Brass Tube Bending

I have a 1/4” brass tube that needs to be bent into a U-shape to support vinyl records on a wood base I’m making. I see we have one but it requires a class. Is there anyone willing to do that for me? Happy to pay for your your time :wink:

Get you brass or stainless tubing from K & S. Most hobby shops (Model RR and RC) and Hardware stores (Ace) carry stock.https://www.ksmetals.com/

Micro Mark has some economical tube bending tools: https://www.micromark.com/mini-hand-tools/benders

The tubing bender we have does not have dies for that small of tubing. However Automotive may have a tubing bender. I am will to bring one of mine up as well.

Should clarify is it 1/4” OD or ID

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Thanks! It’s a 1/4” OD brass filled rod/dowel. I’ll check with @Team_Automotive

Thanks! I already have the material. Just hoping I don’t have to buy a tool for this one piece.

We have a tubing bender (used for bending hardline tubing for things like brake lines or fuel lines) but I’m not sure if it goes down to 1/4" OD. It’s quite likely it does. Iirc it’s in one of the top left drawers of the green toolbox closest to the lift.

If you cant find it, Let me know. I have a couple different ones/styles

Is it brass tube or solid brass rod? If the latter, you don’t have to worry about the tube collapsing and can use a simple bending fork to bend it. Two bolts or pipe segments clamped in a vise with a small gap for the material can work. There are a couple of different one piece bending forks in the Blacksmithing area, too.

Here’s a Google-derived image of a similar design.

Perhaps @Team_Blacksmithing can help out?

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The Jewelry lab should be able to bend for you!? To keep tube from collapsing or kinking, fill with water or very fine sand or powder or use that tool from MicroMark. K & S also has solid rod.

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Annealing brass before bending cold is generally a good idea.

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It’s solid

I found a bender in Automotive that seems to be working, but now I need to cut part of it. Is there a tool I can use that I don’t need to take a class for?

A hacksaw or a jigsaw with appropriate blade. For something that small I’d do it with a hacksaw in about 10 seconds of work. Unfortunately I don’t know where one would be. Hopefully someone else can chime in. Maybe machine shop. Maybe metal. Automotive might even have one somewhere.

hacksaw in the red toolchest of machine, vertical bandsaw in machine, dremels in the south worthshop (though I know they shuffle around there every so often and I’m unsure where their current home is), and if the stock fits the horizontal bandsaw in metal shop or a cutoff wheel on a grinder if one is around.

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What time of day are you normally here? Or – have you already solved this?

Wednesday and Thursday are going to be goofy for me – I won’t be following my normal late-afternoon through evening schedule. Friday (at a guess) I’ll be here around 2 or 3 pm, and be here all evening.

I can show you how the horizontal bandsaw works. It’s pretty easy-peasy.

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I like the horizontal bandsaw (even more than the cold cut saw), but that’s way overkill for 1/4” brass rod.

Hacksaw or Dremel would be my recommendation. Hacksaw would give the most control. A hand file and/or sandpaper will clean up the ends if needed to remove burrs.

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Sorry I’m so late to get back on here. I do have some more pieces to cut and would love your expertise. Will you be around this weekend or next week in the evenings?

Sure. I think I’ve just booked myself for tomorrow. Sunday afternoon/evening?? I should be here from 3pm on.