Copper Piping Stoke

When you are working with copper pipe, you will often need to create a corner bend. You can buy elbow joints to connect two straight sections of pipe at a right angle, but it is often better to bend the pipe into a smooth curve to aid water flow.

Pipe Spring

Pipe springs are available to fit all three sizes of copper pipe and are often sold as a set of three. The spring is inserted into the pipe to where the bend needs to be and acts as a support for the walls of the pipe and stops it kinking. If the pipe is longer than the spring, tie a length of string to the spring so you can lower it down the pipe to the correct position. Grip the pipe in both hands and gently and evenly bend it across your knee. It is a good idea to lubricate the spring before inserting it into the pipe as this makes it easier to remove the spring afterwards.

Pipe Bender

Pipe bending machines are fairly cheap to buy and a good idea if you need to bend a lot of pipe. The machine consists of a set of different sized formers to fit each size of pipe and a handle which you pull to bend the pipe around the former. Place the pipe in the clamp on the pipe bender and insert the correct sized former between the pipe and the handle. Gently pull the handle towards the other until the correct curve is achieved.