Hard Tube (Cu, Brass, etc) and Fittings Suggestions

Nobu

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So I'm thinking about eventually putting together a loop using brass tubing and compression fittings (with ferrules), but being in the US, it's not exactly easy for someone not in the know to find 1/4" BSPP compression fittings that don't cost $8+ a piece.

What are your recommendations for fittings (part numbers/manufacturers) and where to get them?
Which supplier do you recommend for brass or copper tubing?

I saw this on amazon, does it look like it'd work? Legris 0101 10 13 39
Found these, much better price ($3/ea), but use o-rings instead of ferrules: Monsoon 1/2" OD Hardline Economy Compression Fitting (larger OD though, so I'd need bigger tubes)

Probably won't be starting this until I get some steady income, but I'd like to lay the groundwork now so I can just get everything I need and get to work once I do. Might help someone else who has the same question while I'm at it. ;)

Edit 08/15: Added Monsoon fittings
 
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I'm subbing to this and looking forward to hearing what others have to day. I know nothing about brass/copper tubing.
 
Added monsoon fittings to OP.

Also, here's what I'm looking at on Amazon: https://amzn.com/w/13DJ2ETZWA8SJ
For $62.88 (delivered) I'd have all the fittings I need for my loop, enough tubing to practice with and still finish the loop (though, I'd need one more piece at ~4' for one section), and the tools needed to bend and cut the pipe. Now I just need to know whether those fittings have the correct threading for common WC parts. D:
 
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this is the basis for my build, this is from Nov/2011

since then the pump/res, and the PCV splitters have been changed out. the copper pipe is 3/8", the fittings were all from Home Depot. the Quick Connects were McMaster-Carr. Having experience with making brake lines, I double flared the ends of the pipe myself, so I didn't have to use the comparatively pricier compression fittings.

Now 1/4NPT will thread into G1/4, but it is a taper cut on the threads, not straight cut. this means you don't tighten them until they are bottomed out like you do with G1/4. put a wrap of Teflon/sealing tape on the threads and just snug it down. haven't had a single leak at the radiators and never did at the pump base. that fucking 35x res is a worthless leaking pile even with g1/4 in it however. in general I am comfortable with it in metal/thick plastics. thin plastics will crack. Bonus, a 1/4NPT tap runs about 7$, so rethreading if you desire is not a huge expenditure either. for me the flare nuts are 21mm or 13/16", worth keeping in mind for something like CPU blocks.

Copper can be bent by easily hand, polished or allowed to patina, doesn't leak and readily accessible for about a dollar a foot. when I changed to a D5 and a 750mil radiator, I cut the ends off the old pipes, recycled the flare nut and made new pipes to fit. tooke maybe twenty minutes total to swap out.
 



this is the basis for my build, this is from Nov/2011

since then the pump/res, and the PCV splitters have been changed out. the copper pipe is 3/8", the fittings were all from Home Depot. the Quick Connects were McMaster-Carr. Having experience with making brake lines, I double flared the ends of the pipe myself, so I didn't have to use the comparatively pricier compression fittings.

Now 1/4NPT will thread into G1/4, but it is a taper cut on the threads, not straight cut. this means you don't tighten them until they are bottomed out like you do with G1/4. put a wrap of Teflon/sealing tape on the threads and just snug it down. haven't had a single leak at the radiators and never did at the pump base. that fucking 35x res is a worthless leaking pile even with g1/4 in it however. in general I am comfortable with it in metal/thick plastics. thin plastics will crack. Bonus, a 1/4NPT tap runs about 7$, so rethreading if you desire is not a huge expenditure either. for me the flare nuts are 21mm or 13/16", worth keeping in mind for something like CPU blocks.

Copper can be bent by easily hand, polished or allowed to patina, doesn't leak and readily accessible for about a dollar a foot. when I changed to a D5 and a 750mil radiator, I cut the ends off the old pipes, recycled the flare nut and made new pipes to fit. tooke maybe twenty minutes total to swap out.
Cool, good to know I can use NPT if I have to. The bspp fittings I found are only $4.70, but when you need 10 that becomes a good bit more.

I ended up ordering 12 of the 1/2" monsoon fittings and six 3ft sections of pipe from amazon ($35 and $15 respectively), along with a pipe cutter and bender (cutter wasn't too bad, but bender was $38). $100 altogether, but most of that was for one time purchases. Figure if I want to switch to hardware-store fittings it wont be a huge deal later on.

I'll post my experience with the monsoon fittings once I get it all together, and the pipe bender since 1/2" benders appear to be rare in the sub $100 range for whatever reason. Rig pics will be in the sticky, but I'll link to them here.
 
in case anyone was stil looking or intrested i normally get metals of all types from here they have many alloys at decent prices so you can get exactly what best fits your project. shipping can be a bit much tho.
 
thanks for the link, I got a great plastic supplier locally, but metal is more of the you get what we got and you'll like it mentality.
 
in case anyone was stil looking or intrested i normally get metals of all types from here they have many alloys at decent prices so you can get exactly what best fits your project. shipping can be a bit much tho.
Neat, though their brass prices are a bit high, you do get more exact measurements if that's what you need, and a wider selection. FWIW, the 1/2" 3ft x 6pc (18ft total) order I made on amazon cost $15 (free s/h, no tax). At that store it costs $68 for one 18ft section of their thinnest walled 1/2" tube, $48.72 for six 3ft sections. or $33.70 for two 8ft sections (largest non-custom length, still double what I paid). Though, theirs have .03" walls and the ones I got have .014" walls.
 
yea i havent ordered brass from their yet so i dont know the right value for it but i have ordered TONS of aluminum and copper in pretty much every alloy they offer and so far have not been let down.
 
So, everything came in today. Tubing was in plastic bag and flat-packed in cardboard, only one was damaged (small dent about 3" or 10cm from the end), outside dingy but inside looks mirror smooth. Fits in the bending tool, but folds under pressure (no matter how slowly I increase the pressure). Guess the walls are too thin, will have to pack it with something (thinking sand) or anneal it (but I think that may have the opposite effect). Have some sand on hand, will try that.

The fittings fit, haven't pressure tested yet for obvious reasons.

Bending tool (a Hilmor "Tri-Tube Bender") looks decent enough quality--don't know if it'd handle 1/2" stainless, but copper or brass should be fine. There is a stop on the swivel, which seems like a good idea, except I can't line up the zeros because of it. Oh well, long as it bends tube (we'll see about that in a bit), I guess.
 
Fits in the bending tool, but folds under pressure (no matter how slowly I increase the pressure).
Packed with sand (maybe not tight enough, dunno), got an "extension spring" (about the right size, barely fit), folded with sand, split clean with the spring. Guess I'll have to anneal it, and if it still fails it's just too thin.
 
never tried 1/2" in a tool, always folded that size by hand, but in the applications I would use it, I never need that tight of a bend anyways. out of curiosity, why 1/2" and not 3/8"/10mm? the 3/8" bends just fine without folding with a standard pipe bender
 
never tried 1/2" in a tool, always folded that size by hand, but in the applications I would use it, I never need that tight of a bend anyways. out of curiosity, why 1/2" and not 3/8"/10mm? the 3/8" bends just fine without folding with a standard pipe bender

I was considering 3/8", but couldn't find the fittings I got at a reasonable price except at 1/2". I could have gotten the standard plumbing fittings, but it would have ended up being as expensive or more.

The 1/2" tubing I got doesn't appear to want to bend at all before it collapses, though (maybe one to three degrees flex, and it springs back if you let it go before it gives way), so I have to assume it's the tube and not necessarily the bender.
 
some copper alloys are very brittle. the only thin i would try is getting it as hot as you can before tryingto bend it
 
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