Source for stock aluminum tubing with 10" ID with a tight tolerance/finish on the ID?

[cycleback]

Does anyone know a source for aluminum tubing with a 10" ID that has a tight tolerance on the ID in its stock purchased condition? I need something with a 0.5" or 1" wall thickness and ~10" length. Ideally the ID surface would be honed or have a nice finish. Maybe something used as a hydraulic cylinder.

I have looked around pretty extensively and have found DOM and seemless steel tubing honed hydraulic cylinders with these dimensions but need something lighter, Scot Industries, etc. The stock 6061 T6 round tubing I have been able to find with a 10" ID has a controlled OD dimension and a wall tolerance of +/- 10%. Machining an aluminum tube with a ~9.5" ID is problematic because of the size and internal stresses.

Any sources to look into?

 

[zeusfaber]

One thing to try is changing your search term from "tube" to "pipe". Some places use one term to describe stock that's specified by OD and the other to control stock controlled on the ID.

A.

 

[cycleback]

I have looked at pipe but haven't found aluminum in that ID size. Always much smaller IDs. Any recommendations on suppliers for pipe that would likely have something in 10" ID?

 

[Compositepro]

"Machining an aluminum tube with a ~9.5" ID is problematic because of the size and internal stresses." So how do you think such a "stock" item would be made?

You will not find a stock tube with a tight tolerance and finish on the ID. Something like that is made from stock with very loose tolerances. get quotes from machine shops.

 

[racookpe1978]

How many linear feet of this "tube" "pipe" or "round piece of metal with a perfect machined hole in it" do you need?

Why did you mention 6061T alloy? Do you need that alloy, or was it merely convenient?

How many parts of this tube will you be making?
where is it manufactured and used, if a one of a kind piece for a lab?

(Remember, they used to make 10" smoothbore and rifled cannon bores that were simple but precisely machined tubes. High price too. High pressure application though. )

 

[drawoh]

cycleback,

Is this production, or onesies? If you are doing one piece, you can machine from billet. If you are doing production, you can make casting.

10" pipe has an OD of 10.75". Schedule[ ]40 pipe has an ID of less than 10". I don't know how easy it is to machine an accurate bore. On a casting or billet, you can flange the ends, making things more rigid.

JHG

 

[tbuelna]

For a 10" length of 12" OD x 1" wall 6061-T6 aluminum material, create a drawing showing exactly what you require in the finished part and have a machine shop make exactly what you want from 12" round bar. Aluminum is relatively cheap and machines easily.

 

[cycleback]

The alloy doesn't need to be 6061-T it was merely convenient.

Probably a total of 3 to 5 parts of this tubing will be made.

 

[racookpe1978]

For that few parts,
Buy round bar stock of alloy strong enough for your product. (You have not provided enough information to give us any clue about material selection. As an (mechanical) engineer, this should have been one of your FIRST decisions!)
Machine the 10 inch long, 10 inch diameter parts on a lathe using a standard boring bar tool holder.
Load on car seat or pickup truck.
Pay machinist and machine shop.

 

[cycleback]

Any suggestions where to source aluminum pipe 10" nominal schedule 60, 80, E.H./X.H., or 140?

 

[drawoh]

cycleback,

Extruded aluminium normally comes in twenty foot lengths. Do you really need that much?

I suggest that you prepare a drawing of what you want, and send it to a machine shop for quotes. Let them figure out how to make it, and how to order material.

If you machine something with a ten inch diameter hole out of a solid block, the fabricator should be able to salvage an eight inch diameter plug for other fabrication. It won't all be aluminium filings.

--
JHG

 

[MikeHalloran]

Yellow pages | Metals
Send out an RFQ to all suppliers you can find.
Some consider facsimile to be state of the art.

Tell them _exactly_ what you want.
I.e., if you only need ~10" long pieces, mention that; cutoffs may be available at very competitive prices.
I.e., if you only need 10 pieces, say so.
I.e., if you are flexible about the alloy and specs, say so.

Allow some flexibility in your specs if possible.
E.g. metals suppliers can cut rings out of thick plate.

`


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[ProEpro]

I once found a supplier of the specialized in AL tubing for "telescoping" applications. They had a tighter ID because the tubes had to fit inside each other.

10" long with a .5" wall should not be too hard to machine the with the right equipment.

 

[tbuelna]

Pretty sure Tube Service will sell you 3-5 pieces of 10" long drawn or extruded 6061 Al tube 12" OD x 1" wall.