I'd like to make some chrome plug wire guides and I bought some sections of tubing made for use as bathroom sink water supply lines. The wire fits through just right! Only problem is I haven't been able to bend the tubes or flare the ends a little without beating up the chrome. Any ideas on how to make it work? I've tried coating the tubing with masking tape, but the flaring tool clamp and bender rip right through. Any help appreciated!
don't think you will get it to work, chrome doesn't stretch, get plain tubing bend and flare then chrome.
I used to use that stuff all the time. It was plated soft copper tubing, bent easy and the plating stayed on. Haven't bought any in years.
Chrome will not stay on if your doing some mods. Listen to Torana68 that the way to go Sent from my Z981 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Or some cheap stainless thin wall tube. Yes, there is such a thing. Polish it 1st, but BE CAREFUL. Stainless tube and a polishing wheel have no conscience , and one false move could be remembered for life. I've found that the cheap stainless polishes so easy it should be a misdemeanor. For safety's sake, cut it to length, insert one end in a cordless drill and spin it opposite wheel rotation. You can do about a foot per minute. Don't like the idea of polishing? Buff it by hand with a grey Scotchbrite pad for a brushed satin look. Ok enough of my imagination, what's in yours aside from the water supply line (which is a kool idea too)?
Sorry it took a while to reply! I thought I was supposed to get an email every time someone replied to the thread and only got an email for the first reply....earlier today! ANYHOW, I was able to bend a piece of the stuff I already messed up, and the chrome didn't crack or anything, but it didnt stay round and the wire won't fit through any more. Best I could do still ended up kinda flattened on the sides and still no luck flaring. Not sure I really even NEED to flare it. I'm using lacquered cloth coated wires with good insulation under the cloth. Probably won't cause a problem. I ordered some more chromed copper pieces today that are advertised as "dead soft". We'll see how that goes. I'm gonna have to look into that stainless! I'd actually prefer that, any good sources to buy from? Thanks for the advice so far, fellas!
Gonna have to be good enough. Turns out there isn't enough room for a good bend radius, and flaring would have prevented the tubing from being close enough to each other to solder together. Oh well, better than it was!
An informative video on you-tube "how things are made" shows how they make a trumpet and the method of bending the tubing without a mandrel, They mix water and soap together pour into the tube and then freeze it, it acts as if it was a solid bar and the soap allows the frozen water to bend without cracking
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