"bloviator" wrote in message
...
Hi, I have some 1/16 wall, 5/8" OD ss tubing I'd like to bend into a
gentle curve. We have a gas welding setup here. I've made some steel
welds but have never used the heating tip. Can someone give me some
pointers? We have a curved plumbing pipe bender which I tried cold but
it dimpled the tube no matter how carefull I tried to be. Thanks.

Unless the dies match the diameter of your tubing, you should expect the
dimpling you spoke of. I expect that your plumbing dies are not the proper
size, considering there is no pipe with a 5/8" diameter.

I'm not convinced heating will help avoid your problems. With the proper
dies, you should be able to bend your project, cold, with no trouble. Hot
working stainless isn't exactly recommended due to intergranular corrosion,
which may not be an issue if your project is ornamental and has no
mechanical requirements.

Harold