1. Cutting and Swaging Tubing
HVACR316 - Piping
Cutting and Swaging Tubing

2. Cutting Tubing
Tubing is normally cut with a tube cutter. The tube cutter is most often used with soft drawn and smaller diameter hard drawn tubing.
A hacksaw may be used with larger diameter hard drawn tubing.

3. Cutting Tubing With Tube Cutter

4. Cutting Tubing With Hacksaw

5. Cutting Tubing Procedure for Using Tube Cutter:
Place a mark on the tube where it is to be cut.
Place the tubing in the cutter and align the cutting wheel with the mark on the tube.
Tighten the adjusting screw handle until a moderate pressure is applied to the tubing.

6. Cutting Tubing

7. Cutting Tubing Procedure for Using Tube Cutter, Cont’d.
Revolve the cutter around the tubing, keeping a moderate pressure applied to the tubing by gradually turning the adjusting handle.
Do not apply excessive pressure, because it may break the cutter wheel and constrict the opening in the tubing
Continue until the tubing is cut.

8. Cutting Tubing

9. Cutting Tubing
When the cut is finished, the excess material (called a burr) that was pushed into the pipe by the cutter wheel must be removed.
Burrs cause turbulence and restrict the flow of fluid or vapor passing through the pipe.

10. Cutting Tubing
The reamer, located on the back of the tubing cutter, is used to remove the burrs caused by the cutting process.
The reamer should be pivoted from the back of the cutter so that the blade portion extends past the cutter.

11. Cutting Tubing
The reamer is inserted into the pipe and while applying pressure, is rotated to remove any burrs from the interior of the pipe.
Any burrs on the outside of the pipe can be removed with the file portion of the reamer.

12. Cutting Tubing – Reaming Tool

13. Cutting Tubing With Hacksaw
Procedure for Using Hacksaw:
Make the cut at a 90° angle to the tubing.
A fixture may be used to ensure an accurate cut.
After cutting, ream the tubing and file the end of the tube
Remove all chips and filings, making sure that no debris or metal particles get into the tube.

14. Using a Hacksaw

15. Swaging - Overview
Swaging is the process by which two pieces of soft drawn copper tubing with the same diameter can be joined together by stretching the end of one of the sections.
Hard drawn tubing is not intended to be swaged.

16. Swaged Tubing

17. Swaging Procedure for Swaging:
Locate the proper hole in the flaring block.
The proper hole is marked with the measurement that corresponds to the outside diameter of the tubing.
Insert the section of the soft drawn tubing to be swaged into the proper hole in the flaring block, so that the tubing extends a distance equal to the diameter of the tube plus about 1/8 of an inch.

18. Swaging Procedure for Swaging, Cont’d:
Make certain that the end of the tube to be swaged protrudes from the side of the block that has the beveled edge.
Tighten the flaring block around the tubing.
Apply pressure and tighten the wing nuts equally to ensure that the two pieces of the block secure the tubing evenly.

19. Swaging

20. Swaging Procedure for Swaging, Cont’d.
Place a drop of refrigeration oil on the swaging tool to reduce friction between the swaging tool and the tubing.
Insert the swaging tool into the tubing and strike the swaging tool firmly with a hammer.
Rotate the flaring block ½ turn and strike the swaging tool again.
Repeat the previous step until the swage has reached a length approximately equal to the diameter of the tubing.

21. Swaging Tool

22. Swaging Tool With Hammer

23. Swaging
After swaging, always inspect the tubing for cracks or defects of any kind.
If any are seen or even suspected, cut off the swage and start over.
If there are no defects, assemble the joint; the tubing should fit together easily.

24. Successful Swaging Results