# DIY Stainless Steel Filter Intake/Outflow



## Julian (26 Jan 2016)

Over the years I've used just about every type of filter intake/spraybar/lilly pipe out there, most of which are ugly AF, and I've come to the conclusion that while glass ones look the best, they're too hard to maintain and very easy to break (or at least when your as clumsy as I am).

Not wanting to fork out a considerable amount of money for what is essentially a bent piece of pipe with some holes in it, I have embarked on a mission to make these my self:






Screenshot of my eBay purchase history for what I've ordered:





And obviously being too much of a cheap skate to buy the correct pipe bending tools, I've made a jig out of some wood that will either put me into A&E for the second time this month, or hopefully allow me to bend the steel and get the desired shape:





Friend of mine gave me a tip that filling the pipe with sand and compacting it as much as possible inside the pipe will help it to retain its shape and reduce the risk of it kinking. Curious to see how it turns out, I'm a bit worried that I might be bending the pipe over too small of a circumference, but time will tell.

Will post more pics when the stuff arrives, please let me know if you have any suggestions that might help me in my quest!



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## Ryan Thang To (26 Jan 2016)

very cool. goood luck and keep up the updates

cheers
ryan


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## Tim Harrison (26 Jan 2016)

Julian said:


> I've made a jig out of some wood that will either put me into A&E for the second time this month


Stunt pipe bending...my top tip is to avoid A&E if at all possible
I know pipe bending springs are a little more expensive than sand but probably worth it...either way good luck


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## Greenfinger2 (26 Jan 2016)

Hi Julian, Great DIY project I would go for the bending spring as well much better than sand 
Or If you know a plumber he could bend it in minutes using a bending tool


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## Chris Jackson (26 Jan 2016)

Great DIY project and I would've done similar if I was not so time pressed and with a workshop cluttered with other stuff.

However as an alternative I chanced buying a pair of these in 17mm from AquariumHK http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321944675...49&var=510886632473&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT from Hong Kong for £36.50 delivered. They are really very well made with threaded screw in stainless plugs in the bottom and "barbed" ends to stop the hoses coming off and arrived in less than a fortnight with no duty payable. 

A bargain really, the only weakness is the plastic clips and support suckers that come with...nasty...so I'm doing without just fine.


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## NathanG (26 Jan 2016)

Chris Jackson said:


> Great DIY project and I would've done similar if I was not so time pressed and with a workshop cluttered with other stuff.
> 
> However as an alternative I chanced buying a pair of these in 17mm from AquariumHK http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321944675207?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&var=510886632473&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT from Hong Kong for £36.50 delivered. They are really very well made with threaded screw in stainless plugs in the bottom and "barbed" ends to stop the hoses coming off and arrived in less than a fortnight with no duty payable.
> 
> A bargain really, the only weakness is the plastic clips and support suckers that come with...nasty...so I'm doing without just fine.



Just what i've been looking for. Mind posting a pic of yours up close in your tank? 

The sand trick actually seems plausible. Might ask a plumber at work to give it a try and see what it comes out like.


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## Chris Jackson (26 Jan 2016)

Here you go


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## tmiravent (26 Jan 2016)

I bended mine with a pipe bender, not very easy...
http://www.amazon.com/Manual-Hand-A...8&qid=1453839120&sr=1-55&keywords=pipe+bender
I use 8 and 12 size for my pipes. Which diameter do you use?
And how did you bend them?
cheers


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## emrgroup (27 Jan 2016)

The sand trick does work if you don't have proper tools and require a short bend. You can also use your knee depending on how short a bend you need. I also will use a box wrench for applied leverage. Just some tricks of the trade.  

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## Julian (29 Jan 2016)

Well, bad news. I managed to bend the pipe but it was way too rigid. Even though I packed it with sand (used a hammer and a piece of wood to compact it), as soon as I bent it 90 degrees, the pipe started to kink.

I think the wall thickness of the pipe was too thick (1.5mm). If it was thinner, it would bend easier and maybe the sand would have made more of a difference. I think the same thing would have happened even if I used the proper tools as this pipe was way too strong and took all of my body weight (17 stone) to get it to move at all.

But no big loss. There's enough of the pipe left to make stuff for some other projects. And I didn't end up in A&E!

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## Steve b (29 Jan 2016)

Hi Julian 

Standard size tube bender is 15 and 22mm.
It's not a spring type but a proper copper tube bender .
I noticed your pipe is 19mm the problem you will have is the former needs to fit tight to the pipe to stop it kinking. 
The other issue you will have is stainless steel tube work hardens as you bend it . It's usually done on a hydrolic press with formers to keep the pipes shape they do the same when 
making a car exhaust.


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## zozo (30 Jan 2016)

Stainless steel is quit tough to bend, titanium ove tougher, you need quit some force, and a U bend ?? You realy need a bending tool like like tmiravent linked to.. Still these tools have quite a large radius, because the hand-bending tool guide rail and pipe properties don't alow a shorter bend without kinking the pipe. using sand to fill the pipe to prevent it from bending, than the pipe should be filled and compacted with sand in a way the bending force cannot push the sand away.. When you start bending all the sand is forced outwards any (the tiniest) airpocket will form in the bends radius causing a kink. But anyway what ever you put in there, stainless stell is so rigid, no way to bend it without a proper tool. 10 mm OK could be done, but still need quite some force and muscle power, if you go ticker the tougher it gets.

The shortest U turn can only be made with factory grade machinery bending the pipe very steady over a guiding rail with hydrolic force.

I would say would you like it to be realy neat and tidy with a smallest possible U turn, smaller than the over 5 inches wide the bending tool only can make.
Then search for the prefab made seamless welded bends in stainles steel. Knee or U turn all available in any diameter.. 




Find a well experiensed TIG welder to weld on the straight pipes, he will do that in minutes.. It will take you some time grinding and polishing to straighten out the welding seems.  There for you need a well experienced welder to make the smallest nicest seams possible.. But you can make it look like a perfect one piece brushed stainles steel product..  I've seen stainless steel piping welded and polished like it was one piece.. (Look for example at high end titanium bicycle frams made from titanium sheet metal, you almost need a microscope to find the welding seems in the tubing. like the "Litespeed Tuscany Titanium Road Bike" 
is competele constructed out of sheetmetal instead of tubes) I might say as technician and bike lover, this bike is a piece of art..

It can be bend by hand, but it will always look oversized for what you will need it for.. and the chances of damaging the pipe etc etc.  imho..


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## Julian (30 Jan 2016)

Thanks guys. I've just bought the set that was mentioned earlier on in the thread. Now that I've tried to build them my self, I don't feel like so much of a mug for paying £30 for some pipes with some holes in it!

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