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Flaring Tools for Stainless?

PAToyota

PAToyota

Red Skull Member
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South Central Pennsylvania, USA
I've got one of these and it will do a fair job on stainless in 3/16" and possibly 1/4" if you baby it and are careful. Downside is if you need to flare the end of a line that's on a vehicle.
Bench Flaring.jpg


I have access to one of these at a shop I work with. It's really nice if you have to do something on the vehicle, but it does require more attention to get things right.

It specifically states that it isn't for stainless - which the guys in the shop proved by trying anyway and pretty much ruining a few dies. They won't even hold regular lines well enough to do a good job now. :shaking:
Hydraulic Flaring.jpg


I've got a fuel line project (5/16" and 3/8") that I'd like to do in stainless - which nobody seems to offer ready-made. Any recommendations on tools that will do the job?

Just go for the old standby heavy duty manual version?
Rigid.png
 
How are you doing the flares on the eastwood one and what flare are you trying to make? I have the same kit, and have done a lot of testing and messing around. I just did a few 37 degree flares on 3/8 stainless with decent results.
 
Isn't there a oilfield pumper on here, they use the shit out of stainless tube. Maybe they use compression connections ?
 
PAToyota said:
I have access to one of these at a shop I work with. It's really nice if you have to do something on the vehicle, but it does require more attention to get things right.

It specifically states that it isn't for stainless - which the guys in the shop proved by trying anyway and pretty much ruining a few dies. They won't even hold regular lines well enough to do a good job now. :shaking:
Hydraulic Flaring.jpg


I've got a fuel line project (5/16" and 3/8") that I'd like to do in stainless - which nobody seems to offer ready-made. Any recommendations on tools that will do the job?
Click to expand...

It looks like a clone of the Mastercool version that I have, and a friend also has. I've not done any SS with it but he has done a number of lines with it and it seems to still work fine as was visiting his shop a few weeks ago watching him build some SS stacked carb fuel lines. One thing I've seen him do though is to anneal the line between flaring steps. (I started to respond to this but emailed him to ask)... and he said that when you make the first step in the flaring of a double, it work hardens the tubing, so he anneals it back before making the second part of the flare. Said he still messes up about 1 in 5 or 6.
 
I've done a shit ton of stainless with the real Mastercool kit.

I have to replace the cone every so often, but it does them anywhere you want, on the car, in a vice, on the bench and on the beach.
 
Grendel said:
I've done a shit ton of stainless with the real Mastercool kit.

I have to replace the cone every so often, but it does them anywhere you want, on the car, in a vice, on the bench and on the beach.
Click to expand...
Will your set do a 7/8 flare in mild steel?
 
arse_sidewards said:
Will your set do a 7/8 flare in mild steel?
Click to expand...
Never had to, I don't have that kit, but they are available:

www.mastercool.com

71675 HYDRAULIC FLARING AND EXPANDING (7 Head Kit) - My Website

Mastercool introduces the newest members of its handheld hydraulic line of tubing tools. These new kits are an upgrade to the existing hydra-swage expanding kits, allowing the user to easily make OEM flares with a pump of the handle. (7 HEAD KIT) Complete Hydraulic Flaring and Expanding Kit...
www.mastercool.com www.mastercool.com
 
Yeah, that's a beast that isn't fitting up against a frame rail
 
Would check a industrial place like listed below.

Parker is worldwide, this place is a parker store, MFCP has a almost national network of stores.

MFCP ParkerStore | West Sacramento, CA

MFCP ParkerStore in West Sacramento, CA (Formerly Hose & Fittings, Etc.) - Essential Business | Hose Assemblies, Fittings, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, more
www.mfcp.com www.mfcp.com
 
Last edited:
PAToyota said:
I've got one of these and it will do a fair job on stainless in 3/16" and possibly 1/4" if you baby it and are careful. Downside is if you need to flare the end of a line that's on a vehicle.
Bench Flaring.jpg
Click to expand...

That's what I use for thin wall SS. Use lots of lube to keep the dies happy.


PAToyota said:
Just go for the old standby heavy duty manual version?
Rigid.png
Click to expand...

That's what we used for thick wall tubing on hydraulic pumps and used lots of lube.
 
Wisconsinite said:
How are you doing the flares on the eastwood one and what flare are you trying to make? I have the same kit, and have done a lot of testing and messing around. I just did a few 37 degree flares on 3/8 stainless with decent results.
Click to expand...

It does a better job with thin wall tube. Thick is another matter...

AlxJ64 said:
It looks like a clone of the Mastercool version that I have, and a friend also has. I've not done any SS with it but he has done a number of lines with it and it seems to still work fine as was visiting his shop a few weeks ago watching him build some SS stacked carb fuel lines. One thing I've seen him do though is to anneal the line between flaring steps. (I started to respond to this but emailed him to ask)... and he said that when you make the first step in the flaring of a double, it work hardens the tubing, so he anneals it back before making the second part of the flare. Said he still messes up about 1 in 5 or 6.
Click to expand...

I think the one they have is the Eastwood version. The instructions specifically say not to use it with stainless. Having to anneal the tube makes sense with the work hardening.

Tech Tim said:
That's what I use for thin wall SS. Use lots of lube to keep the dies happy.

That's what we used for thick wall tubing on hydraulic pumps and used lots of lube.
Click to expand...

Yep. It does a great job on thin wall SS, but the heavier stuff not much.

From Alex's comment, I think I'm going to play around a bit with annealing the tube to see whether that helps things.
 
PAToyota said:
It does a better job with thin wall tube. Thick is another matter...



I think the one they have is the Eastwood version. The instructions specifically say not to use it with stainless. Having to anneal the tube makes sense with the work hardening.



Yep. It does a great job on thin wall SS, but the heavier stuff not much.

From Alex's comment, I think I'm going to play around a bit with annealing the tube to see whether that helps things.
Click to expand...
I saw .035" as the max wall thickness in the Ridgid manual.
 
How are you annealing the tube? Propane torch? How hot and then what?
 
ORTitan said:
How are you annealing the tube? Propane torch? How hot and then what?
Click to expand...
He passes the ends through his little bearing heater that sits at the back of his work bench until it starts to get a little color to it. It does leave a heat signature on it though so if its for clean appearance and the customer doesn't want that, he sometimes has to brush or sand it back to silvery.

Grendel said:
Summit sells annealed stainless.
Click to expand...
I think he still uses that and then re-anneals during the heating process. I'll be seeing him this weekend and will pick his brain about it more.

PAToyota said:
Sounds like you still have to anneal it between operations due to work hardening.
Click to expand...
Thats what he does, because it usually works every time. I personally use the CuNi lines on all my projects these days. Even used some 3/8" on a hydraulic hose project the other day as it was still in the working pressure of the project and I have the 37 degree adapters up to 1/2" for my Mastercool kit. I convert nearly all of my stuff to AN these days. My entire brake system on my Carryall is AN with 1/4" CuNi.
 
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