Bending Stainless Steel Tube for Superheaters

[Stewart HartParticipant @stewarthart90345]

Hi

I was asked a ? about how to bend stainless steel tube for super heaters, I seem to recollect that there was an article in the magazine some time ago but a quick search came up empty.

Does any one recollect this article and what issue it was in.

Also has any one got any experience of bending stainless steel tube ?.

Can they pass on any tips, and comments.

Cheers

Stew

[Stewart HartParticipant @stewarthart90345]

[Anonymous]

No idea about the article, but I have bent 6mm OD thin wall (22swg) hard stainless steel tube to make a Brunswick tube for my glider. That was 25 years ago, and I'm still flying with it on the fin of the glider.

I partially filled the tube with tin/lead solder, bent the tube in a conventional tube bender and then melted the solder out. It worked well with no noticable flattening of the tube.

Andrew

[julian atkinsParticipant @julianatkins58923]

hi stew,

this subject has been covered recently on the modeleng proboards forum site by a number of experts. heat to red and bend as you would copper tube except whilst still red. the rest of us fit copper or brass tails to the TIG welded elements silver soldered to the stainless elements.

cheers,

julian

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I just anneald these 1/4" tubes and used one of those cheap Record hand benders that do 3 sizes in one.

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