My First Build

[jholmz]

you can try mcindy but im not sure if ice would work due to the non flexibility if you try it remember not to fill the tube full as the water expands when freezing and will split your tube. the reason salt works is that it is course and ably to shift inside the tube without crushing theres probably a lot of good ways to do this easier just noones come up with them yet hope your ideas work for you let us know

[Soggy Bottom Boy]

I've been thinking, couldn't you just fill up your tubing with water, plug the ends, and stick it in the freezer? Then when frozen pull it out and wind? If all goes as planned, it should just melt out and you wouldn't have to worry about clogs....


McIndy

That's how one custom musical instrument maker that I read about bends his brass tubing for trumpets and such. I don't think it's as easy as it sounds though, probably a real steep learning curve for that art-form.

I think the plus sides of the technique is that water does not compress (prevents kinking), and the cold from the ice probably prevents the metal from hardening by eliminating the heat generated from the bending process.

The down side, making sure that there is no air in the sealed tube, which will compress and allow kinking, & the freezing water will stretch the annealed copper diameter (but maybe pre-compress any air present).

I am going to try water, without freezing, when I try my coiling project.

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[McIndy]

Soggy,

Definitely let me know how it works out! I am quite interested in that.

However, I did end up using salt for my coil. Reason being is because its a proven method of coiling and I am on a budget. (Ill post a picture of the results in another post with my build, captioned "My McBoka".)

However, I'll make a deal with ya. If you do it w/out freezing the water, and post your results, then I will do it with freezing the water and also post my results!

McIndy

[Spokerider]

I just completed my first double helix coil for a 2" Boka. Making it went very well, and it outta work great........thanks to all of the others that have posted their "how to" instructions on here.

A few points I'll add for ideas / options for others anting to make one........

I used a .930 OD pipe, as I didn't have a .805 pipe for an arbor.

Since I had the "all purpose" 1/4 tube....and it likely has the thinner wall than refrigeration tubing, I used salt. Transmission fluid funnel and an orbital sander got the salt well packed in the tube.

I used only 1 eyelet bolted through the arbor, and used a tightly wound mtb inner tube along with tape to firmly secure the tube to the arbour pipe. This kept it flat on the pipe and not raised up off the pipe, like the eyelets do. It worked very well.

Lastly.....to get the salt out...... Tapped, shook and use compressed air to get out what I could.......maybe 10% came out. Next, I injected water with a syringe and used compressed air, repeat many times, for 40 mins or so. I "shot" short bursts of air into it to set up a shock wave effect. It worked, soon globs of wet salt were coming out, and it was clear.

Hope these tips help someone else