through the

root

rib. I had some 3/8 aluminum tube I got from the hardware store to use

for

mocking up tricky bends. It is quite a bit softer than the 5052 stuff,

and

can make a smaller radius without kinking. It looks and bends like some
3003
I got from ACS (1/4" used for tank internal vent line). My question is,
can
I use the cheap hardware store stuff for this tricky tube section? It

has

a
good wall thickness, and flares well. Otherwise I will order some 3003
from
ACS, but it will probably be the same stuff anyway.
Thanks.
Jesse

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