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Steel Wire Reinforced PVC Tubing

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regardless of how it bends, I think you'll have some (as in lots) of trouble getting it over barbs, especially inlets and outlets like on the D5.
 
Adragontattoo said:
for that matter, are you planning on having the rig in a high stress environment? I cant see any reason at all for the steel embedded other then that.
That's what I'm wondering. This isn't necessary for PC water-cooling...whatcha got in mind?
 
Even a hose reinforced with nylon strands can be pretty hard to bend if theres enough of it, if it has stainless spring wire embedded in it will want to pop off anything resembling a hard bend.
 
We use it at work only in areas where a cart or someones foot is likely to smoosh the tubing. It's pretty inflexible stuff and won't be too usable for most routing setups inside computers.
 
Phrenetical said:
look interesting, wonder how it bends.
I wondered that too so I chased it down. According to the Kuriyama web site all their 1/2" ID reinforced tubing has a min. bend radius of 2". I can do much better than that w/thin-walled Tygon and SmartCoils ...
 
It would be like built in Smart Coils but I bet it will be too stiff, hard to get on barbs and hard to get clamped well on barbs.
 
Thanks for all the feedback! I was wondering if it was as stiff as the 1/2"ID 3/4"OD pcv I tried from HomeDepot. My new setup with the MCP and SPP blocks has/needs soem tight bends. Right now I am using some 3/8"ID x 9/16OD stuff I bought for $2 but it was kinking so I added zip ties to keep it from deforming. While looking for new 1/2" ID tubing I ran across that metal imbedded stuff.

I'm considering:
1/2" ID x 5/8" OD silicone. McMaster-Carr part no. 5236K451.
1/2" ID x 5/8" OD Tygon R-1000. McMaster-Carr part no. 5894K21
1/2" ID x 3/4" OD Tygon R-3603. McMaster-Carr part no. 5554K19.
 
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3/8"ID x 9/16OD is too thin. You need 3/8" x 5/8" (1/8" thick wall.) That will give you a 1 1/8" bend radius.

Thicker walls give a tighter bend...not the other way around.

3/8" x 5/8" R-1000 has the same bend radius as R-3603
 
greenmaji said:
I think the bending radius spec would answer the question.
No, it's not just bend radius that I'm looking at.

My HomeDepot 1/2"ID x 3/4"OD tubing bent in a small radius just fine. The problem was that it was so stiff at that radius that it was causeing my video card to flex and my MCP and SPP blocks to lift up on a corner or side.

My primary goals are tubing that wouldn't kink on a tight bend < 2" and also isn't so stiff as to put force on my components. I am even wondering if I should boil it and bend it into semi-permanent shape. Not sure which Tygon does that best so I am searching.

Thanks for the replies! Please keep em coming!
 
Graystar said:
3/8"ID x 9/16OD is too thin. You need 3/8" x 5/8" (1/8" thick wall.) That will give you a 1 1/8" bend radius.

Thicker walls give a tighter bend...not the other way around.

3/8" x 5/8" R-1000 has the same bend radius as R-3603
Very true but the R-1000 durameter is lower so it is more flexible. Like I said above I need flexible and tight bend radius.

Thanks for the reply!
 
This silicone stuff looks like it may just work. McMaster-Carr part number 5236K451 for transparent blue and 5236K451 for transparent white. Plus it's only $1.29 a foot!
 
Owenator said:
Very true but the R-1000 durameter is lower so it is more flexible. Like I said above I need flexible and tight bend radius.
But you do realize that you won't get a tigher bend radius with R-1000...right?

Radius is a function of not only materials but also dimensions. Even though R-1000 is softer, it won’t bend further than R-3603 without kinking. That’s what the Tygon specs say. R-1000 is soft because it was designed for peristaltic pumps.

Personally, I don’t think there’s any advantage to having softer tubing if the radius is the same. That said, though, I’d also say that R-1000 and R-3603 would both provide equal performance in our application.
 
Graystar said:
But you do realize that you won't get a tigher bend radius with R-1000...right?

Radius is a function of not only materials but also dimensions. Even though R-1000 is softer, it won’t bend further than R-3603 without kinking. That’s what the Tygon specs say. R-1000 is soft because it was designed for peristaltic pumps.

Personally, I don’t think there’s any advantage to having softer tubing if the radius is the same. That said, though, I’d also say that R-1000 and R-3603 would both provide equal performance in our application.
I agree, but I am not only concerned with the bend radius. The softer tubing is less prone to want to "spring back" into shape. Sure thicker walled stiffer tubing can bend tighter but it will be trying to straighten itself out which was a problem for my system. It was causing my video card board to flex, not a good thing.

I am getting some 1/2" ID x 5/8" OD silicone tubing to test. It should bend to a tight enough radius and be flexible enough to not apply too much force to my video card.

Thanks!
 
Owenator said:
The softer tubing is less prone to want to "spring back" into shape. Sure thicker walled stiffer tubing can bend tighter but it will be trying to straighten itself out which was a problem for my system.
Okay...I'll buy that (except the "thicker walled" part...thinner wall can't turn as tight a radius no matter what.)

I have a similar situation trying to route tubing in a desktop slim case that I'm water-cooling...VERY tight spaces and turns! I'm currently using R-3603 but I might get some R-1000 and try it...just to know for sure. :)
 
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