14mm mild steel tube – I thought this would’ve easy…..

[Mick BaileyParticipant @mickbailey28509]

I need to make up some mudguard stays for my Moto Guzzi motorcylce. I spent yesterday making a jig to correctly flatten the ends and have the correct dies for my bender. All set to go – just go out and get a length of 14mm x1. 5mm mild steel tube and get them made up, painted and fitted.

No chance. The nearest size I can get hold of is 13mm x 1.6mm, which seems to be suspiciously like it’s probably 1/2″ x 16G. At least the price is good at £15 for a 6 metre length. Just too much on the small side, though.

It looks like I’ll have to pay the exorbitant cost of buying online. It seems to be difficult or impossible  these days in N Staffs to pick materials up locally. Not that many years ago I could get everything I needed within 12 miles. My favourite non-ferrous stockholder has also gone the way of many businesses in that they only stock materials and sizes that are in-demand.

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

Mick,

Try M-Machine in Darlington. They do mail order to your size and my rather old paper catalogue lists 14 mm x 1.5 mm welded steel tube. It  also listed seamless tube 9/16 inch by 14 swg.

Web   www.m-machine-metals.co.uk   phone 01325 381302

I have found them a real goldmine

Regards   Brian

[Grizzly bearParticipant @grizzlybear]

Hi,

Is 15mm copper a non starter?

[Mick BaileyParticipant @mickbailey28509]

Copper isn’t strong enough and due to vibration would quickly work harden and crack. I did an experiment with 15mm stainless plumbing tube. It looks nice but the wall thickness is only 0.8mm and has too much flex where it flattens out. Also there are pressed countersunk  bolt holes where the mudguard bolts on (the stays are hoops that go right over the top) and these need to have a decent thickness of metal.

I’d like to stick to the original size and material and M-Machine has the size I need at almost a third of the price of everyone else. Actually my head is spinning looking through their catalogue.

[Mick BaileyParticipant @mickbailey28509]

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.

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

Mick,

Are you able to be guided by past experience when you have made these items before?

Heating as you suggest will anneal the new tube but will it then work harden again with forming the end shape.

I might have been tempted to buy uncomplicated mild steel tube from M-Machine in the lengths you need rather buy 6 metres of material, plus a delivery charge, you will have to experiment with.

Brian

[Mick BaileyParticipant @mickbailey28509]

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.

[Mick BaileyParticipant @mickbailey28509]

Here’s an update;

I found some lengths of 316L stainless and experimentally tried pressing the ends. It worked quite well in my 6″ bench vice and would probably be even better in my hydraulic press. Not as easy to work as MS, but being able to polish it makes it a better choice.

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