DIY tool for beading aluminum piping

[frankc5r]

Tools for beading alum pipe for turbo, ic and cooling piping are expensive for the good stuff. I searched around and built several kinds and the best by far uses a modified HD
crimp tool from HF or many other parts stores.
https://s17.postimg.org/5j4z5etjv/IMG_0174.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/5j4z5etjv/)

https://s17.postimg.org/r6txfuty3/IMG_0176.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/r6txfuty3/)

https://s17.postimg.org/5lous8x7f/IMG_0177.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/5lous8x7f/)

I cut the end off that cuts wire so I had left just the crimp part. If you use just like that you put on good bead but the end of tube is reduced in diameter a little
by tool. If you look at picture of tool, see the red dot which is where I filed/ground out a relief on one side so that you get a nice crimp w/o affecting the diameter.
You crimp, move a little just overlapping until you have ground around tube. Even a 3 " tube just takes a couple min and because you slide tube into tool till it bottoms, the crimp is even
all the way around and is nice and smooth for your tubing to slip over.

[boBQuincy]

Great idea! I'm off to HF to get a crimper.

[fastzrex]

Thanks for confirming tool and quality of bead. I am also off to HF!

[frankc5r]

Thanks for replies. Hope it works well for you.
There are other crimp tools around but this one has fairly
wide crimp which helps speed things up.

[turbomacncheese]

Nice. I've seen these tools used like this before, and the results were...less than stellar. Your work looks really good, though. Glad to see it must have been user sloppiness.

[Blwalker105]

Nice, but if you relieved the sharp corners above and below the bead notcher on both sides, you would avoid those flattened areas on the tube. Then, the only part that really touches the pipe is the notcher. Just walk it along, moving it the width of the notch each time. You end up with a knobbly-looking notch, but nice round tubing above it.

https://youtu.be/JVDUM2ZxoW0

[frankc5r]

Good idea. I will modify mine.

[flynntuna]

Nice, but if you relieved the sharp corners above and below the bead notcher on both sides, you would avoid those flattened areas on the tube. Then, the only part that really touches the pipe is the notcher. Just walk it along, moving it the width of the notch each time. You end up with a knobbly-looking notch, but nice round tubing above it.

https://youtu.be/JVDUM2ZxoW0

Wow that video is great. Here's a new tool that the same guy shows on his channel. See if you can see any changes in the host. I've bought a lot of the tools he recommends

https://youtu.be/jHS-Oxc_RLw

[Blwalker105]

Nice tool at that price point. Gonna order one today.

[Aero STI]

Check out my build thread. The Jobber Do works awesome.