Homemade ductwork fittings?

[Dennis Aspö]

I've been googling and searching so long that even my momma thinks my mind is gone. And for all that I've come up a bit short. Are there any free templates or template making programs that I can just print pieces for so I can make my own elbows and y-fittings and whatnot? Ideally meant for metal ducting, found something for PVC on Bill Pentz site. I am using metric piping too which is 160mm or 6.3" so that complicates matters a bit.

I reeeallyyy wanna save money on not buying these things if I can...

[Alan Bienlein]

Here is the one I used on my ductwork. http://www.harderwoods.com/pipetemplate.php

[Dennis Aspö]

Yeah I found that one on Bill Pentz site but it covers PVC pipes, I don't see how that method would work on thinner walled metal pipes that I would be using. I would probably require a different method of attaching the parts other than glue?

[Jim Andrew]

I took a class once, about 40 years ago, in sheet metal. We made fittings from sheet metal. Unfortunately, my wife threw away the books during a move. I had planned to save the books so I could make sheet metal parts, but unfortunately...

[John Donofrio]

Did you actually go to the site to look at the calculator Alan posted? It takes IN or MM input and you can specify the branch wall thickness so it should do what you are looking for, at least for the wye's. Using metal you would simply have to account for the tabs to attach the branch. Should be doable.

[Dennis Aspö]

Yeah I can make it work using that, I was hoping for something that would allow me to be lazier and came with the tabs needing to be cut also drawn, also heard from someone where he got templates ready to use with tabs and just had to be put together with pop rivets.

Unfortunately he wasn't able to remember where from...

[John Donofrio]

...or you could go truly old school and use the lost art of orthographic projection :cool:

Google 'orthographic projection metal duct'

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/navy/nrtc/14251_ch2.pdf

[Mike Heidrick]

...or you could go truly old school and use the lost art of orthographic projection :cool:

Google 'orthographic projection metal duct'

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/navy/nrtc/14251_ch2.pdf

Thank you for that link John.

[Peter Aeschliman]

I've been googling and searching so long that even my momma thinks my mind is gone.

Thanks a lot... now that song will be stuck in my head for the rest of the day... ;)

[Dennis Aspö]

After some thinking on this, I think I'll be buying lengths of 6" PVC pipe and heating and bending it, seems easier to make bends and connections with it. So I'd have cheaper galvanized metal pipes for the straights and PVC bends. Though I did buy some used 6" metal bends for 10 bucks I can use.

You can also expand PVC so it can slip over the metal pipes, and it'll have a smooth interior.