Does anyone remember a post by a fellow from England that showed a flaring tool that was of a much simpler and better design than those offered by KD or Imperial? These tools work fine on the older original steel lines but the new ones are so thin they collapse enough that they slide in the jaws rather than accept a flare. I buy steel brake/gas tubing in 50 foot rolls and everything I get now doesn't flare worth a darn. The choice now is premade lengths with flare unions joining them together( which looks like crap) or tubing you have to leave long because your not sure it will flare right. I did a search in the archives with no results and thought maybe some with a younger than 69 year old brain would remember something. Thanks for any ideas; Evan
Evan I don't remember the earlier post you refer to, and I don't know what the KD or Imperial offerings are like, but I am in England and I've always found I can get good flares using one of these http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=040215399&r=2076&g=111 I've used it on various sizes of steel and cupro-nickel line for brake and gas, and (as long as I practice a couple on some scrap first) they always come out good. You're sure to be able to get the same things stateside. Mel
Mel, thanks alot for the quick response. The tool on the site you referred me to is like the ones offered here in the US. There is nothing wrong with these tools, in fact they're a quality piece, but the problem is in the much thinner wall tubing we're now getting. The tool I remember may have been on another forum on this site or even on another site. The tools I now have only have a 5/8 to 3/4" (15-19mm) gripping area and the tubing gives enough to let the tube slip when doing the first step of a double flare. The pre-made tubing doesn't have any tooling marks so I suspect the flares might be rolled on. This would work only on straight tubing and be of little use in fabrication. There is a hydraulic flaring tool offered for $350-$500. The price is acceptable because it's for business and not hobby use but, I would want to know they work on present day tubing at that price. Once again, thank you; Evan
Evan ; Maybe you could wrap the tube where it's slipping , in some aluminum or copper shim stock so it'd be thicker ? . I dunno , just thinking out loud before coffee . -Nate
Mine did the same thing, to get satisfactory flares, I set the tubing in the block, placed the anvil and press on the block and then clamped my handy vise grips on the middle of the block as close to the press as possible without interfering. This allows a better grip on the tube and a good flare without the tube slipping. a bench vise may work as well.
>Mine did the same thing, to get satisfactory flares, I set >the tubing in the block, placed the anvil and press on the >block and then clamped my handy vise grips on the middle of >the block as close to the press as possible without >interfering. This allows a better grip on the tube and a >good flare without the tube slipping. a bench vise may work >as well. thats exactly how I do double flares, I tried all kinds and expesive blocke and the tube slipped and when in the vice and clamped tightly I was able to do all the double flare on my street rod and all worked the first time. Ed I do cut the line and then grind flat straight ends b4 flaring. and oil the part and clean the inside of the cut area.
You guys are something else--problem solved. I did do a little modification on the clamping process but the idea is exactly the same; clamp close to the work instead of just at the ends. Since I had SEVERAL flaring kits(some people are not smart enough to learn the first time), I made a drilled countersunk hole in one side with a matching threaded hole in the opposite side. This lets the clamping take place without anything in the way. Since I had several I didn't worry about the bolt passing through the adjacent hole. Could even put a bolt on both sides of the hole in use but works OK as is. Thanks again; Evan
