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Verneke t1_j37puzj wrote

If it can be done safely... could you secure the tube around a sacrificial, longer core (i.e. maybe pressure fit a wooden dowel) and clamp that in the saw to then cut the tube?

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Greg_Esres OP t1_j37qydn wrote

The ID is 2.5", so a dowel would be too small. I left out the ID, because I didn't think relevant, but suddenly it is. :-)

But, yeah, I was trying to think of some way to make it effectively longer. Didn't think of something on the inside. Might be able to insert a 2x4 or something.

​

(McMaster-Carr does have a SS tube with thin walls I could buy that might work, but 1 ft length is about $100. And I might be only able to use half of it, because of clamping length requirements.)

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LearningIsTheBest t1_j3836ct wrote

Doesn't have to be a dowel. You can put a square peg in a round hole lol. Just size it so the square peg hits all 4 corners a little bit. When you tap it in with a hammer the corners shave off and you have a tight fit.

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king-one-two t1_j37wxko wrote

Make a wooden plug that fits inside. Use a lathe if you have one, but hole saw, bandsaw, hand tools, whatever. Glue it to the end grain of 2x4, then you can just slip the tube over the plug and clamp the 2x4

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CmdrShepard831 t1_j3aiitg wrote

If OP had a lathe couldn't they just use that to cut the tube into pieces without anything extra?

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king-one-two t1_j3aqzhy wrote

If he had a metal lathe yes. Clearly he's not a metalworker. But it was still possible he had a wood lathe.

I guess you could cut stainless steel tube on a wood lathe, slowly, maybe? But you'd have to make that plug to hold it on the lathe anyway, at which point it's faster to take it out and use it as your clamping jig on the cutoff saw. Not to mention safer

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mr78rpm t1_j38pt94 wrote

I'm not sure this is well expressed, but try to imagine the steps and how it all fits together.

If gluing doesn't work, try this: smack in the middle of the length of the tube, drill two holes, one on each side of the tube, and run a screw into the wood through each hole. You'll then have a wood piece with SS material over it, with screws going through the SS ring into the wood. The screws keep the ring from rotating.

To cut, clamp the whole thing in a lathe. Turn the lathe and cut the far end of the ring so it has a perfect edge. Then move that tool/blade closer to the mounting screws and cut through the SS. That will give you your first ring. Move the blade one step closer to the mounting screws and make another cut: this will give you your second ring. Continue until you've run out of material.

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king-one-two t1_j39aqmj wrote

Well yeah if he has a metal lathe he could just do the whole job there... I'm assuming he doesn't because nobody who owns a metal lathe would ask this question.

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Scooter_127 t1_j38al0b wrote

>Glue it to the end grain of 2x4

Gluing to end grain never makes a solid joint.

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tilhow2reddit t1_j38t8fs wrote

Probably solid enough for OP's needs. I wouldn't do it on a chair I planned on sitting in, but for this it should work.

Honestly I'd just cut the end of a 2x4 to get a pressure fit from the ring, but anything big enough to hit the 2.5" ID of the ring should have enough surface area that even end grain to end grain you'd still have some decent hold.

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king-one-two t1_j39aet9 wrote

Good thing this is a sacrificial piece of wood that will get thrown out

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Scooter_127 t1_j39cpln wrote

Sacrificial or not, what good will it be when it breaks off while OP is cutting?

End grain joints are super, super weak.

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mdjubasak t1_j39mpvm wrote

I would never do this in furniture, but there is evidence that an end grain joint is not as weak as it traditional joinery topology has made it out to be. Modern wood glues are a lot better than traditional hide glues and end grain joints can be surprisingly strong. Rob cosman on the subject: https://youtu.be/l_w_or3KhH4

For a temporary, practical use, I think you could get away with it.

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Scooter_127 t1_j3agqsi wrote

I am well aware how strong modern wood glues are but end grain joints are weaker than shit. I make money woodworking, I've seen enough "idiot customer requests" that I knew would have failed joints that this idiot woodworker thought, again, a warning that they would fail would mean the customer wouldn't come back at me as though it was my fault.

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king-one-two t1_j39mefl wrote

>End grain joints are super, super weak.

They really aren't. They're a little weaker than a side-grain glue joint. Maybe.

Get a couple chunks of 2x4, glue them end to end properly with wood glue and clamps, and I bet you $1000 you cannot break that joint. The wood will break first.

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Scooter_127 t1_j3ah25y wrote

Did Google tell you that? I bet it did.

Google should also tell you how easily end grain tears right the fuck out which is why you don't make end grain joints and don't put screws into end grain.

I see I'm up against the Googlers tonight. Y'all have a good weekend, I'm gonna go turn some maple bowls.

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king-one-two t1_j3apyfu wrote

Screws and nails into end grain, never. That is super weak.

Glue into end grain... not recommended by master carpenters I guess but for holding a jig together it's fine. Especially if it's a short fat piece of wood like a chunk of 2x4. I've done it before, and when the glue cures, it's near enough unbreakable. It's not "super super weak" like you were saying... you're thinking of screws into end grain.

I hadn't bothered googling it, was just talking from experience, but since you rudely called me a googler I went ahead and found this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7HxBa9WVis It shows that you can break the end-grain glue up at the glue joint, BUT it takes more force to break the glue joint than it does to break the wood on a side-glued joint. So I was partially wrong, the glue will break before the wood if you glue end grain to end, but it is still super strong.

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Few_Ad_5677 t1_j3bsm34 wrote

Don’t bother with mcmastercarr— waste of money for a hobbyist.

They charge a lot extra for materials because their business model revolves around supplying materials ASAP — overnight delivery to most industrially zoned addresses.

Residentialsndont get overnight delivery so you’re just paying a lot for something you can get anywhere else (McMaster carr makes 0 products)

Look into a metal supply in your area

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Gothmog_LordOBalrogs t1_j39lng7 wrote

I got you.. get some pack-n-fill packs and break a hole in each side. Put in a large garbage bag so they have room to extrude. Fill them within the tube outside the garbage bag. It makes a big rigid expanded foam used in delicate shipping. They expand massively!

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CloneEngineer t1_j39w3ry wrote

2" diameter PVC pipe gas a 2.375" OD and is cheap. Use something to take up the extra 1/16" each side.

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mountainman77777 t1_j39xkkf wrote

How thick of a wall do you need? Just get a foot long piece of straight stainless exhaust tubing from summit racing and make them from that.

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