Bending of thin wall tubes

[GeorgeGreek]

According to the seller's claim, the low melting point alloy can fill a tube which is then bent and the alloy easily remelted out...

http://www.smallparts.com/products/descriptions/lma.cfm

I have done it with ordinary solder but it's not the same.

George

 

[compound driver]

hello George
It does work reasonably well but so does very fine sand well packed into the tube. Sand has the advantage that the tube can be annealed with the sand still in.

Cheers Kevin

 

[compound driver]

hello George
It does work reasonably well but so does very fine sand well packed into the tube. Sand has the advantage that the tube can be annealed with the sand still in.

Cheers Kevin

 

[Bogstandard]

Hi George,
In the UK the trade name is CERROBEND and has been around for longer than I care to remember.
When I worked for Rolls Royce, making their cars, we used to use it when we bent the stainless steel body trims and window frames to shape. We just kept it in a pan of nearly boiling water so it was always ready to use. Then after use it is just remelted out with boiling water and reused, it worked very well.

John

 

[Cedge]

I've been told, although I've never tried it, that table salt works well too. The cubic shape of the grains has something to do with the way it behaves within an enclosed area. Easy to remove with water too.

Steve

 

[sidecar_jon]

Apparently they use the low melting point metal filler system in Brass musical instrument making...you must admit they do get pretty fair bends.