Shaping soft copper tubing into a tight coil?

Question

I'm wanting to form 1/2" OD soft copper tubing into a pretty tight coil, with the coil having approximately 3 1/2 " outside diameter. I plan on using a piece of conduit of the appropriate size to wrap the tubing around to attain the coil diameter I want. I also have an appropriately sized coil spring tubing bender to help. Wondering if anyone has done this successfully before and/or have any suggestions to ensure I don't collapse the tubing during the process.

Answer 1

This is how I do it. Use your tubing bender but fill the tubing with sand and plug or crimp the ends. Dont pack the tubing tight in fact leave about 2" unfilled. When you start the coil keep the sand moving back and forth. Bend a little and shift the sand and bend a little more. It is time consuming but the sand keeps it from collapsing.

Answer 2

How To Coil Copper Tubing

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Shaping soft copper tubing into a tight coil?
I'm wanting to form 1/2" OD soft copper tubing into a pretty tight coil, with the coil having approximately 3 1/2 " outside diameter. I plan on using a piece of conduit of the appropriate size to wrap the tubing around to attain the coil diameter I want. I also have an appropriately...

Answer 4

I saw a demonstration of someone bending tubing for a trombone, the way he kept the tube from collapsing was to fill the tube with water and freeze it solid. With the ice in the tube it cannot collapse. I've never tried it, but it looked like it worked quite well. It would take more force to bend the tube that way, but I don't think that it puts any limit on the tube in terms of how small a radius you can bend it into.

Answer 5

You appear to be aware of the technique for bending tubing. 3-1/2" is not a radical bend. I'd expect that the conduit form you plan to use, coupled with carefull application of pressure as you bend, and keeping the copper tube in constant contact with the coduit forming tool, you will do just fine.

In this case, the bending "slinkys" won't be much help, I'd guess.

Answer 6

I don't think you'll need the tubing bender if you're using soft copper. Fill the copper pipe with as fine a sand as you can find and cap off one end. You should be able to manipulate the copper around the conduit fairly easily. Cut the cap off and drain the sand.

Good luck.