earls 'ez-beader'
 

Has anyone used these?

http://www.jegs.com/i/Earl%27s/361/012/10002/-1?CT=999

I'm looking to fabricate some hard lines for my coolant reroute and this seemed like a rather cheap alternative, however, traditional beaders have a male/female set up - with this just having a male it seems like it would do a rather shitty job unless your using a very thin wall.

They also have a 2" version for those running itty-bitty intercooler piping (says the guy running 2.25").

-Zach

I've been told they work OK, but are very slow and you have to make lots of passes as you work the bead up. Haven't used one myself.

Another lowbuck approach I've see is this. Haven't used it either, but it's a good idea.

Attachment 191747

Attachment 191748

That is a pretty impressive result for such a simple and shitty looking tool. Sure beats spending the $$$ on the real deal if you are only doing a few pipes.

60 bucks is pretty steep for the Jegs one. If I needed it, I could whack one up on my lathe a heluva lot cheaper.

I made up one of the homeade beader pic'd above. Works quite well. The downs would be it will not bead very well close to the end of a pipe and is really a one size tool. Oh, and can get tiring on the hand. But a great tool to have.

Meh.. I've always just bent the edge outward a little with an adjustable wrench slipped over the end of the pipe. Not too pretty, but never had a problem with charge pipes popping loose.

I made the vicegrip one and on the 2mm cxracing aluminum intercooler piping I couldn't make anything more than a scratch...maybe if I had used a smaller washer (I used something like a 2" washer). I even put the vicegrips in a vice and still couldn't make a bead. On the really cheep ebay piping though it worked well. I ended up beating a lip onto all of my pipes...

Yep, I had that problem as well. Cheap pipe=ok. good pipe- not so much. lol A smaller washer helped a lot. (half the size above) Takes longer since a smaller point of push. But I have used it to crimp 2.5 steel exhaust pipe more than once.