response 1 of 64:

Oct 29 03:31 UTC 1998

Is there a local supplier to thin wall metal tubing in dimensional sizes? 
NOT electrical conduit or plumbing tubing, but tubing of (say)  1.000
inches OD (+/- .001), and wall thickness (say) 24 B.W.G. gage or less. A
catalog source for small quantities (feet) would also be welcome. 
Material can be any metal not easily dented (steel, stainless, bronze,
hard aluminum, etc). 

response 3 of 64:

Oct 30 04:33 UTC 1998

I have their catalog. The thinest wall 1.00 inch tubing they have has
0.029 inch walls - 24 B.W.G. is ca. 0.020 inches. 

response 5 of 64:

Oct 31 07:02 UTC 1998

What does Grainger deal in? I don't recall the name. 

response 7 of 64:

Oct 31 18:19 UTC 1998

Oh, *Grainger*! 

Let's see, if they would not have anything a pipe specialist would not
have, then that means that...they don't have much of anything, except
pipe? 

I found a category of supplier for what I am looking for by doing a web
search on <tubing +aircraft>. One supplier, Superior Tube Company
(http://www.superiortube.com/) lists 1.000" OD stainless tubing with wall
thicknesses from 0.008 to 0.035 - including what I am looking for. I have
sent an inquiry to determine if they sell small quantities (their web page
does say they sell lengths as short as 0.015"...sounds pretty short). 

I need to cut some aperatures out of the side of a piece of such tubing. 
How would anyone suggest doing that cleanly (I know, this is drift... :})?

response 9 of 64:

Oct 31 19:55 UTC 1998

re: #8...

If you need to drill out hole in both sides of the tube (or even if only one
side, I guess), you might fill the tube with fine sand (to keep it from
collapsing) and drill out a block of wood for a jig that you can fit the tube
through (to keep drill bit from slipping off the curved surface).  If you have
a drill press that would be even better.

You should be able to get clean drill holes of almost any size this way, and
the fine sand is easily removed.

response 11 of 64:

Nov 19 03:29 UTC 1998

You could also check 'aircraft spruce and supply'  I don't know the contact,
but my Dad has bought a lot of steel tube from them in various sizes and
lengths for his airplane.  They'll sell short lengths.
Maybe filling the tube with plaster would provide enough support.  Could get
tricky to remove in a long piece.

response 13 of 64:

Sep 2 18:49 UTC 2000

Where in the AA area can I get 3/8" rebar cut into 18" lengths (for
survey markers)? Lowe's has some 3/8" x 24" pieces ($0.48 ea - and
too long), and also 3/8" x 48" ($0.89 ea), which *could* be cut,
though all I have to cut them is a hack-saw (or a small saber saw),
but it is apparent they have just been sheared to length for shorter
pieces. So, where else should I inquire?

response 15 of 64:

Sep 3 01:16 UTC 2000

18" is a compromise between the likely depth of the soil over rock (which
is mostly less than 24") and getting a stable placement. I will probably
need some shorter pieces (like 16"). Yes, I'd cut the 4-footers into 3.
But they don't have enough.

 I need ca. 120 for starters - with a chance for better price. I really
don't want to spend the time bending that many until they break, or even
hacksawing them. Construction companies just snip them off with a power
shear.

I'm surveying a karst field in the UP - doing a fine scale topographic
survey to get a better picture of the paleohydrology. 

response 17 of 64:

Sep 4 01:26 UTC 2000

The builder next door has a manual cutter / bender.  I doubt he would mind
you using it on the site while he's around.  I think you can get rebar
from Clark Supply.  If not, they can tell you where to look.  The builder
may even have some leftover lengths he'd be willing to part with.

response 19 of 64:

Sep 8 07:34 UTC 2000

Fendt sells 3/8" rebar for $0.15/ft and charges $0.50 per cut. Clark
sells it for $0.18/ft, with the first 4 cuts free and then $0.25 per cut
beyond that. I bought 4 20' pieces from Clark and had it cut to make
8 10' pieces (my four free cuts). I then took those to a tool rental
company and rented a 36" bolt cutter, and used that in their parking
lot to cut each 10' piece of rebar into 5 18" pieces, leaving 1 30"
piece. 

It was MUCH harder to cut the rebar than I expected. I don't see how
anyone could cut even a 1/4" piece of hardened steel by hand, with
that size bolt cutter.

An interesting situation arose. They would not *rent* me the bolt
cutter because the AA police have asked that bolt cutters not be
rented. But they let me use it on the premises. When I was done, they
told me they were not allowed to let me use it on the premises because
their insurance does not permit it. They did charge me for this
pseudo-rental, but did not issue a receipt, so that there was no
record of the rental. (Consequently, I have omitted the name of the
tool rental firm in this narrative.)

Life in America in almost the 21st century: anyone can buy a bolt cutter,
but you can't rent one from a tool rental firm that has them, and you have
to use the bolt cutter you can't rent away from the firm's premises
because of the rules of insurance companies.

response 21 of 64:

Sep 8 11:37 UTC 2000

It can also be cut with a cutting wheel on a grinder.  The device the builder
has that I mentioned is pretty simple an has a 6' lever arm on it.  They cut
5/8" rebar with it.  It takes about 6' of lever arm arc to cut through 1/2"
of rebar.

response 23 of 64:

Sep 8 14:48 UTC 2000

I rented bolt cutters at Superior Rent-All in Houghton a year or so ago, and
they didn't even ask me for ID.  Huh.