Is there a better way to prep joints?

[stevensondrive]

I seem to go through an enormous amount of copper fittings when soldering up 3/4 and 7/8" linesets! :eek: with the price of copper going up more and more I'm looking for tools to save some cash.

there has GOT to be a better way than using all these street 90's and 45's??!

Thanks for your help

Steve :D

[karsthuntr]

Tubing bender.

http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sell/SSProfiles/43000191/images/2/70070_kit_resize.jpg

[stevensondrive]

is that Yellow Jacket? I've been searching thru some old threads....

[tirednow]

the local yellow jacket rep also had a tubing swedger that looks pretty good. i only use elbows if i have to. the tubing bender is your friend.:D

[stevensondrive]

the local yellow jacket rep also had a tubing swedger that looks pretty good. i only use elbows if i have to. the tubing bender is your friend.:D

I just picked up the YJ tubing bender at Johnstone. I looked at the swedger while there. the one they had did not do 7/8". that only makes it useful for jobs under 3 tons.

[funny title]

Get yourself some bending gear and a set of expanders. Boss only lets us use fittings on inch and 5 up.

[weber]

I just picked up the YJ tubing bender at Johnstone. I looked at the swedger while there. the one they had did not do 7/8". that only makes it useful for jobs under 3 tons.

You will be very happy!

How much did you pay for it at johnstone?

[y7turbo]

Get yourself some bending gear and a set of expanders. Boss only lets us use fittings on inch and 5 up.

did your boss pay for the bending equipment?

[stevensondrive]

You will be very happy!

How much did you pay for it at johnstone?

it was a little under 200 and a little over 200 after taxes.

[21degrees]

Also with yellow jacket you can get reverse benders for tight areas, approximately $110.00
Does 5/8" to 7/8"

[tarheel_tech]

I was hesitant to get the reverse bend attachment,but I am glad that I did.The majority of the time when I am installing a cond. unit I am using that attachment.So bite the bullet and get it as well.

[tirednow]

the tubing swedger that the rep had went up to 1 1/8". i don't know if it was from yellow jacket but he was selling them. real nice unit. doesn't clamp to the tubing just stick the end in the tubing and work the handle and presto its swedged. real slick. i'm still looking for the 1 1/8" tubing bender.

http://www.hvactool.com/catalog.php3?hcategory=&hsubcat=&hpagenum=1&hproductid=71600&haction=search&fsearch=71600

here it is.

[stevensondrive]

the tubing swedger that the rep had went up to 1 1/8". i don't know if it was from yellow jacket but he was selling them. real nice unit. doesn't clamp to the tubing just stick the end in the tubing and work the handle and presto its swedged. real slick. i'm still looking for the 1 1/8" tubing bender.

http://www.hvactool.com/catalog.php3?hcategory=&hsubcat=&hpagenum=1&hproductid=71600&haction=search&fsearch=71600

here it is.

400 clams? wow! :eek: I checked the price on that site, it is quite a bit cheaper than what I paid. but I NEED it today!! :( oh, well I'll keep shopping ;)

[model m-man]

Yellow Jacket also has a large size swage/flaring tool. 3/4, 7/8, 1-1/8. Built just like the regular one, just has three sizes.

[21degrees]

[QUOTE=tirednow;1873384]i'm still looking for the 1 1/8" tubing bender.

Why would you want 1 1/8' benders, to much work and hard pipe looks better.

[tirednow]

running lineset up a side of a house in soft copper. alot of fittings in an attic and go back to put insulation on the piping/tubing. i can see running hard copper in a basement but that would take alot more time also. i'm not against doing that but once its installed properly you probably wouldn't know the difference. do you run hard copper all the time? do you run it in residential applications? the 1 1/8" bender would save me alot of unnecessary loints. i forsee the use of larger tubing in higher seer applications in residential use and am gonna need to use it more.

[21degrees]

do you run hard copper all the time? do you run it in residential applications? the 1 1/8" bender would save me alot of unnecessary loints. i forsee the use of larger tubing in higher seer applications in residential use and am gonna need to use it more.


I have never used over 7/8" copper. But I have used hard copper when linesets are exposed, Recreation centre were everyone sees line sets and some residential but not many. Carriers R-22 model now has 3/4" for 2 ton unit instead of 5/8".

[stevensondrive]

the local yellow jacket rep also had a tubing swedger that looks pretty good. i only use elbows if i have to. the tubing bender is your friend.:D

http://www.hvacr-tools.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=HVACR&Product_Code=60455&Category_Code=FLARINGSWAGINGCUTTING

is this it??

[neophytes serendipity]

the tubing swedger that the rep had went up to 1 1/8". i don't know if it was from yellow jacket but he was selling them. real nice unit. doesn't clamp to the tubing just stick the end in the tubing and work the handle and presto its swedged. real slick. i'm still looking for the 1 1/8" tubing bender.

I have an Imperial Eastman 1 1/8 gear driven bender.

It doesn't work as well as I had hoped.

The bender is quite difficult to use without anchoring it in place.

I think some of the problems stem from the soft copper not being round like hard drawn tubing. I have never had fittings slip onto the soft tubing until I rounded the joint area with a Crescent wrench.

If you try to bend a 90 opposite the factory roll of the coil... that doesn't work too well, either.

The die and shoe must also be kept well lubricated- I used a silicone spray.

I think Rems makes a power bender that will do 1 1/8 OD, but I have not used or seen one in person.

If I did more, I would look into the power bender, but not without a demo.

[nites chaos]

For a hydraulic swaging tool try this one, does up to 1 1/8 soft and less expensive that the YJ. Yes its a Mastercool, but we've got a "loaner/demo" on the counter and its held its on...

http://www.climatedoctors.com/Items/MAST2

[orlandotech]

Ridgid makes a nice swagging tool. I think it's model# S1 or S2. It has a spreading die that is similar to the ones that the muffler shops use to bell out exhaust pipe. It has 4 to 6 " pie segments " retained by O rings. When you put it in the end of the pipe and press the handles together it forces a tapered pin into the center of the die which pushes out the segments and bells out the end of the pipe. A guy that showed me his tool told me that after you do the first one rotate the tool a little and then hit it again. It seems to deform it a little if you only press it once.

For bending soft copper I use a spring bender set from JB although I find myself only using the 5/8 and larger sizes. The set comes with seven sizes, and at least half of them you will never use. It also doesn't come with the 7/8 size so you have to buy that one seperately. It makes bending 90's in the soft stuff a breeze as long as the tube is not dented from rough handling. Just put the bender where you need it. grab it close to the ends of the bender, put it in front of your knee and pull it towards you. Just be sure to slightly overbend the turn and then straighten it out to where you need it. This relaxes the tension from the bender and allows it to slip off easily.

I've never used the YJ bender although lots of people like them. I would think that the tool would get in the way in some situations and not allow you to bend it right and plus the spring benders are relatively cheap compared to the ratchet benders and seem to work decent in tight areas. If I also had the swagging tool the only time I would have to use fittings is in a tight area ( like near the AHU connection ) or if I was using hard copper and didn't want to anneal it.

Just my .02 .:)

[tirednow]

no. what the rep had was apparently the mastercool swedger kit. i took it that it was yellow jacket manufactured. didn't see the price offered but it doesn't need the clamp to make the swedge. just slip it in the pipe and work the action. the rep was demo on 1/2" tube and was pretty easy. a little more prep to the tube with an inside reamer but that would also help slip the joint together.

[Glenn Harrison]

Here's the Yellow Jacket Expander/swedger kit, and a better price then the Master Cool.

http://www.hvacr-tools.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=HVACR&Product_Code=60407&Category_Code=FLARINGSWAGINGCUTTING

http://yellowjacket.com/images/products/Systm_Tools/60407-backgroundm.jpg