is there a machine that tapers pipe / tube so it contracts shrinks or expands out?

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I will (hopefully) be bending/making a 5' diameter circle out of aluminum pipe probably 16 gauge wall thickness  and the pipe will most likely be 1.5 or 2" in diameter. I saw this youtube video and the mechanic is putting together car exhaust pipes and manually contracting the pipe with a ring/pipe clamp. I'm sure the exhaust pipe manufacturer's have some sort of machine that does this. Anyone know how it is done?I searched this forum for shrinking and contracting, but maybe I am using the wrong term? didn't find anything.
Reply:never mind should of just read this threadhttp://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...highlight=pipecorrect search term was flare or bell.though I do wonder if any of the presses at harbor freight woud be good for this?
Reply:your going to try and complete the circle but shoving one end into another flared end?Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:Something like this? http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalogTO INVENT  YOU NEED A GOOD IMAGINATION  AND A  PILE OF JUNK'' - THOMAS EDISONMost Of The Time People Don't see The Quality of a Good Job Unitl they see a Bad Job !! -Scott Esplin
Reply:try the term swedger.Miller thunderbolt 250Decastar 135ERecovering tool-o-holic ESAB OAI have been interested or involved in Electrical, Fire Alarm, Auto, Marine, Welding, Electronics ETC to name a just a few. So YES you can own too many tools.
Reply:this tool should work perfect.  if you search ebay for pipe expander they are $25 to $50.
Reply:could have sworn i told you this in another posttackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:the ones on ebay suck, they are basically just the harborfreight ones marked up. I searched on the forum and Leslie Corp makes some but the smallest size is 1 5/8" and I am using 1.5" pipe. the ebay/harborfreight stripped out after around 10 aluminum tube expansions from 1.5 to 1.625 inches and yes I did use a propane torch to anneal the metal.How about the hydraulic kits I see on ebay for $300 anyone recommend one? I did a search and couldn't find any reviews.
Reply:How are you verifying your Al temp for annealing? Are you going to heat treat them back?Lincoln Precision Tig 185Lincoln Power Mig 256Hypertherm PM 45Everlast 140STSmith O/A
Reply:I used soap. and no I'm not going to heat treat them back, they seem to be plenty strong. I even ran my tig torch all over the end of one tube end to really heat it up and it did not expand any easier than the ones I used a plumbers propane torch on .I was thinking expanding 1.5" 16 gauge aluminum tube was going to be easy. Aparently I am a wimp because it's rather hard!The hydraulic kits don't seem to have the depth I want. I want the tube to be expanded 1.5" into the tube. These hydralic kits seem to only expand it maybe 1" into the tube. If anyone knows of a tool that works plesae let me know.
Reply:I tried a good quality exhaust pipe tool like the one described.  It worked, but it was hard on the tool.  They are made to make pipe round again, not really to increace the size.  Unless you have a lot of them, any muffler shop has a hydraulic swedge to bell tubing.  A hydraulic hose shop would probably be able to crimp it smaller, depending on which way you want to go. A hose shop could also expand it, fire couplings use an expanding ring with a hydraulic swedge to install them.  If you are dealing with 6061 T6 you may have to anneal it first to pervent cracks, but I'm not sure. I would think sooting it up with acetylene then heating it until the black soot is gone would be good for that.
Reply:this morning I scored a muffler expansion hydraulic tool on ebay for $300but it is the GUN ONLY.I still need to provide hydraulic energy to the gun.http://www.huthbenders.com/huth-prod...-jr-model-1685 is the complete set.Can I get by with this $50 tool or do I need to spent the $$$ and buy this $300 hydraulic & air tool?I plan/hope to do about 12  to 24 pipes that are 1.5" diameter x 16 gauge a week. Pretty low volume.
Reply:The porta power pump should work, I have a similar one and it's rated at 10k psiLeo
Reply:http://www.jackxchange.com/products/22903.cfmfound this unit that is about $100 less price with shipping is $250. I think I"ll try it.
Reply:Do you think it would swedge 2" SCH40 steel pipe enough to slip into another piece? I was looking at the hydraulic units on ebay after I first read your post.  Also, if you are buying an air/hydraulic pump, make sure you don't get a harbor frieght taiwan one for that.  I went through a couple before I finally bought an "enerpac" one.  It has worked for many years.
Reply:i have no idea, you could call up the manufacture http://www.huthbenders.com and they could tell you what machine works best. They make some really really big ones that can do HUGE tubes. If HF sold one I would of tried it by now. To the best of my knowledge they do not sell a hydraulic pump. I did seee a air/hydraulic jack, but that wouldnt' work. I'm swedging out aluminum tube, 1/16th thick, so I dont' need a lot of power, nor do I expect the tool to last forever, 5 or 6 years would be fine with me.
Reply:I've got this pump on the bender, an SPX PA6M-1.  http://www.spx.com/en/assets/pdf/Page_050and051.pdfHF doesn't sell a single action air-hydraulic foot pump.  If you get a quality pump with rebuildable parts and maintain the device it will last much longer than 5-6 years.Make sure you have a compressor big enough to drive it.Enough stuff to build and repair wrinkled up race cars or bring a classic back to life...
Reply:Actually HF does make a foot pump item # 98318$110 with coupon on sale this weekMy only Selena is it operates at up to 10,000psi and this Huth expander has a max 3000 psiMaybe I can just buy a hydraulic gauge so I don't blow it up?!Huth foot pump is 510$Also found out by the time I buy all the thing needed to get this gun working I did not get a good deal oh well! Didn't get it for a bad price either
Reply:My HF one lasted about a year. I've had my Enerpac for quite a while. I don't remember what it cost. It doesn't seem like it uses much air, but I haven't seen a spec on that. I hook it up to various homemade benders.