Buying Steel Tubes: Important Factors to Consider

Structural steel pipes are used in a lot of on-roach fabrications because of their high strength against their weight. However, purchasing new steel tubing and pipes can be a costly and daunting experience, particularly if it is your first time. Because of this, you may want to buy used dredged pipes to save money. Once you start fabricating you will look for various parts of metal and steel and visit a local metal distributor. But you should know what steel grade you might need for your project. Also, you should explore options for Stealth Pipe and Steel metal tubing to find the most suitable product. Read on to learn more about the factors you must consider when buying steel tubes.

Steel Tubing vs Steel Pipes

Solid steel bars are hefty and strong; however, they are difficult to handle. When steel plates are turned not hollow pipes, they become stronger for bending and torsion. Such a process is called tubing. Meanwhile, pipes are used for storing liquids and gases, so they are not as strong as tubes. Tubes and pipes differ in the way they are made and their chemical compositions. Steel tubes are measured by external diameter and walls while pipes are measured by the internal diameter. If you want to make cross pipes, straight pipes, or conical pipes, consider used dredge pipes.

Kinds of Tubes

Forming a tube can be done in several ways. Flat steel ribbon coils are formed into tubes. Used dredge pipes are made into hot rolled steel, cold drawn steel, or drawn over a mandrel.

• Cold drawn seamless tubing. This steel tube is made from SAE 1018 for a great surface finish. SAE 1026 provides the tube with a scaly finish.
• Drawn over mandrel tubing. A steel tube can be made by putting an electrically welded tube over a mandrel. After removing the stress, the steel goes through homogenization and welding.
• Electric resistance welded tubing. This tube is created from a steel strip that has the correct gauge to achieve the desired wall thickness. This can be cold-rolled or hot-rolled steel.

Tube Shape

Round steel tubes can be manufactured from the parts of dredge pipes. They are available in fractional sizes and any tube pipe can be custom ordered. To create square rectangle tubes, the metal is first fabricated in a round shape. Then, it is rolled to its form.

If you want to save money on steel tubes or steel pipes, consider checking out options from a reputable supplier. The right supplier sells high-quality new and used tubes and pipes at affordable rates.