Peel plumbing bent on cerro/wood metall alloys

Had a day off so collected stuff to brute force another custom bodge. This time its the engine oil manifold/stalks must be bent in tight radius to ~45' in a couple directions on both tubes, w/o crimping or breaking out their base.

So Cerrobend 158'F will fill the tubes to allow bending in vice with a pipe over them. Used it to make Peel yellow squid hunter submarine air station 1/4" copper worms and to straighten out an 850 rear brake stand pipe to fit on front brake caliper shorting the flop length of brake hose needed.

Process is - w/o polluting any of wife's stuff, melt the metal in a pan or jar, then with one end of tube blocked by tape or foil or chewing gum, pour in, over the melt pan as splashes like water, bend when cooled solid then just put in boiling water or a propane torch to melt it all right out. Part of Peel delays others can just hook up and go go.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood's_metal

well Steve, show us the result

A tube bender works for me!

Slick

Freaking lucked TFOut as wife distracted on her blogs during a surprise of thermodynamic oversight = resulting in spilled splashed toxic molten metal all over stove, counter, floor and pans but got cleared up in barest nick of time on last toweling away of evidence as she came in complaining she was hungry needing to start dinner. Thankgoodness its like solder so instantly releases solidified thin splashes on nail pressure but pressure was on hearing her stirring toward discovery. Did get pensive on Alicia asking WHATS! in the pans, [no time to hide} but as their 'my' pans she acceted my "just some loose left overs" of water minerals fib. I'll never again test saying - easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

1st attempt failed because I'd over heated the wood metal in lab pyrex so masking tape failed to contain it to flow right out the bottom of manifold into my grits and white gravy pan - leaving hollows in tubes that might crush/kink. So used layers of foil 2nd attempt but also failed as still leaked most out w/o fully filling tubes solidly. Melting back out recollecting into pryrex cup caused most the splashing as suprised still liquid inside tube just a crust on top fooling me. 4th attempt made even more splashes as the tiny glass funnel had cooled so very end blocked yet rest filled to over flowing and getting too hot to hold so had to give in and tip back - most of it- into melt container.

Functioning best under stress 5th time, reasoned had to heat funnel and tubes to boiling to keep flows going but only fill poorly sealed tube bottom enough could dunk in cold water pan to plug before re heating funnel and upper tubes to fully fill each tube, while allowing for some steam explosions to finish before topping off, as I'd over heated cerrobend enough for some time slack fiddling all this with fire place handling gloves.

Tried to mount manifold but there is a stand off insert that fits into the return oil tube bottom blocked by the cerro metal, so had to put fire under pyrex measure cup again to melt hot enough to dunk bottom of manifold in repeatedly till enough melted out to allow seating over the stand pipe to nip up firmly before the grunting bending started.

Not simple mere hose alignment like ordinary projects, Peel has oneinarow alternator behind cases on pivot bolt through cradle, so discovered rather more complex double bending curves required to let this bolt pass freely or would have to remove manifold just to remove charger for special events running on battery only. Straining part was backing up tubes to bend where needed not where most wanted too, so one hand on rubber padded long pliers handle and other on hydraulic jack pump handle that just fit over oil pipe with just enough levering room for spring back to get get'r done, after 4-5 more failures, on to next hang ups.

Steam 'explosions. Got tired waiting on metling cerro in pyrex in a pan so just dumped the cerro in the boiling water which worked a treat, after decanting most the water off but some still flowed into tubes to bubble back some at 1st. Final melts were more brave by direct flame under pyrex cup with the pouring done over small catch pan I cleaned good being trained in toxic metal issues.

Timely post.

I've been comtemplating using the same process to redo the front brake line since I've changed to a Lockheed racing caliper clone. Although it doesn't leak I have one bend that's not pretty.

I've recently been talking with a friend who restores antique airplanes and he mentioned that's the way he bends tough radius thin wall tubing. I've tried it with sand but the results were just ok. The low temp metal seems the way to go.

BTW, he fashions a wooden plug and keeps the tube in simmering water whilst pouring to prevent premature hardening, hmnnn, different problem.

Steve,
This stuff might help you control the heat and maybe work as a plug. HVAC guys will wrap valves with it to prevent to much heat transfer.
Pete

Not sniping, just genuine concern – I looked at that WP link for Wood's metal and thought wow, I hope you got rid of any lead and especially cadmium residue from anything you used, in your kitchen! Field's metal looks a safer bet, but dearer and no idea of actual cost. I grew up in a house where all the water pipes were lead, it probably explains why I'm so stoopid ...!

hobot is post Doc chemistry trained + diplomat level clinical neurology & toxicology so well aware of metal exposure by handling or breathing plus surgical implanted plates/screws/wires and artificial joints leaching into system. So did feel like drug lab hick spilling and splashing solder in kitchen. I've a big macaw to be aware of releasing too much fireplace smoke or Mace like fume form saute' hot peppers. Only have time to return to bantering here, after finishing seasons of metal work, tanks of gas torching to half dozen lbs welding rods in close quarters. I stay 'over' mineralized so don't absorb much toxic elements and tend to flush out new exposures. I'll use acid wash to release any remains of Cerrobend before cooking in pans. Still have to melt out the oil tubes and remains in pyrex cup and glass funnel but not the mass needed to pour, so propane torch to melt these out - held over big shot glass to form back into one slug.

Had time pressure to clear wife's kitchen before seeing my mess or would of stuck wood sticks/dowel in manifold but was dark and raining. On long tubes ya can trim later I just crimp one end, plug by stick, clay or let settle - harden in section-length being bent. Oil pipes are short thin wall steel extra stiffened by solid metal inside, so hardest thing I've bent this way and pensive/strained to support/brace tubes while mounted w/o fracturing out of the thin support while levering on ends to bend. Had em good for hose routing thinking was done - till found fouled alternator bolt removal/inserting, so had to un-bend more force/care than prior bending to re-angle in neat looking manner, a few more times.

Its tedious tricky to bend brake stand pipes, not so much d/t crimping but getting flowing bends or straightened section that don't distract like hick expedient=crude bent clothes hanger. May need hammering with care not to mar/nick surface too much to polish out. Hard leather pad/linemen gloves needed to apply enough focused force through for the fine tuning appearance and final end alignments.

Great thread, especially envisioning that scene in the kitchen. Thanks for sharing.

Thirty years ago, I bent mild steel tube filled with sand, to make the fork brace that is on the front of my Commando.
The necessity of packing it tight was what I learned.

These dang custom Commando's require learning new skills and tools/materials - with various unexpected complications surprising newbies/me. Oil manifold construction + my expedient - now in the mood- time frame caught me out. 1st pour worked fine, till seeing couldn't fill up the tubes as too much hot metal mass above to let bottom congeal as expected. Glass funnel had 4" long stem, tip/exit semi sealed to cool steel tube tops, trapping column of molten cerro metal, that should of been empty when moving away but let go over counter/stove, ugh. Tried more masking tape but hot water bath to heat tubes enough cerro would fill, not just congeal on tube walls plugging before bottom filled. Tried foil wrap backed up by mashing tape but had tubes and cerro too hot so flowed right out into my SS sauce pan. Last go took heated manifold, placed ends in 1/2" cold water and only poured small amount in each tube till solid - a couple times build up before topping tubes off.

Hehe, wife was hot to get kitchen cleared so put pans and manifold on top of fire place insert, with good fire going so all the cerro melted to bottom didn't get to em before fire died down, so now manifold and funnel fused to pyrex cup.

Now where did I put propane torch - mainly gotten to add this to Mz Peel.

I used the squadron's entire supply of Cerrobend to make some stainless exhaust pipes on a Hilmore bender back in 79. I could hardly lift them and they never did fit properly. The tubes escaped from the back door of a south wales steel mill (free of charge) I just had to give it a go

Gee gripper till I stumbled on the British Iron oriented forums, I thought all vintage era motorcyclers were successful opportunists like you so not much lost confronting curve balls on DIY attempts. Toxic low temp metals feel like lead.

My saga got spiked with crisis and let down. Had left the manifold, funnel/catch cup on shelf of stove face i'd adapted to fireplace to melt it all down before I got back from a meeting 30 miles away in freezing/fog rain, so used wet logs to last before returning. Barely got to meeting when wife calls saying fire got too hot so tired to douse it down some, but could only get one glass french door open, so was using her plant sprayer that splashed on backside of stuck door glass to shatter it and couldn't reach chimney damper to open, so smoke filling house and fire still flaring. Took a while to get logs simmered down to take outside and clear air. Spoiled evening so propane torch emptied the manifold and cleaned the rest to melt into tin foil stuffed in a cup filled with cold water for a storage slug. That's when I found the oil tubes both loose in the base, ugh.

Only way I trust to repair is by silver soldering, so must tuck tail off to a pro to rescue. Most Peel's OIF fittings silver soldered by him too. Check valve fitting in gusset area behind Z plate too complex gaped angles for anything but cold JBWeld and grind/file back finishing.

Spend most the day bend over suffering the fire door apart, tiny Philip screws, cooroded over. Used oven cleaner to soften crust/rust, picked out slots, found good fit driver in gun tools, propane heated, with body weight square on, torqued em off - with only two of em making me whine on effort risking stripping. I detest DIY repair and custom mechanics surprise delays.

I started Wes's wine early today so numb to mild pain, attempted to assemble feed and drain hoses so ready to slip on manifold. Instant custom complication failure - to take another sip on. Peel data logger oil temp digital sendor requires inline adapter to thread it into, but its 3/8" nipples more like 1/2" and soft braid 3/8" hose more like 5/16ths, ugh. Actually split the braided hose forcing by hand effort, which dented fingers to the bone and required vise to pull back off jammed halfway on. Used bench grinder sides to whittle down the nipples, trial error testing, only blistering fingers once before going to creek for water can. Finally got all parts together with normal human pounding pressing twisting, being sure the fancy cover hose clamp on correctly, this time, to start cranking and cranking on it to find it stripped somehow, so fought it apart again to fight it back again with plain jane hose clamp, reasoning its deep enough only i will notice. Sunday stuff Wes often helped with while drawling out, I told ya should of left well enough alone...