Hardening copper pipe?
Moderator: Site Moderator
- Alchemist75
- Rumrunner
- Posts: 708
- Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:12 pm
- Location: New Mexico USA
Hardening copper pipe?
If there happen to be any metallurgy wizards here I have a question:
Obviously, soldering copper pipe with a torch will anneal the metal. Is there a way to re harden the metal after it's been worked into a shape such as a coil? I know about work hardening but I don't see how you'd do it with a coil or other equally involved and fixed shape. Any DIY methods that would work?
Obviously, soldering copper pipe with a torch will anneal the metal. Is there a way to re harden the metal after it's been worked into a shape such as a coil? I know about work hardening but I don't see how you'd do it with a coil or other equally involved and fixed shape. Any DIY methods that would work?
SOLVE ET COAGULA, ET HABEBIS MAGISTERIUM
- acfixer69
- Global moderator
- Posts: 5139
- Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 3:34 pm
- Location: CT USA
Re: Hardening copper pipe?
Soldering temps 600-700 F will not anneal copper. It needs 1200-1300 F to really be soft. But as far as work hardening soft copper it will harden itself with time. You can drive around with a soft coil in the truck and in a month it don't want to unroll easy.
- Saltbush Bill
- Site Mod
- Posts: 10517
- Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:13 am
- Location: Northern NSW Australia
Re: Hardening copper pipe?
Pretty much what AC said , time and movement. Ive never had to worry about hardening anything Ive ever made from copper, it just seems to happen over time. You can sit there tapping it gently all over with a small hammer or other hard object if you want.
- still_stirrin
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 10372
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
- Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play
Re: Hardening copper pipe?
Could I attach a...my wife’s...uh-humm...vibrating thing-a-ma-jiggy?Saltbush Bill wrote:....You can sit there tapping it gently all over with a small hammer or other hard object if you want.

My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
- Alchemist75
- Rumrunner
- Posts: 708
- Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:12 pm
- Location: New Mexico USA
Re: Hardening copper pipe?
I believe they call it the Hitachi magic wandstill_stirrin wrote:Could I attach a...my wife’s...uh-humm...vibrating thing-a-ma-jiggy?Saltbush Bill wrote:....You can sit there tapping it gently all over with a small hammer or other hard object if you want.

I know using a torch to heat copper can make it much easier to manipulate but if it's not softening the metal then no worries. Thanks for the insight.
SOLVE ET COAGULA, ET HABEBIS MAGISTERIUM
- Yummyrum
- Global moderator
- Posts: 8819
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2013 2:23 am
- Location: Fraser Coast QLD Aussie
Re: Hardening copper pipe?
You have to heat copper to at minimum a dull red colour to anneal it . If you are Brazing with a MAPP or Oxy torch this will do it . If you are just using soft solder , it won't anneal it .
Bending it into a coil will have it pretty hard . Polishing the coil will finish the job
Bending it into a coil will have it pretty hard . Polishing the coil will finish the job

My recommended goto .
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
- Twisted Brick
- Master of Distillation
- Posts: 4139
- Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2013 4:54 pm
- Location: Craigh Na Dun
Re: Hardening copper pipe?
You must be referring to Bob... (battery operated buddy)still_stirrin wrote: Could I attach a...my wife’s...uh-humm...vibrating thing-a-ma-jiggy?
“Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake.”
- W.C. Fields
My EZ Solder Shotgun
My Steam Rig and Manometer
- W.C. Fields
My EZ Solder Shotgun
My Steam Rig and Manometer
- corene1
- HD Distilling Goddess
- Posts: 3045
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 8:05 pm
- Location: The western Valley
Re: Hardening copper pipe?
You could glass bead it but that would only be a surface hardening. I have heard ultra sonic vibrations have also been used to harden copper. It would be interesting to see if it works like aluminum. You use the same principal to anneal aluminum but to re harden aluminum you must reheat to a controlled temperature and do a controlled cool down over a few hours time.
- Kareltje
- Distiller
- Posts: 2207
- Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:29 pm
Re: Hardening copper pipe?
That is funny. In my language the BOB is the one in a company that is NOT going to drink and drive the other ones safely home.Twisted Brick wrote:You must be referring to Bob... (battery operated buddy)still_stirrin wrote: Could I attach a...my wife’s...uh-humm...vibrating thing-a-ma-jiggy?
I had to look it up, but it is NOT an acronym, so NOT Bewust Onbeschonken Bestuurder (Conciously Sober Driver).
It started in Belgium and is now a European plan of advertising every year for some time.
- Yummyrum
- Global moderator
- Posts: 8819
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2013 2:23 am
- Location: Fraser Coast QLD Aussie
Re: Hardening copper pipe?
OK fellas ... enough of the smut talk ..... keep it clean please . 
Nine posts ..four not worth keeping .

Nine posts ..four not worth keeping .
My recommended goto .
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory