Aluminum Tubing

[Jim Oaks]

Where can I find some aluminum tubing? My wife and I saw some wind chimes made out of different lengths of aluminum tubes. Probably 2-inches in diameter and 1/8-inch wall. Any idea where I would find aluminum tubing like that?

 

[littleme13]

i know they are not that big but, old folding lawn chairs are made of aluminium and could be cut up. otherwise try any metal supplier they should have it.

 

[JohnnyU]

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=946&step=2&top_cat=60

Yowsa! The 2"x.120 is $37.78/ft!

 

[dusto2]

i would go to your local metal supplie and look through the rems, thats how i get alot of my metal for makin stuff, very rare do i have to buy new stuff that isnt left over

 

[Sunk]

Check metal recycling places. A friend of mine picked up a bunch of steel for $.19/lb a few weeks ago.

 

[naford]

Tv antenna mast is about 2 inch in diameter and should be light enough.

 

[Will]

Buy some windchimes. They come with the tubing in them already. I have some I'll be happy to mail to you, though they aren't 2". The things drive me crazy so I sabotaged the clapper and ten years later, my wife still hasn't noticed.

 

[Mark_88]

Buy some windchimes. They come with the tubing in them already. I have some I'll be happy to mail to you, though they aren't 2". The things drive me crazy so I sabotaged the clapper and ten years later, my wife still hasn't noticed.

That's how I feel...although some of them can be soothing...some are plain annoying...

 

[Cheaplabor]

Suppliers will be a little pricey, if you know the guys at the local scrap yard and let them know what your looking for they may be able to save some for you. Also try local Machine shops they may have something laying around they will give you cheap, or maybe get better price from their suppiers if they really know you.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Buy some windchimes. They come with the tubing in them already. I have some I'll be happy to mail to you, though they aren't 2". The things drive me crazy so I sabotaged the clapper and ten years later, my wife still hasn't noticed.

The windchimes we found and liked were $300+

 

[triumphrider-1]

I would try the metal salvage.scrap yards in your area, they may have exactly what your looking for at a fraction of the cost of new pipe.

My dad made one for my sister a couple years back and he used 1 1/2" copper tubing from the local hardware store. It has a nice low tone to it when it chimes, not the normal clang/cling like the little ones from the local stores.

 

[Psychopete]

I found some 4' x 1.5" OD x 3/16" aluminum tubing to build my drum set rack out of from Ebay. With a little mother's polish, it's polishes right up. I bought a total of 9 pieces of it at the time, can't remember how much it cost, but I remember it not being all that cheap. I think I have 3 4' pieces left over, bought extra in the event of a break. Ended up being stronger than a typical Gibraltar drum rack per se, I was really suprised.

There is also likely some sort of metal place in your area, we have a place called the metal supermarket that will get/cut you whatever you need.

Hardware stores also usually sell thin tubed aluminum tube as well. Maybe a Tractor Supply might have something?

Pete

 

[therieldeal]

i do recall seeing aluminum tubing in various sizes/shapes at my local tractor supply

 

[Jim Oaks]

I would try the metal salvage.scrap yards in your area, they may have exactly what your looking for at a fraction of the cost of new pipe.

My dad made one for my sister a couple years back and he used 1 1/2" copper tubing from the local hardware store. It has a nice low tone to it when it chimes, not the normal clang/cling like the little ones from the local stores.

These aluminum chime we saw were big and had a nice low tone that seemed to echo forever. No clanging sounds. The tubes even had a textured (powdercoat?) finish to them to make them available in different colors.

 

[Will]

You need to tune them so they will play a chord. A guitar tuner picks them up well. Figure out your favorite chord and get the tubing cutter ready. Then they will play music when the neighbor kid shoots at them with his BB gun.