How would you make this? (Copper Pipe Crafty things)

Martynt74

Martynt74

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I fancy making a floor standing lamp out of copper pipe and saw this which looks excellent as a lampshade. However i can't quite get my head around how they've fixed the structure together. Unless it's very thin welds on the angles?

1111-630x440.jpg


EDIT - Looking closer it looks like some kind of chord/thread has been used but i don't feel that would give it much stability if that is actually the case.
 

Hotwired

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Well that one is soldered/brazed and bent so its not the same.

The original you posted could simply have a stiff wire giving it strength.

Not exactly light to have a cluster of copper pipe dangling off the electrical cord.
 

Entropy

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I would hazard a guess that they have used steel wire to thread through the lengths of copper tube. Twisting the wire together tight at the completion of each triangle should hold the three tubes into quite a rigid triangle. Choosing the right gauge of wire would be key to keeping a good level of tension, too thin and the wire will snap, too thick and you will struggle to make the 60 degree bends.
 

Begbie

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Copper pipes with a connection braised on the end to put a screw on. You can then screw them on to each other with a bolt and a nut. We have exactly that in work, obviously not a lampshade.

Looking at the photo, that looks exactly how its done.
 
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Martynt74

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thezappa said:
If you're set on making and bending the pipes yourself, bend with this?:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/rothenberger-microbender-6-10-mm-pipe/79571
Click to expand...

Yeah that was the plan, although maybe one of the bigger ones to bend 22mm copper as i'd prefer to use that for the stand for rigidity. Only issue with bending is that i can bend the pipe into a triangle shape but then how do i fit all the triangular sections together?

I had thought about trying to solder the pipe but i've never really been much good at soldering. I also presume a normal soldering iron wouldn't be any good. I do have a rothenberger brazing torch which maybe i could use. Would need to practice before tackling something which would be on show though.
 
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Begbie

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Marvt74 said:
Yeah that was the plan, although maybe one of the bigger ones to bend 22mm copper as i'd prefer to use that for the stand for rigidity. Only issue with bending is that i can bend the pipe into a triangle shape but then how do i fit all the triangular sections together?

I had thought about trying to solder the pipe but i've never really been much good at soldering. I also presume a normal soldering iron wouldn't be any good. I do have a rothenberger brazing torch which maybe i could use. Would need to practice before tackling something which would be on show though.
Click to expand...

Braze a ring onto the end of each pipe, bolt them together. Looks exactly like they've done above and exactly like copper parts I've used before.
 

Begbie

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Hmm possibly I can't really make it out on the photo.

But bending rings onto each other with a bolt, would work in theory. Not sure how clean it would be, also less hassle than cable well apart from brazing rings onto the ends of the copper
 
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