Tools for Copper

Propane Torch

• When working with copper piping, you will often have to solder. You need a propane torch to do this. Two types of propane torches are commonly used for this. A professional will use a bigger 4-lb. tank that has a hose connected to it. The flame is lit and comes out of a metal nozzle at the end of this hose. The second kind of torch is a hand-held torch. It is a small propane tank, approximately 12 inches tall, with a metal nozzle. A nob at the top of the nozzle is used to adjust the size of the flame.

External Springs

• External springs are made up of good quality steel and have a cone at both ends to allow insertion of the copper pipe through its center. These springs are used for smaller copper piping. Once the copper pipe is inserted into the spring, it prevents the walls of the pipe from expanding outward in the process of bending. As with internal springs, external springs come in different sizes, and every copper pipe will need to have an external spring as per its dimensions.

Internal Bending Springs

• Bending springs are usually used when a soft copper pipe is bent manually using your hands. Bending springs fall into two categories--internal and external. Flattened steel is used to make internal bending springs. Once the spring is inserted into the copper pipe, the wall of the copper pipe is restrained from bending inward. Copper pipes come in varied sizes, and each pipe requires a specific spring according to its dimensions.

Bending Machines

• Bending of copper pipes takes place with the help of specialized tools. These are called bending machines. The most common type of bending machine used for bending copper pipes is a hand-held bending machine. The copper pipe is kept at one end of the machine within a curved form and a roller is used to push the pipe around the curved channel. The bending point of the pipe is held tightly between the curved form and the roller, which prevents the wall of the copper from getting distorted. The size of the curved roller and form varies according to the size of the pipe.