1/2" Stainless Tube

[blisster]

I'm looking to build recirculating arms for my HTL and boil kettle...

Does anyone know where one could find 2 or 3 feet of 1/2" stainless tubing?

And a tube bender... I'm guessing Princess Auto would sell pipe benders?

[Roger]

I'm not sure where you'd get some new SS tubing sometimes you can get some used stuff from best metals but you'd need to clean it very good. I tried to bend some tubing a few years ago with a bender I got from princess auto without much success. To be honest the best bender I've used for copper tubing anyways is by using some wire tightly wrapped around the tube on the section I want to bend then use some Armstrong bending technique. The wire keeps the tubing from crimping. I hope you have success with your project.

[AtlanticRebel]

Another suggestion would be to fill the pipe with water and freeze it before bending, the ice inside keeps the pipe from collapsing as well.

[Roger]

That reminds me back when I  built my set up I was talking with an old Austrian man and he suggested to fill the tube with sand for the same reason. It would help stop the tube from kinking.

[shazapple]

I'm building a recirculating arm for when I cool the wort from a SS racking arm and some fittings.
https://www.everwoodavebrewshop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=EBS-CAN-3-8-SS
https://www.everwoodavebrewshop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=36317
https://www.everwoodavebrewshop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=36006
http://www.everwoodavebrewshop.com/product-p/ebs-fer-rck-clmp-sm.htm

I'm hoping the racking cane clamp with a hose clamp will hold it in place.

I was reading a post on reddit yesterday where someone was building a still. They tried the freezing method and it split the copper pipe (although this might not be an issue with SS). The sand method worked although they recommended using a very fine sand so it would come out easier after. I plan on using the sand method along with a pipe bender. 

[jdueck]

I wouldn't use water and freeze it unless you use DOM tube.


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[blisster]

Thank you all!   I'll check best metals for some pipe.

The tight rope and sand method are great ideas, thanks... Will give these a try!

I've tried a pipe bender before when building a chiller and it didn't work so well, lol

[Two Wheeler]

I used a set of spring benders for my immersion chiller and it worked pretty good. It's a 6-8inch spring that slides over the pipe and supports it as you bend it. It seemed a bit sketchy, but it worked.

They're $9 bucks at HD, or you're free to borrow mine!

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.4-piece-tube-bending-spring-set.1000828614.html