Wow, I want to try that.
Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
wow from a cheapo pressure washer like you could buy at Big Lots too I imagine
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
Wow thats neat. How many PSI!???
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
Yeah, looks cool, doesn't it?
It's a bit harder than it looks tho. You need to weld it very strong, completely sealed. And you need a pump that can handle a lot of pressure. Best is a farm machine hydraulic oil pump, as they are used to work on high pressures and oil compresses less then water.
Oh, and this is dangerous, if the welds don't hold you'll have a homemade clusterbomb.
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
Actually it shouldn't be dangerous at all. Since water is non-compressible, if the container it is in doesn't hold it will simply leak rather than expand or explode.
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
It's dangerous. If it lets go there's the strong possibility of shrapnel.
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
Danger = FUN!
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
It's safe I tell ya. there is a reason hydroforming is done with water and not gas. It's for safety. When pressurized tanks and other contianers are tested for their maximum psi they test them using water because when they fail they will not explode. I studied this in depth when I was an undergaduate in mechanical engineering. Trust me, give it a try!
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
why not? I'm not dobting that is safe, I just want to know the why.
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
hydroform is a cheap way to make a compromise pipe
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
As mcgregor mentioned, you can't compress water like you can compress air.
If air is pressurized in a container, it compresses. When the container breaks, the air decompresses rapidly, releasing a bunch of energy (like the sound of a balloon popping). That energy also sends stuff flying, and that's what hurts you.
When water is pressurized in a container, it just pushes out on the walls without storing the energy itself. When the walls break, they still can go flying from the force that the water was pushing on them, but the water doesn't add to the mix by rapidly releasing energy to give the walls an extra boost.
Take two empty soda bottles. Fill one with water and leave the other empty. Make sure both caps are on tight, and run over both of them with your car. See which one has the more violent failure.
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
ya now hold on to the bottles when you run over them and this is what will happen if a welded pocket of metal lets go while it has pressurized water inside it.
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
Ok, It might not be safe if you hold on to the part while hydoforming.
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
Thats what I was thinking,thanks for putting it into words.
I'll say it again, Danger = Fun!
Let's go blow something up!
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
theres no danger, everyone stay calm
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
I think it is safe too. But can you really make a pipe that is as good as the cones welded together?
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
i've personally done this and it is not unsafe.. well as far as i have done it... i even added heat externally with a torch to pop out some kinks. the only hard part was making clean strong welds... i acchived this two different ways first by tourch welding the two pieces together without any rod, just overlaping the 22guadge sheet metal and evenly melting them together, then when i put it on and found leaks i just added rod and patched as flat as I could because thick welds led to uneven expanding... the next one I made was useing a MIG with the wire speed turned way down so I could make deep flat welds.. then patched with the tourch like before... works great, and all in one afternoon. woo
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
the only problem is that you want to get a good design before you spend all this time and energy on the thing
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
safe!
mcgregor is right. water is non compressible. this is why we use hydraulics to move heavy shit. its all in physics. and the only way that could be dangerous is if the water pressure itself squirted out through a pinhole in the weld and cut you like a razor.
pressure in = pressure out.
hyrdaulics was fun in college.
example: see the water come exploding out? or does it stay in place? you decide.
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Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
I am a small engine technician my job is outdoor power equipt. and let me tell you you will have a piece of junk for a pump left after you try this with a pressure washer, and good luck trying to get the hose off unless you let it sit for hours.
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
lol I was wondering if the pressure washer would survive lol
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
i've been making them like this for about a year now.. its a lot harder than it looks, so far i have yet to make a useable one, but i have had it on the back burner lately with all my other shit.
Re: Hydroforming Expansion Chambers
I'm a blacksmith and a way to make things inflate pretty easily is to heat them in a propane forge with a small pipe attached and blow compressed air in. works like a charm, or so ive heard and this way air leaks are no trouble
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