CONTINUOUSWAVE

Give me some tips on how to flare the ends of PVC tube to replicate the OEM console-mounted rod holders.

I have tried using a hot air gun to heat the end and slide over a bottle neck. Although this works, the result is uneven. Is there is a better way?

Annoyingly, I can find plenty of rod holders cheap online, but they are only 12-inches and not 14-inches.

I want to be able to install cushion covers.

One thought was to buy these 12-inch ones. and then just glue 2-inch extensions as they won't be seen under the cushions.

Not sure the thickness of plastic you are using, but I've had good luck with heat and a bottle, just take your time and even heating is the key so the entire circumference is the same temp and forms evenly. He's a presentation I found that is close to how I do it. If you are trying to mushroom it totally over, heat again and continue pushing against a flat surface.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWtQNO3Rj9E

D-

D - Good link to DIY.

Thanks guys. I did try that exact technique, but I found the flare to be uneven all the way around.

[The demonstration on youTube] made [forming heated PVC] look easy. I will try again, with some sort of guide on top of the bottle neck so that the PVC tube slides down evenly.

I've had good luck forming PVC pipe by immersing the area to be formed in boiling water. It tends to heat the PVC more evenly. I hope this helps.

Temperatures for forming PVC pipe are 170 to 220-degrees-F. Lower temperatures are great for long sweeping bends, whereas tighter work requires elevated temperatures. Forming for rod holders I’d target close to the 220-degrees-F temperature.

D-

The tubing I have been trying to flare actually turns out to be ABS and not PVC. I believe ABS has a much higher melting temperature. I will get some PVC tubing and try again.

According to an article at

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/plas ... _1621.html

PVC tubing is generally used with water at not more than 140-degrees.
ABS tubing is generally used with water at not more than 180-degrees.

According to the same article, the "heat distortion temperature" is:

PVC = 54 to 80-degree-C (129 to 176-degree-F)
ABS = 104 to 106-degree-C (219 to 223-degree-F)

The suggestion made above to use a very hot water bath to heat the tubing would be workable with PVC tubing, but not with ABS tubing.

Well turns out you cant get PVC pipe in the UK and its all now ABS at least from hardware/plumbing merchants.

I think I am going to opt for the readily available 12" rod holders and mount of some teak racks as per OEM, does this cause a problem with mounting the OEM cushions?

I used the pipes used for central vac systems, heated with a heat gun and flared on a long neck wine bottle, worked great

Matt -

The OEM rod back cushions have a flap on both sides. At the top and bottom of each flap is a male end of button snap that attached to the female end of the snap that is screwed into the end grain of the teak block.

You may want to do a mock up of the cushion and rod holder and teak block to ensure the dimensions work. I would think you can alter the thickness of the teak blocks to ensure the snaps align.