Mechanical tubing & pins source?

Henro · Sep 2, 2004

Hi,

I am thinking of using my KK landscape rake gage wheels on my back blade this winter for snow clearing...

What I would like to do is make some brackets to duplicate what KK supplied, and to weld them on my back blade, so all I would have to do is swing the casters from one implement to the other, and not deal with unbolting/bolting all the time.

Metkit (the CadPlans people) sell what I need, and I may just order it from them. I was thinking (dangerous, I know... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif ) I might rather buy a standard length of this stuff, one of pin stock (if that is what you call it) and the other of the tubing, 1" ID, 1.5 OD, 0.25 wall.

I see this stuff is sized so it fits together with a little clearance...

Did a little searching on the net but did not hit pay dirt...McMaster-Carr may have it somewhere in those thousands of catalog pages...

And body have a source of this stuff where it can ordered and sent UPS? What actually do you call this stuff? Perhaps I could find it locally if I knew exaxtly what to ask for...DOM mechanical tubing and round bar stock???

I know it is a simple question! But it is hard to turn the light on when you don't know where the switch is! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I've attached a screen image of what I am talking about... I may just order what I need from them, but still would like to know the options for future projects...

MadReferee · Sep 2, 2004

A local steel supplier should be able to get drawn over mandrel (DOM) tubing and appropriately sized pins. You may have to buy a standard length (probably 8-10 feet) in order for it to be cost effective. MetKit looks good for small cut lengths.

I don't believe you need a really tight fit because once dust and crud get in there the fork axle won't turn any more. A loose fit would be better in my opinion.

What I am doing for my homemade guage wheels is to use either 1" or 3/4" hitch pins (haven't decided on diameter yet) welded to the wheel forks and using thick walled black pipe for the so called socket. I don't want a too tight fit but I will bore out the pipe on the lathe if need be.

RonR · Sep 2, 2004

Henro--head to onlinemetals.com. I've ordered stuff from them. They will sell it by the foot and ship it to your door. Heck, if you are in a hurry, they will air freight it to you! And you won't have to buy a 20ft stick when you need 2FT.

If you don't know the names of the stuff, you might have to surf awhile. Just get in the steel section (you don't need titanium and such!) for your application.

The short pieces you need should be cheap and easy to ship.

Their site also has OD/ID/Wall thickness, so you can cipher up what you need.

Last time I ordered from them, it was shipped the SAME DAY!

Be sure to post pics.

Ron

OldWelder · Sep 2, 2004

Henro,

I'd look for a local steel supplier. Seems to me that shipping on steel would be a bit out of line. A good local guy should be able to fix you right up.

RonR · Sep 2, 2004

I agree that I wouldn't want them to ship a 1" shaft 20 ft long, but if you just buy a coupla feet of steel tubing, it's only a few bucks to UPS it. And you aren't driving all over to find someone with just what you are looking for--and when you do, they want you to buy 20 ft.

Best wishes,
Ron

aardvark · Sep 2, 2004

Also, local steel suppliers usually have a large "bin" (dumpster) of "pre-cut material" (scrap), which can be bought for practically nothing. I've built alot of stuff using these materials. You sort of take what you can get and make it work, but it's really cheap, alot cheaper than the prices on the attached page. Look in the yellow pages for steel suppliers.

moeh1 · Sep 2, 2004

I usually end up at the local surplus metal house too. One inch heavy wall pipe would be great for what you want to do, could find it there or perhaps a plumbing shop if you have one handy. you should be able to drill and tap a hole for a grease fitting and that will take the rattle out of the play in the system.

Junkman · Sep 2, 2004

What you are looking for is 1" ID schedule 80 black iron pipe. Look in the yellow pages for a large plumbing supply house or a sprinkler installer. The supply house might just sell it by the foot and the sprinkler installers probably will have a bunch of pieces laying around. The only problem that I have ever encountered is when it is cut with a pipe cutter. This will put a ridge in the end of the pipe that you will either have to file smooth, or cut the pipe with a hacksaw for a clean edge. The bar stock could probably be had from a local machine shop and if you find a small one, they probably will sell you a piece and do the cutting for coffee money. In fact, if you bring a housing to them, they might even do the whole thing for less than you can purchase the materials for. I have a local machine shop that the fellow runs in his cellar. The prices are always good and the service depends on what he is working on. The rush jobs are the high dollar ones and my piddly work he does as fill in work..

samission · Sep 3, 2004

If your looking for lighter type of metals, tubing, etc. I always look at the chassis shop (www.chassisshop.com) in Michigan.

I built race cars a few years back, you cannot beat their prices even with shipping, and you can buy what you want, 1 foot, 10 feet, a complete stick etc. They don't carry the heavy wall DOM tubing, but for some projects you don't want the heavy stuff.

Just another source for material. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Steve

texbaylea · Sep 3, 2004

Henro

Here are some sources for small orders of metal stock taken from the current issue of "Home Shop Machinist".

www.asapsource.com

e-mail: speedymtls@aol.com

There are others but did not have ads in this issue.

Vernon