Re: Brass tubing

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>

Having checked out pricing on soft copper tubing recently... 50 feet of
1/4, 3/8, or 1/2" tubing at Orchard Supply and Hardware (OSH) in Southern
California runs less than $30...


Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<Mddeming-at-aol-dot-com>
> 
> In a message dated 5/9/02 10:17:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> writes:
> 
> >
> > Hey folks,
> >
> > Someone mentioned that brass tubing could be used for a primary. I have
> > lots of hollow 3/8" brass tubing in 10' lengths.
> >
> > It doesn't seem too flexible though. Can I just bend it around something
> > without kinking it or is copper that much more maleable?
> >
> > Thanks a lot for all the great info. With all your help I should be able to
> > make a successful attempt at a TC.
> 
> Hi Dan,
>          The soft copper tubing that comes in coils is usually used for
> primaries. Hardened copper, which is used for household plumbing, etc., and I
> suspect, your brass tubes, need to be annealed before they can be worked.
When
> we overworked copper in high school shop, this consisted of heating the
copper
> until the flame started to turn green and then quenching it in a pickling
> solution of dilute H2SO4 and CUSO4, A tubing bender, available from tool
supply
> companies and some hardware stores, would probably be necessary to do a
smooth
> job of bending. IMO, it will still be too tedious a process. A coil of copper
> refrigeration tubing, even of it costs $50, would be a lot less hassle,
unless
> your shop is set up to do the heat treating already.
> Matt D.
> G5-#12
> <http://www.thegeekgroup-dot-org>http://www.thegeekgroup-dot-org