Thread: copper tube

Hi,
anyone know of a supplier of 6 inch diameter copper tube?
I need a length of 660 mm long 150 mm id 2.5 mm wall thickness
for making a copper boiler for a 5" gauge locomotive I'm about to start on,
I,m located near the Gold Coast
Leroy.

From memory, I think the model engineering guys roll some flat and then do a butt joint, reinforced with a strip. The easiest thing may be to talk to a local model engineering club as they could probably tell you what is normally done as well as advise about necessary boiler inspections/ certifications. I sat in on a club meeting about a year ago and boiler certification/ inspection is one thing they take really seriously as their insurance relies on it.

Michael

Hi, yes I know about rolling flat plate into tube and may finish up doing that in the end,
I,m building this with the help of members of QSMEE of which I,m a member,
I,m just starting to collect all the materials for the boiler and sometimes if your lucky
someone will have an offcut that is just what you need, can,t hurt to ask,
Leroy

we have this guy in Victoria George White | Australia's leading stockist & distributor of non-ferrous metals

Plumbers, plumbers suppliers, refrigeration suppliers. Some types of copper pipe are more suitable for boilers than others.

Sounds like a great project Leroy, hope you keep us informed with lots of pictures as the work unfolds. You would be familiar with Australian Model Engineering, the magazine, and its advertisers I presume, the only other possible source That I can think of is a plumbing business doing multi storey office or residential blocks, or perhaps firms like Chubb or Wormalds who do fire suppression systems for large buildings. I have worked in the past on a couple of such projects, and know of 100 mm copper mains, not sure if they had larger closer to the incoming main at the meter area. Also not sure of the wall thickness either of that large copper tube. A letter to the "Letter Box" section of the magazine mentioned above might flush out some material. Good luck, and don't forget the pics,
Rob

mechanical services plumbers/pipe fitters where they may have some on the shelf and would be willing to cut a bit off.
6" is to big for refrigeration.
I'm guessing you would have to buy a full length from a supplier like Reece or Tradelink.

Your best bet for a copper tube will be the local fire hydrant installers for buildings. I got some 40mm(small by their sizes) for a bar foot rail.
Next place I would look is the metal scrap merchants, great source of short bits of copper, brass etc.

Cheers Ian

Originally Posted by jackaroo

we have this guy in Victoria George White | Australia's leading stockist & distributor of non-ferrous metals

OK update so far George White can't help, still looking
leroy

What about the QSMEE members.
Surely one of them has built a loco before and at least they should know where to obtain the correct size tube.

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

What about the QSMEE members.
Surely one of them has built a loco before and at least they should know where to obtain the correct size tube.

yes,your right and that is my next step, as I said its early days and i,m in contact with some members who have built
these boilers, I,ll keep you informed,
leroy.

Originally Posted by canoworms

Your best bet for a copper tube will be the local fire hydrant installers for buildings. I got some 40mm(small by their sizes) for a bar foot rail.
Next place I would look is the metal scrap merchants, great source of short bits of copper, brass etc.

Cheers Ian

Is that stuff copper


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Originally Posted by azzrock

Is that stuff copper


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. all states should be the same.
All fire hydrant piping in western Oz is copper by law

Originally Posted by canoworms

. all states should be the same.
All fire hydrant piping in western Oz is copper by law

Hydrant? Right. I was thinking of internal fire sprinkler ect.


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In SA we go to Surman metals - Suman Metals: Copper

The copper page (linked) only goes up to 4" tube. It may be that 6" is special order territory and in that case you will probably be paying for a full length if it exists.

Michael

On edit - digging around some more there is copper tube available as 152.4x2.64 or 152.4x2.03 which is copper tube to AS1432 type A and B respectively. This from a publication by Kembla copper/ Crane copper. You may need to phone them and find out who they supply to and see if you can get an offcut. http://www.cranecopper.com.au/downlo..._Tube_2010.pdf