Brake pipe and fuel pipe straightening!

[Adrianb]

I’ve plucked up the courage and strength to sort my brake pipes and fuel pipes out! So they have been supplied in a nice rolled up coil! I’ve read reviews on some straighteners but it seems that straightening by hand is the way ahead.  I thought I read somewhere that pushing some electrical wire thru the pipe will help to stop it flattening is that correct and if so can I use my vice if careful! Any thoughts please!

[RobPearce]

Feeding some relatively incompressible but flexible wire, such as thinwall electrical wire, through the pipe will give some benefit in helping to stop it flattening. However, flattening isn't really an issue while you straighten the coil out - it's much more a problem if you try to put a tight radius bend in it without using the correct size pipe bender. If you don't already have that tool then you should definitely invest in one before tackling the fitting.

[Adrianb]

Many thanks Mr Pearce,new tools already ordered, that will give me another couple of days lining things up!

[Ed H]

Home made tubing straightener.  Cheap, and works great.

Ed

[Wendy Dawes]

 Very clever 👍 What Did you use to make the rollers ? 

Edited August 23, 2022 by Wendy Dawes

[Adrianb]

Ed your deffo Tool of the Month! I mean the equipment not you! Im going to have a go at making one that will help delay the process, you can tell im not really looking forward to doing the pipes.

[Clive]

Sealy sell a tool for about £15.

It is essentially a hole through a 6" long bit of nylon, really simple. I wonder if a 5mm hole drilled through some 2" thick wood, then opened out at one end, would suffice? 

Of course, if it is a premade set, it would need to be larger to allow for the flair.

[drofgum]

33 minutes ago, Clive said:

Sealy sell a tool for about £15.

It is essentially a hole through a 6" long bit of nylon, really simple. I wonder if a 5mm hole drilled through some 2" thick wood, then opened out at one end, would suffice? 

Of course, if it is a premade set, it would need to be larger to allow for the flair.

Clive with a premade set it won't be all that good because it would have to have an opening large enough for the fittings at the ends.  A hinged two-piece straightener would be a way to solve that, but a straight section as long as the straightening tool  would be necessary.

Regards,

Paul

[Clive]

31 minutes ago, drofgum said:

Clive with a premade set it won't be all that good because it would have to have an opening large enough for the fittings at the ends.  A hinged two-piece straightener would be a way to solve that, but a straight section as long as the straightening tool  would be necessary.

Regards,

Paul

You can slide the fittings to one end! (I thought about that. The sealey jobbie is limited to new, unflared pipe)

Being honest, I have just used my vice to straighten the pipe bit by bit. It has fairly big jaws, and onec you get into a rythym, it is pretty quick.

[Ed H]

9 hours ago, Wendy Dawes said:

 Very clever 👍 What Did you use to make the rollers ? 

V groove bearings.  Amazon has many.

Ed

[Wendy Dawes]

14 minutes ago, Ed H said:

V groove bearings.  Amazon has many.

Ed

👍 it’s a great piece of kit definitely worth a vote for best home made tool 😊

[Kevin R]

For flared pipes clamp 2 pieces of wood together.  Drill with appropriately sized drill through the centre of both pieces.  When unclamped this will leave a semi circular channel into which you can insert the flared brakepipe to draw through and straighten. This can then be unclamped to remove.

[Beans]

15 hours ago, Ed H said:

Home made tubing straightener.  Cheap, and works great.

Very neat solution, thx for sharing!

[Adrianb]

Many thanks All, it just goes to show how useful this forum is and the responses so good Cheers All.

[Adrianb]

Here’s the Eureka! Moment! Whilst holding all these bits of wood and bearings  getting ready to cut and drill grooves! I was leaning on my B &D workmate when I noticed the job was already done, the jaws of the work mate are grooved sufficiently to allow a pipe to be placed between and straightening can be worked! actually a nice restorer passed on this tip, thanks mate. 

[Tim Bancroft]

I used this tool for flaring, very useful as compact enough to flare pipes more or less in situ:

https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/hand-held-brake-pipe-flaring-tool?gclid=CjwKCAjw3qGYBhBSEiwAcnTRLipokZQRevGHC0i0uNSd5d0VumUSsEPiT9y4DdHT88GR90PhqmEZ7BoCCXMQAvD_BwE

[Tim Bancroft]

Here it is: 

[yorkshire_spam]

@Tim BancroftI have 2 flaring tools, one like yours and an ancient Sykes Pickavant one in a big metal case.... I can't remember the last time I used the Sykes one, the one you suggest is just so much easier!