I found that 14mm x 1.5mm is a standard size for seamless hydraulic tube and there are a few suppliers nearby. It’s supplied work-hardened in 6M lengths. I’m wondering if this would be OK to work after being annealed. Of particular interest is whether the flattened ends will form easily – maybe these would be better done at red heat as they’re not simply flattened, but transition to from a rounded profile to give added rigidity.

I’ve made a lot of similar items before, but hydraulic tube isn’t something I’ve used. The ends can be pressed at red heat, so I wasn’t expecting them to work harden as they’re being formed.

There’s no delivery charge on the 6M length as I can collect locally and have plenty to spare for other projects. The price for this is just a little more than buying 2 x 1M lengths + postage. The question in my mind though is if it’s about the same level of difficulty to work with as stainless tube, I may as well use that and polish the stays rather than powder coat or paint them.

There is the certainty though that regular MS tube presents no difficulty in bending or forming.