Let's see your DIY PEX uncoilers!

watercourse

Wanted to save money? Or wanted a better uncoiler? Or just couldn't wait for shipping?

hot_rod

Not proud, but it worked for my shop tube. A shop stool and two pieces of waferboard. Coils went over the legs to keep it in place.

GroundUp

This was a prototype of sorts, loosely modeled after the PexGun unit. I used a wheel from a pneumatic dolly tire (same as the tires on the ground) as the bearing and welded up the rest. I've got about 300,000 feet of tubing through it over the past 2 years since I built it and it's done pretty well, but I'm planning to build another with some revisions. Different/heavier bearing hub from a trailer axle, wider stance and larger tires for off-road jobsites, larger diameter rings for 1200ft rolls, and a rotating or removable carriage so it fits through doors. The rotating eyelet and arm are the best things since sliced bread- this allows the uncoiler itself to stay planted and the arm can follow the installer wherever he goes without kinking the tubing or needing to move the uncoiler.

ChrisJ

Are these really required with Uponor type A pex?

I've seen big issues with uncoiling type B, but A seems to do it naturally.

GroundUp

ChrisJ said:

Are these really required with Uponor type A pex?

I've seen big issues with uncoiling type B, but A seems to do it naturally.

A and B come off the roll the same way, so the issues would be the same regardless of tubing type. If you have someone you don't like who will hand-over-hand the rolls to keep them from getting kinked up, no an uncoiler is not needed. If you want to make it easier on everybody, an uncoiler is very helpful with any type of tubing.

ChrisJ

GroundUp said:

ChrisJ said:

Are these really required with Uponor type A pex?

I've seen big issues with uncoiling type B, but A seems to do it naturally.

A and B come off the roll the same way, so the issues would be the same regardless of tubing type. If you have someone you don't like who will hand-over-hand the rolls to keep them from getting kinked up, no an uncoiler is not needed. If you want to make it easier on everybody, an uncoiler is very helpful with any type of tubing.

I had assumed an "uncoiler" somehow straightened the pex as you unrolled it?

I guess I assumed wrong. The biggest issue I've had with Pex B is it wants to stay coiled.


I've only done very small jobs with it, but I get by pulling pex A from the center of their "bag" it ships in.

hot_rod

The uncoiler uncoils the opposite of how the machines coil it at the factory, so it does take the "curl" out as much as possible.

"A" pex is crosslinked as the polymer is melted.

"B" pex is crosslinked after the extrusion and coiling, a silane steam bath of sorts So it likes to stay in a coil.

I'd say pulling from the center is the worse way to uncoil unless you unwind the entire roll, and run

ChrisJ

hot_rod said:

The uncoiler uncoils the opposite of how the machines coil it at the factory, so it does take the "curl" out as much as possible.

"A" pex is crosslinked as the polymer is melted.

"B" pex is crosslinked after the extrusion and coiling, a silane steam bath of sorts So it likes to stay in a coil.

I'd say pulling from the center is the worse way to uncoil unless you unwind the entire roll, and run

Maybe.
But it's how Uponor says to do it, so that's how I've been doing it.

hot_rod

yet when using an uncoiler is suggests to remove outer layer of plastic?

Whatever works for you

Lot like romex, either use an unwinder and peel from outside, or the DIY plastic bag and pull from inside.

ChrisJ

hot_rod said:

yet when using an uncoiler is suggests to remove outer layer of plastic? Whatever works for you Lot like romex, either use an unwinder and peel from outside, or the DIY plastic bag and pull from inside.

No no don't misinterpret what I say.
I have no clue what I'm doing on this.   So I'm here for learning.

Romex you have to pull from the outside unless you like suffering.    That part I know.   The pex I haven't had an issue.   But I've probably pulled a whole......100 feet?

EBEBRATT-Ed

I made and ugly one for Romex but it works well. Some waferboard and a $4 lazy susan swivel from HD

hot_rod

Romex used to come in cardboard boxes. It had a marking on the box to cut out the center and pull from the inside of the coil. Same with the plastic bags it comes in now.
If you do a lot of wiring with coils, these unwinders are worth owning
The wire pulls better from a spinner and from outside the coil, especially working alone.
Put a pipe through the coil and mount between two studs, or inside a step ladder is another tip.

lkstdl

.

I had assumed an "uncoiler" somehow straightened the pex as you unrolled it? I guess I assumed wrong. The biggest issue I've had with Pex B is it wants to stay coiled. I've only done very small jobs with it, but I get by pulling pex A from the center of their "bag" it ships in.

For long runs of 1.5" pex, we run it thru a tubing roller to take some of the bend out. 

The roller is made to put a bend in to metal tubing, but with some electrical tape wrapped around the rollers it does a good job straightening.

(Once you cut the pex, it will curl again near the cut, so we use Uponer pipe supports or EMT cut in half to keep it straight.)

Luke

psb75

When mounting under a step ladder, make sure to orient the roll in the right direction or the ladder will be tipping over a lot!

watercourse

Ended up using some split 2x4s screwed together and mounted on a dowel, on a bike rack!