One thing I learned about making up SS lines is, don't use a conventional tubing cutter, to cut the tubing. The cutting process work-hardens the material right at the point that you are going to try to create the flare.
Use an extra fine hacksaw blade (I have a 30/32 TPI blade just for this) and carefully make your cut that way, then use a disc sander to true up the end, being careful not to heat up the material. (A file can also be used if a disc sander isn't available) Then deburr the inner edge circumfrence, clean out the tubing, etc, then slide on your fittings / make your flare.
Before I figured this out I was having flares on stainless sometimes crack while trying to make them...drove me crazy until my Dad stepped in, LOL.
Some folks also will cut the tubing with an abrasive wheel, but I also found this heats up the stainless too much and hardens it as well.
Reason I mention this is, I was blaming my flaring tool for all of the problems I was having flaring SS...once I got this technique sorted...no more issues.
Also note that if you have some tubing and it's not annealed tubing, you will need to anneal it first before working with it.
Last edited by rwhite692; 08-03-2010 at 07:56 PM.
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