How can I coil copper tubing?

[jbslow]

Hello I'm trying to make a coiled copper thing that will dribble water into my bong. The coil will need to be very tight I need to fit the whole thing inside a 4" PVC tube.

I tried briefly to bent the tubing around something by hand but it started to kink and loose its diameter.

Thanks

[RainMaQer]

I use a pipe bender I got from a local hardware store. I think it was $12 or something... just a little arched piece of plastic with a bolt that you turn to tighten... as you turn it ... hmmm wow this is hard to explain when I'm tired... Pipe bender... works great:beer:

[Billvill]

If your going to install it in a 4 inch piece of pvc get a 3 inch piece of pvc. Fill the copper tubing with sand ( that will stop it from kinking ). Bend it around the 3 inch piece until you have the length you want. Be sure to flush out the sand.

If you don't want to use the sand, a good tool dealer will have what looks like long springs that are used to bend tubing. They slide over the tubing and can be moved as you work the tubing. They are not that expensive.

For what it is worth , Billy

[jbslow]

Billvill , I read a few other things talking about filling the tube with sand so I decided to give it a shot and it worked great. The only problem was getting the sand out but eventually it all came out.

Thanks alot , I will post pics of the cooling rig later maybe next week I'll be sure to post a link here so you two can check it all out.

[Billvill]

Glad it worked out for you ! That trick was taught to me by an older gentelman in my neighorhood when I was 16 . I am now 46. I hope 30 years from now you pass it on to someone.

Billy

[jbslow]

OK guys here it is...7ft of 1/2in O.D. copper tubing it weighs 1.4lb without the brass fitting.

I used a 2in peice of pvc to wrap in around the thing fits perfectly into my 4in bong maybe 1/4in clearance on all sides.

[jbslow]

I drilled 44 1/8in holes in this thing I soldered up 2 of them because it was splashing over the top of my bong.

[The Overclocker]

i did the same thing when i was making my distilation condenser (for experimentation of course:beer: :rolleyes: ) didn't look as neet though - well done

[jbslow]

Here's another pic of the coil this one will give you a bit of a perspective on the coils true size its sitting on a 8 x 10in peice of white printer paper.

link to another thread with more pics (http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65227)