Ray Field wrote:

Recently had the same challenge, to make up a line with double flare on each
end. Bought the tubing from local Canadian Tyre and borrowed their flaring
tool (cheap import type). Cut the tube square with a hacksaw, filed the end
dead square using the back face of the clamping bars as a guide, removed the
burr from inside of brake line, VERY IMPORTANT filed a healthy bevel on the
outside of the line, clamped the line using the clamp bolts THEN clamped
again in a bench vise, ran the die in, removed the die and ran in the cone.
Perfect first try.
Important points - no tubing cutters - work hardens the tube/pipe/line.
Dead square end, no burrs.
Large bevel on outer edge of line/pipe/tube.
Extra clamping.
A little lube - and good luck.


All good points, and they included a couple I didn't know about.

I didn't mention that first end I was trying to flair was under the
hood. There was enough room to fit in the tool and operate it, but
'twarnt a piece of cake.

As it happened I didn't use a tubing cutter, but not because I was smart
enough to think about work hardening, there just wasn't enough room to
swing a full sized one around all the way and my mini tubing cutter was
out on loan. I cut the tubing end off square with a cutting disk in a
Dremel and deburred the center of the tubing with the point of a three
edge scraper and the outside with coarse emery paper.

The web page "how to" on double flaring I'd Googled up:

http://www.carcraft.com/howto/50919/

didn't say anything about beveling the outside of the tube, but that
makes sense now.

I couldn't do much about adding any additional clamping where I was
working and from what I could see the two clamp bars were kissing each
other already. Maybe the tubing being a few thou below 3/16" had
something to do with it, but from what I've read on this thread so far,
it prolly wasn't all my fault.

Probably that side clamping screw in the yoke of the tool set on the web
page referenced above would have helped a lot.

Looking around, the name brand double flaring sets cost around $100 and
the POS import ones can be got for less than $20. Cheap is cheap.


Try again, the kid will appreciate it, and you are his best teacher.
Ray


What happened to "Experience is the best teacher" and "Learn from
mistakes." (If I'm going to learn from mistakes I prefere they be
other's mistakes G)

I've no doubt that given the right tools we could make decent double
flares, but there's something comforting about putting a factory part
into something as critical as the brakes on a car your kid's driving.
That's the way I'm gonna go on this one.

Thanks guys,

Jeff


--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."