Scientific American Supplement, No. 315, January 14, 1882

by Various

BENDING WITH WATER (LIGHT PIPES).

Fig. 39. This style of bending is much in use abroad, but not much practiced in London, though a splendid method of work.

FIG. 39.

It is a well known fact that, practically speaking, for such work, water is incompressible, but may be turned and twisted about to any shape, provided it is inclosed in a solid case—Fig. 39 is that case. The end, A, is stopped, and the stopcock, B, soldered into the other end. Now fill up this pipe quite full with warm water and shut the cock, take the end, A, and pull round the pipe, at the same time dressing the molecules of lead from the throat, C, toward D E, which will flow if properly worked.

You can hammer away as much as you please, but be quick about it, so that the water does not cool down, thereby contracting; in fact, you should open the cock now and then, and recharge it to make sure of this.