Lets talk steel/aluminum prices.. (1 Viewer)

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Sully73FJ40

Sully73FJ40

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Alright I've made a executive decision today to go ahead and buy a tube bender. And whatever else I need in order to produce a roof rack system for a soft top 40. The $1000.00 price is outrageous at Spector and if I can get it done for half the cost, that works better. So with that said, I'm going to draw up some plans tomorrow, but in the mean time I'm wondering what the metal is going to cost me. I'm thinking 1" square or round tubing...
 
Is your volunteer work still going on? There is a aircraft metals place over by WW White and I10 that has a great variety of piping etc. and not too bad of a price. I had to buy a stick a few years back when I crashed my hang glider and had to replace the spar......
 
A tube bender and dies get pricy. A Harbor Freight pipe bender should work since your not building a cage or anything structural like that.
 
I vote aluminum. Those 40's are already a little top heavy.
 
nspctr1 said:
Is your volunteer work still going on? There is a aircraft metals place over by WW White and I10 that has a great variety of piping etc. and not too bad of a price. I had to buy a stick a few years back when I crashed my hang glider and had to replace the spar......
Click to expand...

I read through this quickly and five minutes after I realized you said, "crashed my hang glider.."

That is cool. We now need that hang glider for our camping trip. Ben had an idea several years ago that involved us pulling him along the beach with an old parachute. I like this idea better because it involves spars and stuff breaking.

I mean seriously, what could possibly go wrong? :cheers:
 
I agree aluminum would be lighter however finding a local guy good enough to weld the pieces together might make that a pain in the arse. I think 1 inch tubing with expanded metal on the floor would work.

Robert I agree, the harbor freight 16 ton hydraulic bender was what I was looking at or am looking at. I think I'm going to buy one Friday and pick up the metal from Alamo Iron Works. If anyone else is interested in attempting to make their own roof rack let me know. I'm going to do some sketches tonight on how I want to do it. I'm looking at building one for soft top 40s.
 
What wall width would you guys go with? .250?
 
.250 is way to heavy for a roof rack. That is link material. You could get by with .080, if you are going to load it really heavy maybe go .120, but I think that is overkill.

Ryan

Sully73FJ40 said:
What wall width would you guys go with? .250?
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Ryan, I couldnt quite remember what you and I spoke about the other day regarding this. I remembered .250 coming up and I am happy you replied. So you think .080 would be best? How about the diameter of the tubing? 1" should be just about right I would think.
 
I know you talked about doing kick outs that could potentially protect the soft top etc, if you are going to use it as a kind of rub rail, or load it really heavy go with .120 wall. The difference in weight between 30ft of 1"x.080" and 1"x.120" is only 8lbs. For a little more static strength you could go 1.125"x.095" Don't waste your money on 4130 or 4340, both need to be heat treated to get the benefits from them. If they are welded but not post heat treated they are just as soft in the annealed/welds as mild steel.
 
Something else I was thinking about that you probably already know - the ability of a tube to resist flex is in it's overall diameter not really its wall thickness. This is an extreme example but take a 1/2" tube with .250" walls (basically a solid rod) and I bet in a 4' length most guys could get it to flex, now take a tube that is 2" with .120 wall and I guarantee none of us will be able to flex it. Wall thickness is the materials ability to resist denting, so go with the largest OD you find aesthetically acceptable.
 
Westbrook is the place I was thinking of. On the hang glider, I had to sell it. My wife was highly pissed when she saw me running and jumping off of the roof of one of the barns. fun stuff. BUT, IIRC my buddy still has his.....

hmmmm
 
Alamo iron works is the only one I looked into since it is close to school and i have to pick up some expanded metal for UIW greenhouse as well. Where is West Brook? Are their rates better?
 
As long as we use some crudely fashioned device for the purpose of launching a human into the air using a Toyota product. Those are my requirements.
 
Once I get my bender up mine will be out of .120 wall 1.5 tube ... Got a 180 deg die to made light cage :D. Also thinking about fender bars.

Sent from outer space via my mind
 
Also I have a pipe crusher if thats what your gettin you can use mine... But the HF bender doesn't go part 45 with out smashing the tube alot

Sent from outer space via my mind
 
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