Fairchild Club Forum

' Can anyone tell me where to get a tubing bender for the 1" O.D. aluminum oil lines?   I checked out conduit benders, but the 3/4" benders are a tad small, the next size up is too big.   David'

'David,I think that you need a "PIPE" bender.  Pipes have different outside diameters than tubes.  That said, I will tell you that I used 1 inch aluminum for oil lines when I added an oil filter to my 1939 24 K, and included the 1/8 inch raised bead at the ends of each 'pipe' and double clamps on each connection, and would NEVER use 1 inch aluminum oil lines again.  Get the big fittings and make up some big high pressure AeroQuip lines, they are worry free and never need re-tightening.  Just my $.03 worth.
Bob Waldron1939 Fairchild 24KWebster, MN
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'An engineer friend of mine manufactured a bender similar to these standard benders http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/levertypebendr1.php?clickkey=6468 with a couple of formers of the required radius and the ‘mating pieces’ on the handle made from a pieces of 1 1/2” thick heavy duty plastic/nylon – on a milling machine if I remember correctly. All made with scrap metal in a day.Next plug one end of the tube firmly – tapered wood plug – fill with fine dry  (in the kitchen oven) sand packed in hard by tapping plugged end on the floor until tube is full – plug other end hard – no air space. Rub area of the required bend with a bar of soap and heat with a blowtorch until soap turns ‘medium/dark brown’ – this anneals the pipe at the correct temperature. Allow to cool so you can handle it. Fix bender in a bench vice and away you go – be careful not to over bend. Pour out the sand – wash out - job done. The bends on the breather pipes were done the same way (Ranger).Allow sufficient tube either side of the bend to work with.I hope I am not being patronising in this post in replying to an expert – this is just step by step how I did mine and the tool only cost me a beer!  Good luck  Frank CoxUC61K (Argus III) G-BCBL        From: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com [mailto:fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of David McCord
Sent: 21 March 2014 01:37
To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [fairchildclub] 1" aluminum tubing bender for oil lines    Can anyone tell me where to get a tubing bender for the 1" O.D. aluminum oil lines? I checked out conduit benders, but the 3/4" benders are a tad small, the next size up is too big. DavidNo virus found in this message.
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'? Yes, I like the idea of using AeroQuip lines, or maybe Stratoflex since they seem to have the larger -16 sizes. Fittings are pricey. I see the cheapest straight 111 hose fittings for $66.80 in ACS catalog. I'm scared to add up the total cost!   I heard a story today about the Stearman that actually sheared a 1" aluminum oil line while making a fuel stop, thankfully while running on the ground and not in the air where he had been a few minutes before and would've been in a few more minutes. Yes, that seems the safe way to go.   David      

----- Original Message ----- From: rangerrobertmn@yahoo.com To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 7:36 PM Subject: [fairchildclub] Re: 1" aluminum tubing bender for oil lines
 
David, I think that you need a "PIPE" bender.  Pipes have different outside diameters than tubes.  That said, I will tell you that I used 1 inch aluminum for oil lines when I added an oil filter to my 1939 24 K, and included the 1/8 inch raised bead at the ends of each 'pipe' and double clamps on each connection, and would NEVER use 1 inch aluminum oil lines again.  Get the big fittings and make up some big high pressure AeroQuip lines, they are worry free and never need re-tightening.  Just my $.03 worth.
Bob Waldron 1939 Fairchild 24K Webster, MN

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