Pipe Bending

	All of the pipework for the locomotive was made by the group. The larger diameter pipes were, as seen here, filled with sand before bending operations began. Once a pipe was filled with sand a wooden bung was hammered into the tube end to prevent the sand leaking out.
	After marking where the bend was required, the tube was heated slowly and evenly until the correct colour was reached.
	Using an extension tube, firm and even pressure was applied to bend the tube to the required radius. After cooling down, the pipe was tried in position. If tweaking was required the operation was repeated.
	When all the bends in a pipe were completed (4 or 5 in some cases) the relevant flanges or cones were silver-soldered on, as in this photo. After soldering, the joint was dipped into a weak acid solution to clean off the flux.