The popularity and demand for aluminum pipes are determined by a number of distinctive characteristics. They are competitive advantages, which include:

• strength,
• light weight,
• high corrosion resistance,
• convenience
• ease of installation.

Let's talk about the last one

The main method of joining aluminum pipes is welding. Many welders do not like this metal, since working with aluminum, due to its physical and chemical nature, has its own specific difficulties. The slightest oversight can lead not only to partial damage to the product, but also to its complete subsequent unsuitability.

It is not uncommon for the electrode or cutting torch overexposed, as a result of which a hole is formed. It is very difficult to close this shortcoming. To prevent these and similar problems, it is important to follow some recommendations.

What type of welding is suitable for the installation of aluminum pipes

The most convenient and expedient way to connect and install aluminum pipes is gas welding. For these purposes, gases such as acetylene, argon or a propane-butane-oxygen mixture can be used equally effectively. Naturally, this welding method involves the use of specialized equipment, which is very expensive. These are reducers, hoses, cylinders, interchangeable mouthpieces, etc. If you rarely work with aluminum pipes, we recommend using electric arc welding.

Purchased or self-made electrodes

For electric arc welding of aluminum, special electrodes are used (one of them is UANA). They are not cheap, and sometimes they are quite difficult to find. If the electrodes are needed urgently, you can resort to the following manufacturing method. We take aluminum wire (diameter 3-4 mm), ordinary chalk and silicate glue (sometimes called liquid glass).
We cut the wire 25-30 centimeters long, grind the chalk finely and mix with glue, obtaining a homogeneous coating, which we then apply to the wire with a layer of 1-2 millimeters and dry well. The electrode is ready for use.
Before installing aluminum pipes, the products to be joined are thoroughly cleaned of oxidized film and other contaminants. Can be used sandpaper or a metal brush. When the cleaning is completed, it is necessary to warm up the pipes. You can use a traditional gasoline burner. It is important not to overheat the product.

Features of the installation of aluminum pipes

Welding aluminum pipes has its own characteristics:

• Electrodes burn out quickly, stock up on plenty;,
• The welding seam freezes with lightning speed;
• At the end of the seam, the electrode should be torn off smoothly, without sudden movements, so that a leaky and ugly crater does not form;
• The speed of the electrode movement is 3-4 centimeters per second.

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Size matters: how to connect two pipes of the same diameter

In this article I want to talk about ways to connect pipes, first of all - sealed, used in the installation of water supply and sewerage. The material is of an overview nature and is intended only to acquaint the reader with a variety of mounting methods: I deliberately will not mention the subtleties of technology and recommend this or that tool. So, let's go.

Steel

Despite the abundance polymer pipes, black and galvanized steel is still in demand in the housing and utilities sector and in the installation of highways high pressure. The methods used to connect elements of steel pipelines to a large extent depend on the cross section of the pipe.

Electric welding

Diameters: any, pipe wall thickness: from 0.5 mm.

When welding with high currents, it is easy to burn through the walls of a thin-walled pipe; a decrease in current leads to sticking of the electrode. Therefore, electric welding of thin metal requires a certain skill.

Dignity: arc welding- the only way to connect pipes of large diameter with a significant wall thickness, providing acceptable seam strength. Automated welding is used in the production of seam pipes and in the installation of pipelines.

Disadvantage: A sealed seam is almost impossible for a beginner. Welding pipelines requires the highest qualifications.

Technology:

As usual, there are a number of nuances:

• The chamfer can be removed only from the outside of the pipe or from the outside and from the inside. Thick-walled pipes of large diameters are welded on both sides;
• When welding pipes of small diameters, the lashes must first be grabbed at two or three points and aligned along a common axis, then proceed to weld welding around the entire circumference. Due to uneven heating, the seam area leads noticeably;
• Welding can be performed with a continuous supply of argon to the area of ​​the arc. Inert gas completely eliminates the oxidation of the seam.

Minor leaks on cold water lines can be eliminated by rubbing a hot seam with a piece of bitumen. Due to the capillary effect, it instantly fills the pores with the melt. On the hot water this instruction is useless: when heated again, the bitumen will melt again and be forced out of the pores.

Gas welding

Diameters: up to 100 - 150 mm.

Pipe wall thickness: up to 3-4 mm.

Advantage: undemanding to the experience of the welder. I got a sealed seam after a few hours of practice.

Disadvantage: the inability to cook thick-walled pipes with gas. The burner is simply unable to heat their walls until the edges are melted.

Technology:

1. The pipe is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
2. From thick-walled pipes (more than 2 mm), the outer chamfer is removed;
3. The edges of the future seam are heated with an acetylene torch to a bright red glow and fusing edges;
4. A welding wire is introduced into the torch of the burner, the melt of which fills the seam. The melt bath must not solidify: only in this case the seam will be airtight.

A special case

Fixed sutures are welded with a mirror or with the help of a surgical suture. In the latter case, a window is cut in the pipe, then the seam is welded from the inside, after which the window is welded again.

Coupling

Diameters: up to 50 mm.

Wall thickness: any.

Advantage: the simplest threaded connection of pipes that can be connected in series and rotate around the longitudinal axis.

Disadvantage: the coupling assembly of a long whip eliminates the dismantling of a separate connection. Pipes have to be unscrewed from the couplings sequentially.

Technology:

1. Pipes face at right angles to the longitudinal axis;
2. On the lathe or with your own hands, using a die, a short (five thread) thread is cut on both connected pipes;
3. A threaded pipe is screwed onto one of the pipes, into which the second pipe is screwed. For sealing, sanitary flax is used (preferably impregnated with paint or sealant) or polymer sealing thread.

Couplings, in particular, were installed in houses with steel water supply lines and served to connect them to eccentrics when installing a wall-mounted mixer.

Sgon

Diameters: up to 50 mm.

Wall thickness: any.

Advantage: makes the connection of fixed pipes collapsible.

Flaw: the long thread of the drive is the most vulnerable to corrosion due to the minimum wall thickness and the absence of a protective paintwork. It, being applied, is violated at the first disassembly.

Technology:

1. A short thread (5 threads) is cut on one pipe, a long thread (12-15 threads) is cut on the other;
2. A lock nut and a coupling are successively screwed onto a long thread;
3. The coupling is driven all the way to the wound short thread;
4. Following it, a lock nut is driven, clamping the winding of the thread in front of the coupling.

flanges

Diameter: 76 mm or more.

Wall thickness: from 3 mm.

Advantages:

• The connection remains collapsible, including on fixed lashes;
• The force required for mounting or dismounting is not tied to the diameter of the pipe. With an increase in diameter, the number of bolts tightening the flanges increases;
• Flanges can be used to connect to shut-off valves or to install retaining washers. In particular, it is the washers that circulate in the hot water risers of most houses built in the 80s and newer.

Disadvantages: the flange is mounted only by electric welding, which is not always convenient in the field.

Technology:

1. Pipes face perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
2. External (and with a large diameter - internal) chamfers are removed from them;
3. Flanges are welded;
4. After cooling and cleaning the seam, the flanges are pulled together through a rubber, silicone or paronite gasket. The bolts are tightened alternately, crosswise, one turn at a time. The price of breaking this simple rule is uneven compression of the gasket and a high probability of leaks during pressure surges.

Compression fittings

Diameters: up to 32 mm.

Wall thickness: any.

Advantages: extremely simple installation with the help of hand tool, the possibility of installation on pipes affected by corrosion.

Disadvantage: low tensile strength of the connection.

Technology:

1. The edges of the pipes are cleaned from paint and rust;
2. They are then inserted into the fitting with the nuts loosened;
3. Nuts are tightened. At the same time, they compress the pipe with rubber o-rings, sealing the connection.

A special case

Compression fittings are also used for the installation of corrugated pipes made of of stainless steel. However, in this case, the strength of the connection is not inferior to the strength of the pipe itself: it can withstand pressure up to 50-65 atmospheres. The secret is simple: the fitting's silicone sealant compresses smooth surface, and the crest of the corrugation, so it is almost impossible to pull it out of the tightened fitting.

Many fittings use an additional locking of the comb with a split retaining ring.

American

Diameter: up to 32 mm.

These are the sizes of American women I saw on sale. Perhaps they are also produced for diameters of 40 - 50 mm, but I have not seen such offers in the assortment of local construction and online stores.

Wall thickness: any.

Advantages: extremely fast disassembly of the connection. To open the pipeline, it is enough to unscrew the cap nut.

Disadvantage: American pipe connection requires pre-threading.

Technology: the halves of the dismantled American fitting are wound onto the wound threads of adjacent pipes, after which they are pulled together with a union nut. Tightness is ensured by an annular rubber gasket.

Crabs

The so-called crabs are steel plates that allow you to connect round and profile pipes bolts. They are used in the assembly of greenhouse frames, racks (trade, for tools, etc.) and other structures that do not require special strength or tightness of connections.

Pipe sizes: diameter up to 25 mm; sections of profile pipes up to 20x40 and 25x25.

Wall thickness: any.

Advantages: allow quick assembly and disassembly with a pair of open-end or box wrenches; allow multiple reuse of fasteners and pipes.

Disadvantage: limited strength.

Technology: the ends of the pipe are clamped between the halves of the "crab", after which they are pulled together with bolts and nuts.

Collected on the "crabs" greenhouse.

PVC

PVC pipes are known, first of all, as the most affordable solution for indoor and outdoor installation. However, pressure socket pipes are also used for the installation of water pipes.

O-rings

Compound PVC pipes with the help of ring seals, it is practiced both in free-flow sewage and in pressure pipelines. Only the thickness of the pipe walls and the force required to undock the socket differ.

Diameters: 50 - 600 mm.

Wall thickness: any.

Advantages: pipes are delivered completely ready for installation of the connection, with ring seals installed. When cutting to size for installation, couplings with two opposite sockets are used.

Disadvantages: a lot of effort required to assemble the joint with a large pipe diameter; the possibility of spontaneous disconnection of the connection.

Technology:

1. The factory ends of the pipes are ready for joining. On pipes cut to size, burrs are cleaned and the outer chamfer is removed;
2. at the end of the pipe and sealing ring a small amount is applied liquid soap or silicone grease;
3. The pipe is pressed into the socket.

With a significant effort required for pressing, the following can be used:

• Clamp and lever systems;
• Loading equipment.

Adhesive connections

They are used in the installation of pressure pipelines. The glue is a solution of polyvinyl chloride in an organic solvent.

Diameter: up to 110 mm.

Wall thickness: any.

Dignity: the connection is almost as strong as a solid section.

Disadvantage: the connection is made non-separable.

How to connect PVC pipes with glue?

1. Glue is applied to the inside of the socket and to the end of the pipe with the outer chamfer removed;
2. A smooth section of the pipe is inserted into the socket and rotates 90 degrees;
3. The connection is fixed until the glue sets (no more than 1 minute).

Polypropylene

The only mass-used method of connecting propylene pipes is socket welding. For this purpose, a monolithic polypropylene sleeve is used.

Diameters: 20-110 mm.

Wall thickness: any.

Advantage: the connection is as strong as a solid pipe.

Disadvantages: requires a special tool (low-temperature soldering iron); the connection is non-separable and can only be cut out.

Technology:

1. The pipe is cut with a pipe cutter or a regular hacksaw;
2. The outer chamfer is removed;

Aluminium-reinforced PN25 pipe requires stripping of aluminum foil in the welding area. For this purpose, a hand-held shaver or a drill attachment similar in functionality is used.

1. The pipe is inserted into a soldering iron nozzle of the appropriate diameter heated to 240 degrees. At the same time, the second side of the nozzle is used to melt the sleeve;

1. The fitting and the pipe are combined with a smooth translational movement and are fixed until the polymer melt sets. The time of fixing, heating and cooling is predictably determined by the section of the pipe. For the convenience of the reader, I will collect all the recommended parameters in one table.

Polyethylene

Polyethylene pipes are used:

• For laying pressure sewerage;
• As a material for cold water mains;
• When organizing country water pipelines;
• When installing a non-pressure sewer.

When installing a polyethylene sewer, the connection of HDPE pipes is no different from that for socketed PVC pipes with ring seals.

Black sewage pipe- polyethylene.

For pressure water pipelines, two fundamentally used different ways installation.

Butt welding

Diameter: from 40 to 2400 mm.

Wall thickness: from 4 to 70 mm.

Advantage: the strength of the seam reaches 80% of the strength of a monolithic pipe.

Disadvantage: when joining pipelines of large diameters, expensive equipment and mechanical or hydraulic devices for centering and clamping are required.

The clamping force of the pipe during butt welding should reach 1.5 kgf / cm. In this case, the cross-sectional area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe cut of the pipe can be calculated in thousands of square centimeters.

Technology:

1. The pipe ends only at a right angle to the longitudinal axis;
2. Welded ends are centered;
3. A heater mirror is inserted between them;
4. After melting, the mirror is removed, and the ends of the pipes are pressed against each other;
5. After complete cooling of the joint, the burr (extruded polymer melt) is mechanically cleaned for inside pipes.

Compression fittings

How to connect HDPE pipes with a small diameter and insignificant wall thickness?

In this case, the compression fittings already familiar to us are used.

Diameter: 16 - 32 mm.

Wall thickness: any.

Advantages: easy installation without the use of tools, quick disassembly.

Disadvantage: relatively low tensile strength.

Technology:

1. A union nut, a retaining ring and a rubber or polyethylene seal are successively put on the pipe;
2. Its end is inserted into the fitting;
3. The nut is tightened, compressing the pipe with a sealant.

metal-plastic

Metal-plastic is two layers of cross-linked (reinforced by cross-links between polymer molecules) polyethylene with a thin aluminum tube between them. During installation, three connection methods are used.

Compression fittings

Diameters: any.

Wall thickness: any.

Advantage: the use of the simplest hand tools. I usually use for fitting assembly a pair of spanners.

Disadvantage: the quality of the connection depends on right technology assemblies. If the pipe is not sized, the rubber o-rings will dislodge over the fitting and leak after several heating and cooling cycles.

Technology:

1. We cut the pipe with pipe cutter scissors;
2. Calibrate it and remove the internal chamfer;
3. We put a union nut and a split ring on the pipe;
4. Apply silicone grease to the fitting fitting;
5. Carefully, so as not to displace the sealing rings, we put the pipe on the fitting;
6. Until it stops, we shift the split ring and nut to the fitting;

1. Tighten the nut until you feel resistance.

Press fittings

Their only difference from the previous solution is that instead of a union nut and a split ring, the pipe is crimped on the fitting with a stainless steel sleeve.

Diameter: any.

Wall thickness: any.

Advantage: a properly made connection does not leak at any temperature fluctuations.

I suspect that press fittings do not flow just because when installing them, professionals are not too lazy to calibrate pipes and chamfer. According to my observations, a connection assembled according to all the rules on compression fittings is not inferior to a press fitting in reliability.

In the photo - a plastic tee with two push couplings and an adapter for pipe threads.

Diameter: any.

Wall thickness: any.

Dignity: simple assembly without the use of a tool.

Disadvantages: high cost of fittings, moderate tensile strength of the connection.

Technology: the end of the pipe is inserted into the fitting with a previously loosened nut, after which it is tightened. The pipe is fixed with a metal ring with paws directed inward. Tightness is ensured by an annular rubber seal.

If you are interested in how to connect two aluminum pipes, we will talk about the intricacies of this case and reveal its little tricks. The need for this operation appears quite often in everyday life and sometimes very experienced craftsmen can lead to confusion. As a rule, this task is performed by welding or threading. But there are other ways as well. After all welding work not only costly, they require professional equipment and specialist and can not always be performed in the right place. In addition, sometimes pipes need to be connected very quickly, without waiting for the arrival of the welder with the equipment.

Fittings all can

In order to quickly and reliably connect aluminum pipes at home, special fasteners have been created - fittings.

They are divided into two types:

• according to the cross section of the connected elements: straight (two identical diameters) and transitional (two different diameters),
• by purpose: corners and bends, tees, couplings, crosses, fittings, adapters, plugs, caps.

Fittings not only solve the problem of how to connect aluminum pipes without welding, but also simplify the process of installing any communication networks or manufacturing various structures.

The most popular fittings are a crimp type of installation, or rather, press fittings.

Why Compression Fittings Are Recommended:

• pipe joints are completely sealed,
• strength and reliability of the connection,
• vibration resistance.

Types of fittings

Couplings are the most commonly used type of fittings. High-quality couplings with fasteners allow you to quickly and reliably ensure a reliable connection of two or more pipes. It is often used and such a variety of it as the Gebo coupling.

Flanges with rubber gaskets ensure a secure pipe connection. Such elements are preferably chosen with a large cross section.

Also, the question of how to connect an aluminum pipe to each other can be answered by such a device as a repair and assembly clip. This is a coupling or triple type of fitting, consisting of 2 parts fastened together. This is very good way for the express option of joining pipes - for example, in case of an accident or other emergency.

No less effective and simple is the method of joining pipes using a clamp, which provides a reliable connection. It tightens on one side, which is not like a clip. The connection is therefore considered to be more durable.

How to connect square aluminum pipes

Aluminum pipes of square, rectangular or other sections are usually connected by means of a crab system or clamps.

The crab system is narrow strips of metal from 2 parts interconnected. They look like the letters T, X or G and can reliably cover pipe sections. The resulting joints are highly reliable. But docking occurs only at a right angle and is made for pipes of a small cross section.

More universal method joining pipes of a complex profile is a clamp. We offer to pick up and buy an aluminum pipe on our website at competitive prices and in an extensive selection.

Copper pipes are used during installation DHW systems, cold water, air conditioning, heating, gas supply. They are expensive, but durable, plastic, resistant to corrosion. But in order for engineering communications from them to serve for decades, the connection copper pipes must be done correctly.

We will tell you how the installation of copper pipelines is carried out, ensuring the tightness of the transported medium or the circulating coolant. The article presented for review describes in detail the installation technologies. Based on our advice, the construction of systems will be done “perfectly”.

To perform the installation of internal pipelines in the house, you can choose a pipe made of plastic, metal-plastic or stainless steel. But only an analogue made of copper is able to serve without problems and overhaul for more than half a century.

Properly installed copper piping systems in practice work properly throughout the entire period of operation, which is assigned to a cottage or apartment building.

According to accident statistics, the fittings and joints used for installation by soldering turn out to be more reliable than the copper pipes themselves - if a breakthrough occurs in the system, then only on the wall of the tubular product

Copper pipes are not afraid of long-term thermal loads, chlorine and ultraviolet. When freezing, they do not crack, and when the temperature of the internal environment (water, sewage, gas) changes, they do not change their geometry.

Unlike plastic counterparts, they do not sag. This plastic is subject to expansion at high temperatures, with copper this does not happen by definition.

Pipe copper products have two drawbacks - the high price and the softness of the metal. However, the high cost of the material pays off with a long service life.

And so that the walls of the pipes are not damaged from the inside by erosion, filters must be installed in the system. If there is no pollution in the form of solid particles in the water, then there will be no problems with the destruction of pipelines.

Pipe processing and welding requirements

When working with copper pipes, the following rules must be observed:

1. When mounting cold water or hot water pipes by soldering, the use of lead solder should be excluded - lead is too toxic.
2. The water flow rate must not exceed 2 m/s, otherwise tiny particles sand or other solid gradually begin to destroy the walls of the pipe.
3. When using fluxes, after installation is completed, the piping system in without fail washable - the flux is an aggressive substance and will contribute to the corrosion of copper pipe walls.
4. When soldering, overheating of the junction should not be allowed - this can lead not only to the formation of a leaky joint, but also to loss of strength of the copper product.
5. Pipe transitions from copper to other metals (steel and aluminum) are recommended to be performed using brass or bronze adapter fittings - otherwise steel and aluminum pipes will quickly begin to corrode.
6. Burrs (metal deposits) and burrs at the cutting points must be removed - their presence leads to the formation of turbulent eddies in the water flow, which contributes to erosion and reduction operational life copper pipeline.
7. When preparing copper pipes for connection, it is strictly forbidden to use abrasives - their particles left after installation inside will lead to damage to the metal and the formation of a fistula.

If in the plumbing or heating system in the house, in addition to copper, there are also pipes or elements made of other metals, then the water flow should go from them to copper, and not vice versa. The flow of water from copper to steel, zinc or aluminum will lead to rapid electrochemical corrosion of pipeline sections from the latter.

Copper pipes are cut and bent without problems, even a novice master is able to cope with their connection into a single pipeline system. You just need to choose the right tools and follow the instructions.

Due to the ductility and strength of the metal, copper pipes are easily cut and bent. The pipeline can be rotated either by using a pipe bender or by using fittings. And for branching and connecting with various devices, there are many parts made of heat-resistant plastics, brass, stainless steel and bronze.

On the interaction of copper with other metals

In most private houses, household water pipes are assembled from steel and aluminum pipes. In heating systems, there are also radiators made of steel or aluminum. Incorrect insertion into such a copper pipe layout is fraught with considerable problems.

According to building codes, in order to exclude corrosion processes in the pipeline from pipes of different metal, the water flow should be directed to copper

Most best option installation is the use of pipes and devices exclusively from copper and its alloys. Now you can easily find bimetallic aluminum-copper radiators, as well as the corresponding fittings and valves. Combining different metals is only in extreme cases.

If the combination is unavoidable, then copper should be the last in the chain of pipeline elements. It is impossible to rid it of the ability to conduct electric current.

And in the presence of even a weak current, this metal creates galvanic couples with steel, aluminum and zinc, which inevitably leads to their premature corrosion. When installing a water supply system, it is imperative to insert bronze adapters between them.

Another potential problem is the oxygen in the water. The higher its content, the faster the pipes corrode. This applies to pipelines both from the same metal, and made from different ones.

Often cottage owners allow serious mistake, often changing the coolant in heating system. This only leads to the addition of completely unnecessary portions of oxygen. It is best not to change the water completely, but to add it when the need arises.

Mounting Choice: Detachable vs Fixed

In order to form a single pipeline system, you can use several methods of their articulation. Different plumbers use crimp and press fittings, welding or soldering. But before you start work yourself, you need to decide whether the pipeline should be one-piece or detachable.

There are three installation technologies for connecting copper pipes:

• electric welding;
• soldering with a torch or electric soldering iron;
• pressing.

All these technologies can be applied in the formation of both detachable and non-detachable systems. It is more a matter of using a variety of fittings and adapters or abandoning them.

If the structure cannot be disassembled without destroying its individual parts, then it is considered one-piece - it turns out to be cheaper, but it is more difficult to repair

If the pipeline system needs to be detachable, as well as simpler in terms of repair and adding new elements, then the connections must be made detachable.

For this, fittings are used:

• compression;
• threaded;
• self-locking.

Detachable connections are easier to make on your own, you can even do without soldering. They do not require unnecessarily high qualifications from the master.

However, such units need constant inspection and tightening of the nuts to prevent leaks. Pressure and temperature fluctuations in the system lead to loosening of the fasteners. And from time to time it is recommended to pull them up.

If it is planned to close access to copper pipes tightly with a finish or concrete screed, then it is best to connect them into a one-piece structure by soldering or welding. Such a system is more reliable, durable and resistant to gusts.

Threading is prohibited on copper products. This metal is too soft in structure. When installing a detachable pipeline, all threaded connections must be made using fittings. The latter can be connected to a copper pipe by pressing or soldering.

Before making connections, copper pipes are prepared in a special way:

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Copper pipe is cut with a hacksaw or a pipe cutter. The cutting line must be exactly at a right angle.

After cutting, the end of the pipe must be processed with a deburring tool to remove the slightest bumps and burrs

The part of the pipe immersed in the socket prepared for soldering is thoroughly cleaned of dirt and degreased.

Solders are used based on tin or lead with the addition of bismuth, selenium, copper and silver. However, if the pipes are brazed for the supply system drinking water, then it is better to refuse the lead version due to its toxicity.

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To implement low-temperature welding, it is not necessary to have special equipment and special skills of the performer. It can be carried out on their own

Low-temperature solder joints are mainly used in the assembly of pipelines from R 220 soft pipes. They withstand a pressure of 220 N / mm², which does not exceed the operating parameters in domestic heating and water supply networks

To perform low-temperature soldering, it is enough to heat up the pipe and solder with a standard blowtorch

To perform soldering, the pipes are inserted into the socket and heated with a burner. Upon reaching desired temperature solder is applied to the gap. It starts to melt and flow inside.

If too much of it gets into the joint, it will flow out from inside the pipeline, which will lead to a narrowing of the internal diameter of the pipe. And at a low flow rate, the connection will not be soldered enough.

If problems arise with the use of solder, then you can use fittings in which it is already present in the required volumes. To simplify the work, a capillary belt made of the corresponding alloy is now introduced into these connecting elements from the inside at the factory. This part only needs to be put on the pipe and heated with a burner.

Option #3: Push-In Fittings and Press Couplings

One-piece connection of copper pipes can also be performed using press couplings or compression (collet) fittings. They use an o-ring instead of solder. The first option is clamped on the pipe with special tongs, and the second - with union nuts and a key to them.

Hello dear visitors. A long time ago, in those days, when in Russia, the use of the CB radio band had just been allowed, a simple antenna was urgently needed. Naturally, the simplest and not requiring SU (matching devices) is GP. They had pipes from the old Wave Canal and a broken cot.

It was necessary to connect three tubes into a single whole, i.e. receive a 2.7m LENGTH PIN. The inner diameter of the tubes from the clamshell was 2mm larger than the outer diameter of the tubes from the old antenna. This is where the idea came up to use a split pipe, which could have inner diameter, both greater than the outer diameter of the connected tubes, and less than it. In the first case, it is necessary to make a cut in the pipe of such a width that, when the pipe is compressed with clamps, it tightly compresses the connected pipe.

The tubes connected in this way have good electrical contact. The connection is solid. If necessary, the entire system is very quickly disassembled. I hope everything is clear from photos 1 and 2. Photo 1 shows just one of the GP antenna pipes, traces of old clamps are visible. In this way, you can also connect wooden parts.

Support for branches

Using such a connection (see photo 3), you can make collapsible, lightweight supports for branches fruit trees. The stores sell cuttings for rakes, which have a length of 1.2 ... 1.5 meters, a diameter of 3 to 4 cm.


Using a pair of these cuttings, a pair of worm-drive clamps, and a split aluminum tube of a suitable diameter, you can make an excellent support. Another advantage of such a connection is the ability to tighten the clamps when, for example, the wood of the handle dries out. A couple of turns of the screwdriver - and the connection becomes rigid again. Sometimes the cuttings of shovels break, especially when they are made of birch, and there is no new one at hand, in this case, such a connection can also be used at the break point. It turns out a kind of bandage.

Grass scythe repair

For three years, the scythe at the spit broke in the place where the handle was embedded. Transplanting a scythe is a very serious and painstaking task. Again I remembered the split pipe. I thought temporarily, but it turned out like the Russians. The spigot broke in such a way that I had to shorten it, so instead of a split pipe, I used a pipe with cut ends. Here's what it looks like.