How-To: Use Flare Joints for Copper

Overview (Non-Cooking Content)

The provided subtitles are about plumbing/metalworking—specifically making copper flare joints—not cooking. There are no food ingredients, cooking steps, temperatures, or plating/serving instructions in this excerpt.

What the Subtitles Describe (Non-Cooking Process Summary)

Purpose: Join copper tube using flare fittings (instead of soldering/bracing).

Tools & Materials Mentioned

• A flare (tubing) tool sized to the copper tube’s outside diameter
• Flare angle: commonly 45°
• Tubing cutter
• Abrasive cloth for cleaning
• Flare nut (threads closest to the end being flared)
• Flaring bar / flaring cone / clamp (components of the flaring tool)
• Technique depends on tool manufacturer instructions

Step-by-Step Method (Key Technique Cues)

1. Cut copper tube square using an appropriate tubing cutter.
2. Ream the cut end to the full inside diameter, removing “inside burn” and any burrs.
3. If the tube is out of round, resize it back to round before flaring.
4. Clean the tube to be flared with an abrasive cloth.
5. Slide a flare nut onto the tube end (ensure threads closest to the end are positioned for flaring).
6. Place the tube in the flare tool:
   • Insert the tube between the tool’s flaring bar into the opening matching the tube OD.
   • Adjust the height of the tube per the manufacturer’s instructions to achieve correct flare length.
7. Apply the flaring cone:
   • Position the flaring cone (yoke/yolk) over the tube end and clamp it in place.
   • Turn the handle clockwise to lower the cone, forcing the tube lip against the base of the flaring bar to form the angle flare.
8. Check the final flare:
   • Should be smooth, even, round
   • Must have sufficient length to fully engage the mating surface of the flare nut
   • Flare should not protrude into the threads

Tips / Common Pitfalls

• Use the correct tool size for the tube’s outside diameter
• Ensure the flare is the correct angle (commonly 45°)
• Don’t skip reaming (remove inside burn and burrs)
• Resize if the tube is out of round
• Final flare should be smooth/even and not interfere with flare-nut threads

Equipment & Preparation Required

• Tubing cutter
• Reaming step (described qualitatively as removing inside burn to full ID)
• Resize-to-round (if needed)
• Abrasive cloth
• Flare nut
• Proper flare tool with matched OD and appropriate 45° flare angle (and manufacturer flare length settings)

Presenter / Channel / Sources

• The subtitles do not provide the presenter name or channel.
• No external sources are cited in the excerpt.