# Looking for 35mm (1-3/8) ID, thick walled tubing (steel or aluminum)



## Jimbojones (Aug 3, 2018)

Anyone got 1' length of 1/4"+ thick-walled tubing. Would most likely be OD near 2".

Trying to create a holder for a tool; had considering getting round bar and boring it out but I dont have an efficient way to make a 35mm bore in 50mm dia rod. Largest drill I have is 1" (25mm) and then I'd have to hog out the remainder with a boring bar...?!?

If anyone has tube with those dimensions, let me know.


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## PeterT (Aug 3, 2018)

How deep does the 35mm (1.378") diameter bore have to go? If its under say 4" this is classic boring bar weapon of choice. You would pre-drill the hole from solid stock. That's really the more typical hogging/roughing operation. Then use boring bar which will give you more dimensional & finish control over a bit anyway. There is kind of a stick-out rule of thumb like 3X boring bar diameter to minimize deflection & harmonics, but that's kind of a function of other parameters. You can get the insert style boring bars from Ebay/Ali or go the style with HSS toolbit. Wouldn't surprise me if they cost the same.

Tubing would save some swarf but may not get lucky with the size. I don't machine it much so I don't know if its extruded this way or seam welded & normalized?


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## Jimbojones (Aug 3, 2018)

Ideally I need to go 4-5" depth, meaning I'd have to enter from each end and I need to maintain concentricity so unsure how well I could pull that off.  if it was 1-1/4" ID tube to start then easier...1-3/8 ID tube would be awesome but I dont know if that even exists in thick-wall.


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## PeterT (Aug 3, 2018)

Ok boring is probably not appropriate if that's the dimensional requirement. I can visualize 2 options:

Forgot the correct name but lets call it 'line boring'. Similar to a boring bar but has adjustable HSS cutter mid section. The bar is driven by the headstock & supported by tailstock center. The tube stock is rigidly held on the cross slide via vise/attachment in apron & you traverse feed. Each pass adjusting the cutter stickout, re-measuring, rinse & repeat. Never done it myself.

Do you really need gun barrel bore contact conformance down the whole length? If not, you could use larger ID tubing to whatever clears the part OD & then machine 2 ends with exact contact ID & attach to either tubing ends. So rather than 10" section it could be 2+6+2=10 total & of course the 6" mid section is un-supported.

Picture of what you are trying to achieve might help, but that's about all I can think of off hand.


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## RobinHood (Aug 3, 2018)

The other option is called Trepanning (sp?). Here is a link to a video where they make a Trepanning tool to cut huge slugs out of alloy steel billets and aluminum.






I think there are a few videos that cover the whole contruction.

I am going down that road shortly for a project on the go: i have to cut a 6” hole in a 10” disc of 316 SS. The disc is only 2” thick, so not quite the depth you are going to. All this on  a 13 x 40 lathe. I will post how i make out....


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## RobinHood (Aug 3, 2018)

How about DOM tubing? Metal Supermarkets show a standard size OD 2’x.375 wall, 1.25 ID.


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## Jimbojones (Aug 3, 2018)

Great...got some? I already know who sells it retail...

I'd rather help a metal Bro out and buy a chunk from a length they cant use all of than to pay ridiculous prices from MetalSupergougemarket. And everytime someone here mentions them I'm going to repeat my story of how they lied to me about 'deal' pricing on multiple feet of square tube which was nothing more than per inch pricing posted on their website.  

Profit=ok
Charging over market= not as ok
LYING about pricing = severly not ok




RobinHood said:


> How about DOM tubing? Metal Supermarkets show a standard size OD 2’x.375 wall, 1.25 ID.


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## RobinHood (Aug 3, 2018)

I don’t think i have 2” OD heavy wall. But I will check when i get home on the weekend.

I know quite a few on here have had unpleasant experiences at MetalSuperMarket. And their prices are probably high. But someone please tell me where to get short pieces of metal, almost any size/type, no minimum order and short lead times if they don’t have it in stock. The scrap yards are off limits nowadays.
I’m not going to buy a 10’ or 20’ lenght of 10” OD 316 SS solid round bar when i need to make a one off, 9 1/2” OD, 6 1/2” ID, 29mm thick ring with 4 clearance holes and 4 M16x2.0 threaded holes. The quote from the OEM for this ring was >$4500!
I am not paid by MSM to say this (also not affiliated), but what other choice is there in this situation?

Sorry for hijacking the thread.


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## Jimbojones (Aug 3, 2018)

There is a metal sale/exchange site listed in one of these forums and a number of the guys here have access to cut-offs from work/other sources. Not an optimal supply option so there is also thread(s) here purely dedicated to sourcing metals also on this site and of course, fishing for a particular piece via Want Ad like I did sometimes results in a viable option. 

If I end up optionless, then MSM is a last-resort. Lady that runs the place also speaks French and that seems to be a bonus - anyone here that can sweet talk (Francais) her in to giving our group a 20% discount, SVP?


R.I.P. - Assorted Metals off of Blackfoot Drive...I miss you


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## PeterT (Aug 3, 2018)

There is another type of drill, I think generically called spade drills. They have a carbide insert on the end & extended shanks. The sizing table shows the recommended depth/bore. Not cheap though.
Makes you appreciate how gun barrels are bored.
https://www.traverscanada.com/taper...d=spade drill&lite=true&pricelistname=CANSITE


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## Jimbojones (Aug 3, 2018)

not even close to a viable option


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## RobinHood (Aug 5, 2018)

Jimbojones, the largest heavy wall DOM i have is OD 1.5” x 0.250” wall, 1.0” ID.


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## kylemp (Aug 5, 2018)

RobinHood said:


> I don’t think i have 2” OD heavy wall. But I will check when i get home on the weekend.
> 
> I know quite a few on here have had unpleasant experiences at MetalSuperMarket. And their prices are probably high. But someone please tell me where to get short pieces of metal, almost any size/type, no minimum order and short lead times if they don’t have it in stock. The scrap yards are off limits nowadays.
> I’m not going to buy a 10’ or 20’ lenght of 10” OD 316 SS solid round bar when i need to make a one off, 9 1/2” OD, 6 1/2” ID, 29mm thick ring with 4 clearance holes and 4 M16x2.0 threaded holes. The quote from the OEM for this ring was >$4500!
> ...


I just bought 6' of 4140HT 3.750 OD X 2.000 ID from encore. Was ready in 2 days I think and ran me about 500.. same piece at metal supermarkets was like.. 1500? And it would've somehow taken them a week or more to get it.
I don't know that they deal in more exotic non-ferrous metals but I did notice they had chunks of 12in round cut and ready for machine shops to pick up. Might be worth a try.


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## Johnwa (Aug 5, 2018)

You could drill a small hole all the way through, then center drill the ends and turn the outside concentric.  The bigger drill should more or less follow the small hole.  You should be able to bore it out from there.


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## kylemp (Aug 5, 2018)

Jimbojones said:


> Anyone got 1' length of 1/4"+ thick-walled tubing. Would most likely be OD near 2".
> 
> Trying to create a holder for a tool; had considering getting round bar and boring it out but I dont have an efficient way to make a 35mm bore in 50mm dia rod. Largest drill I have is 1" (25mm) and then I'd have to hog out the remainder with a boring bar...?!?
> 
> If anyone has tube with those dimensions, let me know.


I'll look when I get a chance.. I may have a piece you could use in my material pile. Should be able to check today.


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## Jimbojones (Aug 9, 2018)

Any luck?


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## kylemp (Aug 10, 2018)

I just looked, he pieces I though might be close are actually 1.75in ID. The only thing I have is solid which sounds like it's not much of an option for what you're doing. You should be able to find mechanical tubing or DOM in something close to that.


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## Dabbler (Aug 10, 2018)

Idea:  call around to hydraulic cylinder rebuilders.  Explain you want a defunct one as raw material.  Sometimes they have a 'graveyard' of cylinders that are too far gone to repair.  you could start with a 1.25" bore cylinder and bore out to  dimension.


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## Johnwa (Aug 11, 2018)

Jimbo
I do have this.  2”OD, ⅞ ID and 4” long.  It’s the wristpin out of a Diesel engine.  I can’t seem to be able to post a picture today.
The one piece I used machined quite nicely.  I did leave it in a fire pit overnight tho.  I don’t know if that helped.


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## Johnwa (Aug 12, 2018)

Here’s what I have.


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## Jimbojones (Aug 12, 2018)

Hmm..interesting. Wonder how tough that metal is after the firepit trip...is it available for experimentation?


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## Johnwa (Aug 13, 2018)

I managed to drive it out of the piston.  A file doesn’t seem to touch it.  The fire pit treatment must have annealed it as I can file that piece.

What do you have to trade?


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## Jimbojones (Aug 13, 2018)

How about 1' of SS 35mm dia rod?


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## Johnwa (Aug 14, 2018)

Sure, that works.


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