For this part of the project we'll use a tube-bending tool called a "spring bender." Since our tubing is 1/2" in diameter, you must buy a spring bender intended to be used on tubing of that diameter.
Now that you have 2 lengths of tubing to work with, you can twist the ends artistically. Take one of the pieces and reach for the spring bender. As its name suggests, this tool looks like a spring. Insert one end of the copper tubing into the mouth of the spring bender, as far down as it will go. Now twist with all your might!
There is no easy way for the novice to guide the spring bender so as to curve the copper tubing in a precise manner. It takes practice to get the tubing to bend the way you want it to. Frankly, you'll find this part of the project the most difficult. But fortunately, precision isn't required: all you're looking for is a twist to provide some visual interest.
On Page 6 we'll turn our attention to the plumbing, beginning with the soldering supplies: essentially, solder, flux and a means of heating the solder. The principle behind soldering is simple enough. Solder comes in rolls and just looks like wire. But the key to solder is this: it's soft and melts easily. When it comes into contact with a pipe and attached elbow that have been heated, it wicks into the joint between them. After the solder cools, you have a bond. The flux (applied beforehand) cleans the surfaces of the pipe and elbow and results in a better bond.
