Drain tube flaring tool

[Dan_Smullen]

Dutch1,
Did CL's flaring tools find their way to you? If so, are they available for me to borrow? Happy to pay postage and return to wherever. Perhaps I should send a PM also. Will do.

Thanks!

Is this thread still alive? I'm looking for a flaring tool myself. Let me know if it's still floating around.

Thanks!

Dan, did you ever end up locating and getting the flaring tool? I bought a cheep one from Amazon, but question how well it will work. If you happened to have located this, do you mind sending it my way once you’re done?? I will of course pay the shipping both directions…

Although, the lack of recent replies to this threads leads me to believe the flaring tool or lost and/or forgotten about. But figured it couldn’t hurt to try…

I felt the same. Worth a try, but tool is likely rolling around in the bottom of someone tool chest. Thankfully I made it through my build without the need.

[cape man]

I used it 12 years ago and can't remember who I sent it to. So cool that it's still being looked for. Whoever stopped sending it should be ashamed...

[bklake]

[/quote]



Dan, did you ever end up locating and getting the flaring tool? I bought a cheep one from Amazon, but question how well it will work. If you happened to have located this, do you mind sending it my way once you’re done?? I will of course pay the shipping both directions…

Although, the lack of recent replies to this threads leads me to believe the flaring tool or lost and/or forgotten about. But figured it couldn’t hurt to try…
[/quote]

I used a cheap Sea Dog flaring tool, probably from amazon. I broke it on the first use but it eventually worked well. Now, the rest of the story.

I'll try to give the Cliff Notes version. Carolina Skiff J14. Drain hole is drilled through a solid but thin fiberglass section of the transom. The J14 is not a boat that sees a lot of fussing and fine finish work. The drain was always a little too big to fit a drain plug and only had 1/4" of thickness to seal on. I decided I was going to build up the area and put a proper drain tube in. I prep it, cut the drain tube to the correct length and go to install it. I tightened down on the nut, and got no flare. Standard solution is a bigger hammer or in this case more leverage. First step was long pattern wrench. No good. Out come the 24" breaker bar and impact rated socket. I turn that thing so hard, the bolt snaps and I almost lose my tool and breaker bar in the water. Yes, I was working on a floating dock and the transom was hanging in the breeze so I could get to it. Time to take a break and use the tool between my ears. I retrieve all the tool pieces, tube and dry assemble everything on the bench. Not bent over the transom, balancing delicately over the cold water while grabbing at expensive tools and glasses falling off it was easy to see that the two haves of the flaring tool need at least 3/4" of transom thickness to work. When the two halves come together, there is a 3/4"ish gap between the flaring ends. My transom was only 1/2" thick after I built it up so the two halves of the tool were touching before any flaring happened. I successfully tested the compressive strength of the tool and it passed. The tensile strength of the bolt did not pass.

I ended up using a hardened washer and one half of the tool and got a successful squeeze and flare. It was very easy and did not stress the tool at all. I wouldn't worry about the cheap tool failing you (too much). Lessons learned: There is a minimum panel thickness these will work on. Any more than box end wrench pressure and something isn't right.