Brake Pipe making kit

[chucksmum]

Husband renovating a spitfire, thought I would buy him a Brake Pipe making kit for Christmas as a surprise. I haven't got the foggiest which to buy, can anyone tell me which is the best to buy (not necessarily the most expensive)?
Thank you.

 

[peterd51]

Hi,

you can buy a kit of pipes ready cut for the Spitfire/Hereld, off ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Copper-Brake-Pipe-Kit-Spitfire-Herald-GT6-and-Vitesse-_W0QQitemZ130346243376QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxq20091122?IMSfp=TL091122171002r9396

titled: Copper Brake Pipe Kit Spitfire Herald GT6 and Vitesse £20.50 plus £3.50 p&p.

I know these brake flaring kits have been discussed on here before and some are a bit dodgy, very poor quality. No doubt others will be along soon to tell you which ones they've used successfully. Try a search on 'brake pipe flaring' or something along those lines.

Mine's about 20 years old and a very basic model, only does one size, and as I recall only cost about ten pounds or so, but it's lasted well and I still make my own pipes with it for MOT time. I bought it from AE Cook in Scunny and I know they have branches in Grimsby and Donny...have they got one in Lincoln?

Doing a Google search I can't see anything like it though, it's all multi-purpose kits now but the look of it.

Regards
Peter

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Have a look on www.frost.co.uk who provide a range of brake tools.

 

[rtbcomp]

Avoid the Machine Mart one.

 

[Galwaymick]

I have had great sucssess with the toolfix one, quite a comprehensive set.

 

[chucksmum]

Thank you all.

 

[brightspark]

sykes picavant are the best if u can aford but a lot of dosh for a one off

 

[wobblemonster]

Another vote for Sykes Picavant. I have had mine 30+ years and still going strong.
Buy good, buy once

Rick

 

[zzr1200]

sykes picavant are the best if u can aford but a lot of dosh for a one off

Another vote for Sykes Picavant. I have had mine 30+ years and still going strong.
Buy good, buy once

Rick

3rd vote here for SP, defo the best.....but expensive,,,

 

[pedrobedro]

Avoid the Machine Mart one.

I'll throw a spanner in the works here, I've been using my MM set for the last 11 years and never had a fail with it yet. If you follow the instructions they work fine. I use Kunifer pipe but have made copper and steel ones with it. The Sykes Pickavant cam action tool at about £150 is undoubtedly the best though.

 

[stormin]

I bought one of these off e-bay a few years ago. Great quality, very similar to sykes one and a bit cheaper. The lever arm flaring tools are a lot better than the nasty screw type ones.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VICE-MOUNTED-...icle_Parts_Accessories_ET?hash=item3a55178b22

 

[BChild]

I'll throw a spanner in the works here, I've been using my MM set for the last 11 years and never had a fail with it yet. If you follow the instructions they work fine. I use Kunifer pipe but have made copper and steel ones with it. The Sykes Pickavant cam action tool at about £150 is undoubtedly the best though.

Another vote for MM one from me - never been a problem at all - couple of offcuts used to understand how much to have exposed and from then on perfect every time

I have another one which is different and works OK too - I'll try and find a link

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Laser-Brake-P...tZUK_Hand_Tools_Equipment?hash=item1c0e4ca7ee

That works fine for me too

 

[rtbcomp]

The MM one isn't recommended for Kunifer or steel, only copper and aluminium (!). The pip in the centre of the 3/16 die came off on mine, they are very fiddly to use.

 

[invicta]

This one is working well for me. Reasonable quality too.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Laser-Brake-P...temQQimsxq20091129?IMSfp=TL091129211001r24125
Works on copper pipe or kunifer pipe but I have not tried it on steel pipe. For the project you suggest, I would think you would not be using steel so this type should be fine.

 

[Blackjack]

Another vote for MM one from me - never been a problem at all - couple of offcuts used to understand how much to have exposed and from then on perfect every time

See that, annoys me. It's a brake pipe flaring tool. Why doesn't it have instructions on how to use it correctly???

Which sounds picky, until you use the word "safely" instead of "correctly".

You need 2/3 of the diameter of the pipe sticking out of the die. If you look at the buttons the back face has an edge on it, this is usually a gauge for the amount of tube that sticks out of the die for that diameter.

What with all this stuff being made in China, checking it might be a good idea before blithely assuming that's going to work, but in the absence of instructions...

Oh yeah, You Tube has assorted "tutorials".

 

[pedrobedro]

The MM one isn't recommended for Kunifer or steel, only copper and aluminium (!). The pip in the centre of the 3/16 die came off on mine, they are very fiddly to use.

Where does it say that ? Mine still has the instructions in after years of use and even though I'm not the daintiest I don't find it any more fiddly than any other system I've used. It tells you how much pipe to expose and I use a spot of brake fluid to lube it as well as reaming the end of the pipe before fitting the brake union and flaring it.

 

[rtbcomp]

Where does it say that .........

One of my suppliers stocks the same item and it says that in his catalogue.

 

[brightspark]

One of my suppliers stocks the same item and it says that in his catalogue.

ive just had a nosey at machine mart flaring tool it says it will deal with virtualy any metal pipework comonly found on motor vehicles and elswhere

 

[rtbcomp]

ive just had a nosey at machine mart flaring tool it says it will deal with virtualy any metal pipework comonly found on motor vehicles and elswhere

Virtually being the operative word.

Believe me, I have one of these and I won't be buying another.

 

[brightspark]

Virtually being the operative word.

Believe me, I have one of these and I won't be buying another.

take it back to machine mart then tell them its not suitable for purpose and get a refund . shell out and buy a sykes one mine will outlive me