Page 96 - The City and Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1 for the Level 3 Apprenticeship (9189), Level 2 Technical Certificate (8202) and Level 2 Diploma (6035)

The City & Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1

Pipe-bending tools

Types of pipe-bending tool used for plumbing include:
● Scissor bending machines: these bending machines, also known as handi-
benders, are excellent for precision bending of copper tube.
They are light in weight and portable. For bending copper tube in sizes 15
p Figure 2.1 Scissor bending mm and 22 mm.
machine ● Tri-pod bending machines: these are static bending machines for bending
copper tubes from sizes 15 mm to the larger sizes up to 42 mm.
Particular attention should be paid to the bending roller to prevent excessive
rippling of the tube, which can occur when the roller is not tight against the
bending guide.
If the roller is too tight, then throating of the copper tube will occur.
p Figure 2.2 Microbore ● Internal bending springs: not used as much since the development of the
scissor bender scissor bender, the internal bending spring can be used to bend half-hard
copper grade R250.
It is recommended that the tube be annealed first before bending to prevent
excessive rippling.
● External bending springs: used in the same way as internal springs but the
spring is placed on the outside of the tube.
Usually used with microbore tube of sizes 8 mm and 10 mm.
● Microbore scissor bender: a small version of the scissor bender, for
microbore tubing of sizes 6 mm, 8 mm and 10 mm.

Pipe-soldering equipment

Types of pipe-soldering equipment used for plumbing include:
p Figure 2.3 Soldering and ● Blowtorch with separate governor, hose and LPG bottle: the traditional
brazing torch
plumber’s blowtorch.
The governor can be pre-set or adjustable, and the nozzles on the blowtorch
are interchangeable with varying sizes for different tube sizes.
These are not as controllable as other torches.
● Soldering and brazing torch: this type of blowtorch is much more portable
and gives a hotter flame that is far more controllable.
It can be used with propane and MAPP gas, but gas usage tends to be high.

Manual pipe-threading equipment

Although not strictly plumbing tools, manual pipe-threading equipment may
be used occasionally when using installing low carbon steel (LCS) pipe. Ratchet
p Figure 2.4 Ratchet stocks and stocks and dies are tools used for on-site threading of BSP mild steel pipes,
dies whether in situ or mounted in a pipe vice.

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