Straightening coiled small steam pipe.

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Wasn't there a design for a straightener in a recent MEW?

Try annealing and rolling again, it's always worked for me up to about 8" length.

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Not yet started any engineering work but understand some of the things as I was a plant mechanic for well over 25years and had to work with metal in that field.

Could you as suggested anneal it and use some of the woodworking clamps that can be reversed, make two pipe holding clamps to fit to it and then put the pipe under strain to straighten it.

Just thinking out aloud and probably on the wrong track

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It is me that is on the learning curve

Could try hanging it up with a large weight on the end.

Torsion can straighten wire and soft tube. Plug the ends, solder may work, grip in lathe chuck at one end and tailstock chuck at the other. Use the chuck key to rotate the main chuck manually, should not take much rotation to straighten it.

Martin C

In his book "Tools for the Clockmaker and Repairer, Volume 2" John Wilding suggests a method of straightening wire which I have used with sucess on small diameter tube.

Briefly, find a 2" length of tubing which is a loose fit over the wire or tubing to be straightened and bend this short length slightly so that it becomes a tightish fit on the tube to be straightened (the longer tube). First straighten the longer tube by hand as straight as you can.Then hold the longer tube in the lathe chuck and spin at moderate speed while holding the short length in a gloved hand and move it up and down the length of the longer tube. I don't know quite how it works but the bent rotating tube just straightens out - like magic!

Rod

Have a look at how coil feed Escomatic lathes straighten the stock

see page 3

https://www.escomatic.ch/media/gallery/machines/d2-d5-flexspeed-e.pdf

John

Bill,

Blackgates can supply 1/8" x 22 gauge copper tube in 12" lengths. Maybe give them a call.

Likewise GLR.

I have a feeling that Polly can also supply.

+ off-topic - I bought those Vulcan drawings that you pointed me in the direction of. Thanks.

Regards,

Phil

Edited By Weary on 09/12/2018 22:20:48

Grip one end in the vise and rig up some kind of slide-hammer arrangement to stretch it slightly.

Martin.

Or even simpler, hold one end of the copper tube in the bench vice and the other in a pair of vice grips and yank on it a few times to stretch it out straight. Works best with longer lengths. That's how we did it when installing instrument pipework in power stations etc back when gauges were really gauges and operated on actual pressure.

The tool used for straightening MICC (Mineral insulated copper covered) electrical cable would most likely do the job, it is a tool with 5 semi circular grooved edge rollers mounted 3 top 2 bottom  being sprung loaded and adjustable to suit diameter of the cable to be straightened. Searching BICC Tooling may bring up some pictures.

Emgee

Edited By Emgee on 09/12/2018 23:37:05

Edited By Emgee on 09/12/2018 23:39:50

One of these will do it but the cost 😭

https://youtu.be/4OVREFfoAAA

Mogens Kilde described a wire straightener in MEW 271-272 that could be adapted to do the same thing if you don't mind making one .

I wonder how you would go running the tube through a block of wood say 2 or 3 inches long with the appropriate hole drilled through  it then feed the tube through the hole and clamp the end of the tube in a vise and drag the block along the tube - might need a bit of soap for lube , never tried it - just a thought ! 

Edited By XD 351 on 10/12/2018 03:59:28

And you might try re-annealing it now it's almost straight, then roll it between your two plates again. Can't hurt.

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