4130 Steel Tube

[Vince Carucci]

I'm putting together an order from ACS for some 4130 steel tubing. The build list calls for 95 feet of .625 x .035 tubing. Does anyone have any thoughts on the best length for individual tubing when placing the order? 

Vince

[scottiniowa]

if your already paying Truck freight, then get full lengths,  do a bit of planning, as for lengths required, ALWAYS cut longest ones first,  and you will generate the least amount of scrap tubing. It is pretty amazing, but with good planning, there is very little scrap. (un-used lengths)  Done the other way around, and you will find yourself needing longer tubes than you have..

[Vince Carucci]

Thanks Scott, that's the 'been-there-done-that' kind of advise I was hoping for. I'm going to order 7 x 14 ft. of the 5/8. That's 3 feet more than the suggested total and nearly a foot longer than the 2 lower longerons. 

[Cessna4542c]

I ordered from wicks aircraft.  They had everything so I didn't have to shop around.  You're going to have to get a trucking fee pretty much were u go. Sometimes they offer free shipping over $99. Steel for my DE was about $2000 with extra. The material list in the plans is short.

[scottiniowa]

Vince, I have not had to do this for sometime, but is there a truck freight difference from full lengths vs 14' L's?   There used to be NO difference, but times may have changed.
If close to same freight for 21' vs 14'  I would sure go with the longer.  Then again, if you don't have space for the longer ones, the point is mute.

Best of success.

[Vince Carucci]

Scott,

I think the price point is 8 ft or bigger. The shipping cost is not a deal breaker, though it would be nice to get everything in 1 large shipment. The biggest concern is after the parts get here, I couldn't get 20+ foot long tubing in my basement. And that's why I was wondering what is the smallest workable lengths. 

I figured the 14 foot tubes would get me the 155 inch distance plus bends. 6 x 16 ft is possible but anything bigger than that is going to sit outside in the snow and rain. 

Vince

[Dan_]

but anything bigger than that is going to sit outside in the snow and rain.

Vince

Maybe you could glue up caps on a PVC pipe with a screw on cap on one end to keep the tubes outside until you need it... cut the tubes outside.

You would want to make sure each tube was rubbed with an oil soaked rag before sealing the PVC pipe...

--Improvise, adapt, and overcome...