Bend Tubes

[sjfireworks]

I have some bend HDPE anyone have ideas on how to straighten them? I think about heating them would that melt the pipe.

[trincam]

I had some bent pipe last year and nothing I did would get it to straighten out. So I cut them short (12") and packed them in a rack as tight as possible and made the rack as heavy and sturdy as I could. They're still warped a year later, but they shoot fine, but you have to make sure the shells get to the bottom of the tube.

[sjfireworks]

Would the shells make it around the bend?

[trincam]

If it isnt severe it should be ok. The idea behind the tight, sturdy rack is jamming the tubes together so that they're being held as straight as possible by the rack and other tubes. If the bend is minimal, it will work fine. BUT. You can't go cramming the shells in the tube, they have to go in relatively easily, if they bind up, dont use that tube. I ended up with 15 tubes out of 25-30' of pipe, threw a good deal of it away.

[noel]

Sounds like you got your hands on coil hdpe...

They make a commercial tool to un-bend the coil pipe (aprox $5k), it actually breaks the back of the tube in a way taking the bend out of it. For when you get your hands on some free pipe from coiled stock, just use what you can and toss the other stuff.

[jman]

Sounds like you got your hands on coil hdpe...

They make a commercial tool to un-bend the coil pipe (aprox $5k), it actually breaks the back of the tube in a way taking the bend out of it. For when you get your hands on some free pipe from coiled stock, just use what you can and toss the other stuff.

Thats what I thought noel. One of my best friends is a G.O.-Thermal well driller. He has coiled pipe like this that he loops in the ground.

[cobra240]

I was of the understanding that DR-11 is actually egg shaped to allow it to coil around the spool. Straightening it out wouldn't make it round again.

Anyway, I was given some coiled HDPE a while back and like trincam I didn't get many useable tubes out of it.

I cut 12-15" lengths from the straightest parts I could find but I didn't jam them into my rack. I have discovered that if the rack is jammed too tight it can disrupt the integrity of the rack eventually making it fail. A little movement in the tubes is good because it can help bleed off some of the energy from the lift charge before the rack has to absorb the rest.

Like the others said, make sure the shell will pass the whole length of the tube without having to hammer it down and you will be fine.