Oval S/S tube required

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

Does anyone know where I might be able to buy some oval stainless steel tubing? It needs to be approx 12.5mm x 4.5mm and wall thickness is something I'll have to accept, but around 0.5mm would be ideal. I can find streamline tube, but that's not really the correct section, though I may just have to accept that if nothing else turns up. I'll probably require about 2m in total.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I made oval aluminium tube for a mast by squeezing round tube in the vice and turning the handle to exactly the same point.

If you need greater accuracy, you could use stops in the jaws. Or with stainless, stick a bar down the middle.

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 28/08/2017 16:19:40

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Like Neil I have pressed steel tube in a vice but if you need along length then rolling may be a better option.

The two sides of this part are about 10" long and of similar overall section to what you are looking for, about 1.0mm wall.

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

Thanks chaps – looks like flattening some is my best bet, so I'll try to find some suitable round tube and give it a try.

Jason – did you roll those 10" lengths in your photos? If so, how did you do that?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

No all just done in the bench vice with a bit of elbow power and then tidied up on the linisher, I thought I had a better photo of the tube somewhere will have a look, there is a thread on here about it.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

There is a photo of the tube section I ended up with in this thread plus other suggestions on how to for it

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

How about a pair of steel rollers in a frame, the rollers made with a suitable profile, and placed at a suitable distance apart, should be ok for .5 mm or less. you would probably need to flatten the tube at the end before you start to feed it through the rollers.

Ian S C

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

This is a piece of 3/8" od 22 swg tube in 316L stainless. Current cost about £4.50 per metre from SPS. Just squeezed in a 6" vice. The width is 12.8mm and the thickness is 4.9mm.

If I was doing it for anything other than a test I would have filled the tube with dry sand or something similar to stop the flat face from collapsing. It is a bit figure of 8 in cross section.

Martin C

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

Thanks for the suggestions folks – very useful!

Jason – your efforts are up to your usual standard, but I don't really want to get into sanding to eliminate surface irregularities if I can possibly help it.

Ian SC – I'd considered rolling it somehow, but I fear that I'd end up with something other than straight, though it could be worth a try.

Martin – That looks almost ideal to me. Do you feel that dry sand would allow the sides to stay flat? I suppose I might be able to get away with inserting a flat strip of brass or steel during the forming. I'd have to hope that I'll be able to remove it though! Can't find 3/8" tube of any kind on the SPS website – do I have the right SPS?

I'll get some tube ordered and start doing some experimenting.

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

SPS (specialist pipe services) Hull. They may not list everything since they may buy it to pass it on. What lengths do you require? If it is one length totaling 2m they may want to send you a 6m length. On the other hand getting offcuts as scrap from our work bins may result in the required quantity at a minor cost.

Martin C

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

Martin – Thanks, I'll give them a call to see what they can supply. I need 6 lengths of around 300mm, say 2m in total. If I have to buy 6m, then I will, just as long as they don't send it in one length!

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

Gordon, you have a message in your inbox.

Martin C

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

PM replied to, thanks!

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

I'd just like to say a very public thank you to Martin Connelly for his help with this. I have just received a package from him which contains all the S/S tubing that I'm likely to need for this project, along with the test piece that he made. His generosity is very much appreciated. This forum is great, long may it continue!

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Hopefully it's seamless?

Regards Ian

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

Yes, seamless.

Martin C

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