I¡¯ve been using spiral pipe since I started woodworking. Your fittings should have a large end and a small end, so you need to be cognizant of which end goes inside vs. outside. On the spiral pipe itself, you have to grind down the ¡°bead¡± on the outside when it¡¯s going into another fitting, just for the distance it slips inside. They do make joiners, that slip inside on both ends of straight pipe to add two pieces of pipe together.
I slip/tap/pound the pieces together, drill holes through the pipe and fitting and then pop rivet at 120? increments around the pipe. Then using aluminum foil tape, I wrap the joint and take care to seal the tape down well. Use aluminum pop rivets and they are real easy to drill out to change configurations later down the road when you need to¡ it¡¯s harder to get the aluminum foil tape off than the rivets.
I¡¯ve moved all my pipe from shop to shop and re-use it in the next configuration. While spiral isn¡¯t cheap, it¡¯s no where near the cost of Nordfab style pipe and fittings.
Brian Lamb
blamb11@...
www.lambtoolworks.com
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On Jul 14, 2021, at 6:44 AM, Bird Cupps <birdc@...> wrote:
I think cutting a slot is the way to go. I bought these adapter fittings which are supposed to join two fittings, and they are the real buggers.
Where I have a slot cut, I¡¯ve been using the clamp to suck the fitting together a tiny bit to get it started into the adapter; then I just remove the clamp. Everything will get screwed together for the long haul, but at this point I¡¯m still just cutting and fitting to get everything laid out.
Maybe I¡¯ll try something lighter gauge as you suggest, Imran.
On Jul 14, 2021, at 8:38 AM, imranindiana via groups.io <imranindiana@...> wrote:
Hi Bird,
I bought 5¡± spiral from Rockler. I forget the gauge but it is stout and was lower gauge than others in similar price range.
I don¡¯t know what the standard industry practice is but hose clamps (and I bought really good ones) do not work. It is not possible to compress the pipe of this gauge with hose clamps. I ended up using HVAC connectors from box store to connect pipe to pipe by using sheet metal screws. You can find these with crimped ends on both sides.
My Elbows and Y fittings from Rockler had reduced ends. While spiral pipe received these and the hose clamps appear to do the job it really is not a durable connection without screws. At least that was my experience.
Imran
On Jul 14, 2021, at 9:11 AM, Bird Cupps <birdc@...> wrote:
?From the division of mostly silent reader and listener here:
I have a question which I hope will prompt some ideas. I am installing some dust collection using spiral pipe and fittings. Not much experience with the stuff (as in none) and I¡¯m finding a lot of variety in the sizes of supposedly common-sized materials. I am using hose clamps and lubrications to try and get these #($*-ers together. Some pieces go together like, well, hand in glove. Others, not so much.
I do understand that there are male/female parts. And I bought the materials from a single supplier. Is frustration just part of the beauty of this material? Are there installation tips that might help me? Should I have shelled out for the clamp together pipe?!
I hope your day is going together better than this pipe.
Bird Cupps
