Any known way to bend/shape pneumatic tubes?

[Electricsteam]

Is there any way to form those tubes? I need to fit them in some tight spaces and I really don't want it pushing apart the model from the inside!

Said model!

A pneumatic train!

I vaguely remember an old LPE video using a flame to melt the tube a bit.... but that is all I know.

[dikkie klijn]

Do the pipes need to be functional? Otherwise a piece of metal wire inside the wire is a good way to bent them.

[allanp]

You can use heat but you will need to slide something inside the tube while you bend it to stop it kinking, like a flex cable perhaps? Hold it place while it cools then remove the flex cable. Be careful you don't melt the two parts together though! These are very small and will heat up very quickly.

Edited March 9, 2016 by allanp

[DrJB]

Heating them up, try to use hot water, NOT an open flame.

[dr_spock]

Or maybe a heat gun.

Live steam model builders use copper tubing which can be bended into shape. Technic pneumatic hose joiners are around 3.2mm outer diameter. I suppose you could use 3.2mm metal tubing in the tight spaces.

[Kristof]

I believe heat forming won't work very well for you - this rubber material isn't of such property to be easily 'gently melted' and then cool down firm into some shape. I'd guess that you'd end up damaging it or jamming the inside with either hot air gun or some other heater. Depending on how much bending do you need, I'd also suggest some searching for some alternative.

[Electricsteam]

Well it needs to be functional, I get that having something to bend them into would do me good. The clear blue cylinders will be the pistons and switches are also not in LDD. The model is mostly a 4-8-2 mountain train for well Traintech but the focal point that is runs off air power! I want to hide all the ugly tubes inside of the model. It works okay on the test I made but the crimping at the edges concerns me about airflow.

test moc here

[Kristof]

^ I don't see why would you do some critical bending? Tubes can withstand quite tiny radius anyway unless you really want to 'fold' them over. I think that if you rout them inside and then cut to appropriate length, you don't need any auxilary methods of permanent bending or am I missing something?

[Electricsteam]

^ I don't see why would you do some critical bending? Tubes can withstand quite tiny radius anyway unless you really want to 'fold' them over. I think that if you rout them inside and then cut to appropriate length, you don't need any auxilary methods of permanent bending or am I missing something?

I'm going from this ugly red brick

To this high detail train

I don't want to tear it apart like the last one I want to make it as best as I possible can >.<

[Legorigs]

I use florists wire to keep shape in the tubes. It's more rigid then copper- or metal wire. You have to figure out what works best for your train.

[Kristof]

I don't want to tear it apart like the last one I want to make it as best as I possible can >.<

I'd try to design your engine that way so there is channel inside to route all these tubes. Also the valve could perhaps be attached with pegs facing inwards so you don't need to show that tubing (nearly) at all ;)

[Electricsteam]

I'd try to design your engine that way so there is channel inside to route all these tubes. Also the valve could perhaps be attached with pegs facing inwards so you don't need to show that tubing (nearly) at all ;)

That's the plan. I have a moc of that done and working... just no video or picture. It's hard to guestimate the length of the two super small tubes that connect to the middle t pipe thing