Hydroform

Hydroforming using a grease gun. Making a stainless steel reflector for a model Harley-Davidson motorcycle

[@MrAluminox]

That is pure cleverness. The modest grease pump for forming small pieces...Grease is interesting, being thick it is somewhat self-sealing, self dampening, does not run everywhere when you open the "hydroformer form" and is not lost. No one spill. The pump is always well lubricated, no problems of oxidation or gripping, is cheap and can be found in any tool store. I'm in awe. Many thanks for the excellent video, that give me an idea for forming copper jewels.

[@pedroperenne]

Yeah... its the PERFECT solution!... all the benefits mentioned by you and easy to do and replicate

[@TeddyKrimsony]

but it's inefficient in terms of energy transfer

[@THEedcbb3]

@@TeddyKrimsony it's incompressible?? How is it not efficient?

[@yakshbhola8916]

@@THEedcbb3 because as the viscosity of the medium will increase frictional loss will increase u will require more effort to deliver the same pressure with grease as a medium when compared to normal hydraulic jack fluid.

[@THEedcbb3]

@@yakshbhola8916 ye but in terms of efficiency, it would still be the same? No slip condition means that friction doesn't need to be considered as the fluids technically static there. It just requires more energy transferred overall I assume because of the increased density

[@irfanashraf1238]

Making it simple to understand is hallmark of a “Master”

[@yt650]

Nice video. I think on Mythbusters they did a segment similar using a pressure washer. I admit I did not know 321 stainless could be formed that easily. I am a metal spinner and I will try 321 stainless. 74 yrs old and love learning, thank you. A million million things I don’t know, and I know it.

[@joandar1]

I like you learned a huge amount from this and say thanks for sharing with us other youtubers Clarence. Kind of reminds of an expression I use YT, the more I learn the more I realize how little I know! Cheers to all, John, Australia.

[@rdouthwaite]

Don'ttreadonme Molonlabe He did indeed, Colin Furze I believe.

[@berglewerks]

This is so beautifully considered and carefully made. Discerning and clear photography. Nothing unnecessary here. I don't know anything about engineering, but this is an incredibly poetic work of art! Thank you!

[@kennethellison9713]

The "graphics" at the 3:05 mark are so refreshing. I love this video. I get the feeling that when it comes to an end you might be able to hear the film flapping in the take-up reel :)

[@skipwilson4792]

Thank You for taking the time to share your work.

[@turningpoint6643]

Extremely clever use of simple hydraulics that I never would have considered Clarence.

[@AtticusDraco]

that was badd ass man good showing and sharing YT finally recommended me to a useful vid

[@patientzero1]

That is becoming to be less and less... nice big bright letters, selfies and dump fuckwits making shit youtube clips, just for views and advertisement money.. yuk

[@muzikman2008]

A true craftsman.. I wish they taught this stuff in school instead of other useless stuff. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@marksstudio]

Without doubt one of the best youtube videos I have seen in all these years. Totally demystified the operation making it approachable for anyone. Well done sir.

[@loganshotrod4x464]

I never thought a grease gun would generate a seal or the pressure needed to form sheet metal. That was cool! Thanks for sharing that idea!!!!

[@anthonywilliams4638]

Nice Film, and thanks for the upload. I have used my grease gun to push out seized up brake pistons from calipers on old restoration projects in just the same way, no damage to the materials is guaranteed.

[@pistoleroshooter2575]

Beautiful job. It was a pleasure to watch. Larger parts and complex shapes like were often formed by explosive force, but your method is a lot safer and do-able with any decent home workshop. Thank you for a quality video.

[@threecreationleather6596]

Great video man. Very inventive and economical way of doing this. For those of you who arent able to machine the dies, another way of achieving similar results is hydraulic die forming using urethane blocks and acrylic dies. A process I learned in a book " Hydraulic Die Forming for Jewelers and Metalsmiths"

[@nlo114]

Nice job. The grease-gun is also a useful tool for freeing a seized engine. Don't remove the cylinder head. Remove the rockers from the offending chamber so that the valves stay shut. Break the insulator out of an old spark-plug and weld in a grease nipple where the insulator was. Fill the chamber with oil to the top, screw in the new plug, fit the grease-gun and start pumping! this will give you the equivalent of a 30-ton press that should shift any stuck piston.

[@Lazywatchsmith]

That was AWESOME!.

[@olsparkywisenheimer8239]

This is a neat video. I've been a metal fabricator for 26 years now and I've never done this, but it's intriguing. Thanks for the video. Nice job! 👍

[@4legdfishman]

Nice work Clarence. I'm impressed that a grease gun is so powerful.

[@freakysteve140281]

Finally! Someone who can mark out on a sheet without wasting material as well as uses snips correctly.

[@rusty911s2]

Superb film, thank you. Loved the run-through on the theory.

[@MrPlumber27]

Sir you are incredibly smart and likely too smart for most people . I love watching the process of hydroforming. It’s so clean and perfect .

[@snowgorilla9789]

Worked with a guy who was greasing a propeller hub and pumped it up so much ( no vent) that he blew the fitting out it blew his tooth out a part of his jaw and went out the side of his face a nice clean hole just like he had been shot. Grease guns can build ENORMOUS pressure. Great video !

[@petersaupe7455]

Yourself,Dan Gelbard and Tubal Cain are masters at explaining quite difficult tasks in a way that allows us mortals to understand.

[@thebicyclesafaris]

This was so cool!!! I really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!

[@DOPEXAMP]

Super badass yet simple machine you've made

[@wintonhudelson2252]

Very cool Clarence, thanks for sharing your process.

[@tonytully4943]

I like the whole video. One thing particularly is your adjustable gauge for the height of the dome. So simple and effective

[@bobfugazy4916]

That was genius Clarence. I've always wondered what hydroforming was and now I know. Thank you.

[@andthesunsets]

Thank you for sharing your expertise. These skills need to be preserved for the future generation.

[@jackdotzman2908]

Learn something new every day. Been there done that on many many projects, this is wonderful to learn about your hydro forming method. New to this guy, thanks for explaining in your excellent vid how you made that reflector. Great educational, craftsmanship vid., thank you. Jack in Missouri

[@tfdmac]

This is the first time I have come across this. I must say I am impressed. Wish there was more videos in this collection.

[@felixcat9318]

This is absolutely ingenious, I wouldn't have thought to use the grease gun for this application, but it's perfect. Thank you for sharing this excellent technique and for the good narration. Subscribed!

[@matthewgregerson5038]

I just learned a valuable lesson with your video, Not exactly when, where, or how I will use this lesson as a new skill of my own one day, but I was impressed.

[@gortnewton4765]

Nice job. Very clear instruction

[@Druicidal]

"Why on earth would he make a tool for a single part.... Holy shit that is beautiful"

[@Darnic-Fab]

Because he could!

[@markspc1]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you for sharing.

[@londel1767]

Wow that was really cool. I wouldnt have thought a grease gun would have enough force to do that but Ive never paid attention to the specs on a grease gun. thanks for the demonstration

[@csabavarady4711]

Man what a brilliant idea using grease gun. Thanks for sharing.

[@mlb6d9]

Very Cool and Clever - Thanks for sharing!

[@legomaker3105]

All this clever work and he even explained everything in very clear understandable terms. And then he uses his finger to scrape the grease back into the gun..... that’s old school

[@Unacceptable462]

Very clever!!! Never knew grease guns put out so much pressure!!! Amazing vid!!!! ;)

[@e-Traveller]

You Sir, do it the Right Way! I tip my hat to you. I also like you explanations on your project. Wish more KZbin videos would be like yours.

[@hwobstj]

Great video and tutorial. I was amazed at how beautifully that part came out.

[@First_Class_Amateur]

You even shared torque specifications! Well done.

[@LittleshopofFredrik]

I don't know if it's magic or just pure awesomeness but i love it!!! This has got to be tested in my shop! Thanks for sharing!

[@frankierzucekjr]

Very cool. Thank you for everything you taught us. That worked beautifully.

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Very practically presented and the math and reasoning and it was pretty cool to watch the dome form. Nice short vid to the point.

[@rogerdodger5415]

Thank you for the excellent job of explaining the different factors of an operation like this. I learned a lot!

[@serdaraytemiz]

Very cool video. also your explanations on Yield and ultimate strength are really nice. should be shown to freshmen in University. We always see it as a bar being streched and broken but never on a working part... really nice. The way you explain suits your name well. Thank you.

[@Miata822]

What a wonderful and clearly described process. I suppose I should check out your other videos now.

[@jcardwell3rd]

Well done sir. Beautiful.

[@jeetenzhurlollz8387]

Awesome high quality video and high quality content

[@andypughtube]

I have used a grease gun for another motorcycle task, to push out seized brake caliper pistons (the grease gun will seal on normal bleed nipples). Of course this leaves a difficult clean-up job, but if the calipers are bad enough to need this treatment then they need a good clean anyway.

[@sacrificialrubber779]

Sir, that was kick ass!!! I have a spare pressure washer that I had been planning on using for doing some hydroforming of my own, but your method with the grease gun looks like it works absolutely awesome for smaller parts! Thanks for the video it was very informative I really enjoyed it!

[@larrykent196]

Dam cool, that's just dam cool. Thanks for sharing the video. Cheers!

[@josecunha731]

Live and learn. Amazing and ingenious. Fascinated with these kinds of techniques to fabricate metal. Thanks for posting.

[@JK-zq9vw]

I love seeing raw metal turned onto a usable part. I’ve seen all sorts of ways small shops form parts thanks to YT. I’ve seen rubber mats pressed against a mold this and even two pieces welded together with a pressure washer filling them up to make what looked like a very uncomfortable pillow. This so far is my favorite. I wish I had my own molds or ability to make them and the skill and other tools required. I’ve got the ideas, just not the physical ability knowledge or money lol.

[@franciscofranco4838]

Was I the only one nervous in the guitar part?

[@Mekratrig]

When House and Wilson were feuding and Wilson stole the guitar and described the agonizing noise the strings made as they were tightened until they snapped. So House broke into Wilson’s house and erased all his DVR recordings of learn-to-speak-Spanish telenovas. Those were the days...

[@shackman9566]

No I've seen to many things come apart from high tension and other forces it's never a bad thing to take precautions or be apprehensive when applying any type of force to and object.

[@otherunicorn]

It had me ... tense?

[@varukasalt]

How did you release the pressure after you were done forming?

[@jamespalmer5407]

francisco franco ur a wuss

[@dexvak]

Excellent job!!!

[@robert5]

This is cool but 2 things I would like to note. SAFETY - I do not agree with standing right next to this as it is pressurized/hydro-formed. If it did pop you could get a high pressure jet of grease hitting your face/eyes. Place some kind of partition between you and the hydro form item and peek over it at the dial indicator and also wear a full face shield as is used for grinding. 2nd point, get a porta-power type hydraulic pump, these are super cheap on ebay, plumb that in and you can easily pump it until the hydro-forming is done using hydraulic fluid. You could also use a air over hydraulic pump and just hit a lever to actuate it, but that would work faster and thus be MORE dangerous. This gives me ideas on how to form aluminum dish, this could then be cut up and the dish section quarters be used as corners on box structures where 2 radius corners meet such as the corners on a box trailer. If I wanted to build a enclosed trailer and wanted the corners to look professional I could build a large version of this, hydro-form the required size aluminum dish then cut it in sections and weld or rivet it to the trailer box corner and it would, after some careful work, look great. ~

[@daveh9134]

Beautiful work! Great explanations and video. Loved it!

[@teamidris]

Stunning job :o) The borrowed metal is exactly as described by a guy vacuum forming plastic. - just a note to anyone trying this, be careful of any leaks from the hose, my cousin injected his finger. Freak accident, but relatively easy with high pressures.

[@theoldbigmoose]

Great video! Thank you for sharing your material and process! Learned something useful today.

[@polao3643]

Congratulations from Brazil!

[@ArnieReith]

That is way cool! 321 stainless can be polished to a mirror finish, I used to polish engine nose cones when I worked at Cessna Aircraft. If you use a 1/8"NPT nipple between the die and gun instead of a zerk you won't get any spillage and will keep all the pressure inside .

[@perspectivex]

That was exactly what I was wondering--if there was a better way to connect the grease gun to the pressure chamber--thanks for the tip. So... what is a 1/8" NPT nipple? I have a feeling these are not what you mean: www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20210223004757&SearchText=1%2F8%22+NPT+nipple. And on the grease gun side, if I remove the zerk coupler thing on the end of the grease output tube there's 28tpi 9.3mm diameter threading on which to attach a fitting to couple to the 1/8" NPT nipple you mention...I don't find much with this tpi and diameter. ...maybe this kind of thing is also a solution? locknlube.com/products/locknlube-grease-coupler

[@kevinpezzi6777]

Very clever, Clarence! Thank you for posting it.

[@114mohe]

That was friggin amazing...

[@sblack48]

This is really cool, and hats off to him. I probably would have pounded it out on a bag. Too lazy to make all that tooling.

[@truegritbulldog]

Truly great video. Thanks for taking the time. I learned something and inspired a few ideas. THANKS!

[@theonlybuzz1969]

Very nice work there Sir, simple but very effective. I’ll have to remember that for future reference, thanks!

[@jimviau327]

KZbin will never cease to amaze me ! Great video . Thanks for sharing.

[@Psychlist1972]

Let's have a moment of silence for the lighting, camera, and audio people who were killed by that guitar string.

[@mrobviuos74]

PURE GINUSE! 👍 THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS KNOWLEDGE!

[@markserbu]

VERY interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@kitKat-by6kk]

excellent video and communication!

[@freelancergin]

great video and good explanation

[@josephvella6669]

And who's the Man? Well done! At last something useful and doable.

[@Airman..]

Amazing work

[@BGraves]

It's like watching "this old machine shop" clear and concise.

[@aleksandrrr]

Thats very creative use of a grease gun👌

[@swarfmonster3998]

Absolutely brilliant, thanks for uploading.

[@weedium]

I'm impressed! Thank you for showing me that, I enjoyed every second.

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

Great process. Thanks.

[@arthurlewis9193]

That's pretty neat! You could have used 24 gauge 304 bright annealed stainless sheet. Draws better and would have saved all that polishing!

[@wompastompa3692]

Even though I've seen this before, I always clench when you really start ballooning the piece.

[@fletcher3913]

Very creative and resourceful. I am glad I found this video.

[@mikeg5413]

Very cool idea!

[@enriquegonzalez2802]

So clean work

[@jerrywhidby5259]

And this is the type of video my brain craves. Thank you for showing me something new. You definitely earned a subscriber.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

This is officially a very cool solution! Nice, thanks for sharing :)

[@pwalomoto]

Had to put my safety specs on for the guitar part!!! Great vid with nice technical commentary.

[@henryrollins9177]

Increible..! Muy bien hecho señor..!

[@louis1952]

Excellent presentation but I'm amazed that metal on metal produced a seal without requiring gaskets.

[@donalfinn4205]

Very well done!👍☘️

[@henrychinaski8754]

Well done sir...nicely presented.

[@magicdaveable]

Nice work. I just learned something new to add to my metal forming skill set.

[@leonardpearlman4017]

I thought that was genius. I've used grease guns a hundred times, never occurred to me to ask what the pressure was. If I had guessed I would have been off by an order of magnitude at least. This is so smooth and cool compared to the famous pressure washer technique, and THAT was pretty clever already, I thought. Cheers!

[@PatonHaus]

Wow! Very cool!

[@missmymountain]

Great work. We use a paint sprayer as the power for this purpose. It's very controllable and uses water. We're deforming plate jacks but the process is exactly the same.

[@Shnick]

Neat idea. Well done.

[@fernandoratag]

Excellent Job sir!

[@jtjjbannie]

Fascinating to say the least. Well done.