tricks for expanding copper pipe?

[upjeeper]

i need to expand one or two pieces of 1/2 copper pipe to about .600" (very loose tolerances)
any tricks for doing so? can i use a lubricated regular drill bit and run it backwards and step up sizes? or grind down a spade wood boring bit?

thanks

 

[dmcintosh]

No advice, but curious what you are trying to do.

 

[metal1313]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077RT3D79/?tag=atomicindus08-20


Swaging tool is the right tool for the job. They may even have one at home depot

 

[The Cobbler]

you need to expand it about 0.060"
a regular swaging tool probably wont be the right size for you . a 19/32 drill bit is close to your 0.600. maybe make a swage tool out one?

 

[Copymutt]

I do a lot of one off mated piping. My advise is to anneal it first to cherry red. Then swage it to an interference fit.

 

[shoot summ]

Swaging tool.

I had seen one on here one time, thought it would be handy to I bought one and threw it in the toolbox. Was helping my neighbor get their plumbing put back together after the big freeze and ran into an odd sized copper in their attic, tubing, bendable, was not standard 1/2". I was able to swag a piece of pipe to fit over it and soldered them together, glad I had the tool.

 

[Sevenhills1952]

Maybe this?

Sent from my SM-S205DL using Tapatalk

 

[gorilla]

Copper pipe is hard not intended to be swaged. Copper tube is soft and intended to be bent or swaged. If memory serves me correctly the OD of 1/2" copper is about 5/8". What is it you are trying to do?

 

[shoot summ]

This is the one I got:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Professional-6-in-1-Swaging-Tool-80-538-111/304341669

 

[mike93lx]

I do a lot of one off mated piping. My advise is to anneal it first to cherry red. Then swage it to an interference fit.

To add one thing to this, heat it up and dunk it in water. Copper (and brass) anneal differently than steel

 

[upjeeper]

i'm into precision reloading, and instead of spending $100 on a fancy funnel i'm building a setup. some guys prefer long drop tubes for the powder to fall 6-12 inches before hitting the brass case - the theory (as i understand it) is it allow extruded powder to align on the way down.
but to be honest, it gives me an opportunity to play around in the machine shop

 

[mike93lx]

i'm into precision reloading, and instead of spending $100 on a fancy funnel i'm building a setup. some guys prefer long drop tubes for the powder to fall 6-12 inches before hitting the brass case - the theory (as i understand it) is it allow extruded powder to align on the way down.
but to be honest, it gives me an opportunity to play around in the machine shop

Sounds cool. Please share pics when you get it together.

 

[matt_i]

To add one thing to this, heat it up and dunk it in water. Copper (and brass) anneal differently than steel

Can you "expand" on this...there's no "phase change" that I am aware of which happens in work-hardened copper, like you'd want to "freeze" by quenching ala tool steels.

Its analogous to the "alpha" phase in low carbon steel, if you quench it really fast you get "cold alpha", if you let it slow cool eventually you'll get "cold alpha".

 

[rlitman]

Can you "expand" on this...there's no "phase change" that I am aware of which happens in work-hardened copper, like you'd want to "freeze" by quenching ala tool steels.

Its analogous to the "alpha" phase in low carbon steel, if you quench it really fast you get "cold alpha", if you let it slow cool eventually you'll get "cold alpha".

The only reason I can think to quench the copper is that it helps the scale to fall off, leaving you with a cleaner result.

 

[dogdog]

I was thinking something like this, but for copper you might still have to anneal it first... which is heat it up and quench it in water afaik I know.

then spin it in a lathe similar to what this guy does.

 

[Jswain]

If you are into reloading chances are you already know how to anneal the copper as it will be the same process that you use to anneal the necks of the brass if you are into that. Dark room, propane torch, heat until it starts to go red, remove from heat. You can put it in water afterwards if you'd like or let air cool its not like you need to quench immediately I usually just let it air cool.

Then somehow clamp the piece or hold it on a table and use a expanding tool as above or like mentioned maybe taper a drill bit and hammer it in there with some case lube. If the piece is short enough & you have a big enough vise you may be able to press it in. Try on a short scrap piece first to get you technique down if the copper splits either anneal slightly longer or first size to half of what you need then up to full size etc.

 

[BD1]

Have you considered making a flare ???

 

[upjeeper]

thanks guys
i ended up using a 5/8" wood boring (spade style) bit. I ground down the profile i wanted (long slope) and transitioned any edges with a wire wheel as any sharp edges cut the copper. i only wanted to make a couple to start with and didn't have the pipe yet annealed (first run).

it went ok, the disadvantage was there was quite a lot of friction and the long arm of the spade bit allowed more flexibility than i liked, so the flare is off center. not a problem, it'll work fine for my applications.

if i were to do it in the future, i'd go very slow, try to have some coolant (or maybe cheat with canned air), and use a standard / sacrificial 5/8" drill bit (more rigid shaft than the boring bit) that i contoured (a standard 118* angle is too steep)