Yay brakelines.

The day was forecast to be 60% rain so I didn't expect to do much of anything on the bus. I have several other projects on the go including some computer programming, putting some electronics together etc. As it looked decent I did do some work outside. Nothing under the bus however.

This miserable brake line "forming" tool came from Harbor Freight. Thus should be given a great big miss as it doesn't form brake lines. First the 1/4 inch gripper is way too small. Second all it can do is fold brake lines, not bend them.

That was my attempt at a 90 degree bend using the Harbor Freight brake line forming tool. It is a 90 degree bend but the tube is narrowed to the point of it ceasing to have any viable function. I'll go back to the old tube bender that I've used before. That, surprisingly enough, was cheaper and also from Harbor Freight but cruically - it works.

The old brake lines were supposed to be fastened by the bolt on the left. Well, that didn't work so after a lot of issues I did get them fastened separately. The line on the right needed a spacer which was provided by a 1/4" rivnut and fastened by a 1.5" self-drilling metal screw. It took a long time to do this simple thing as I was trying other ideas using materials lying idle. 

That was a frustrating couple of hours as I'd do half of what I'd planned, put a piece of the thing I was working on down and turn round to find it had vanished. Then I'd have to start again and the same thing would happen again and again and again. In the end though, this far simpler approach seems to have prevailed.

I had another go with my solar water heater. I suspect the collector needs to be bigger but as the plexiglass/perspex had come unglued I sprayed the inside black using the last of a can of black spray paint. Then I screwed the plastic back over it. That should work better to trap heat.  Tomorrow I might have another go at setting it going but I'll keep my tubing short this time around. Tomorrow also I need to get under the bus and work on those brake lines. I only have a 4 day work window this time and one day has already been blown.