1/4"OD malleable steel tube/Bundy tube for bushings

[Ian Law]

To finish off the fabricated steel turnbuckle parts for my project, I need a short length of 1/4"OD steel brake pipe/tube, to use as bushing material for the cable shackles.

The tube is cut into short lengths, inserted into 1/4" holes at the cable end of the fittings and then formed into shape using some simple home made tooling. The steel has, therefore, to be reasonable malleable and 1/4"OD steel brake piping is quoted in my drawings.

I understand Bundy tube/brake pipe is formed from copper coated steel wrapped through 720 degrees to form a tube, which is then welded along the seam & finally copper/terne coated. This stuff might work, since it is not too hard and so should be easy to flare/form.

I only need a couple of feet of the stuff at most and wonder if anyone might know where I could buy this in short lengths. (I can buy it locally, but would have to take a large, wasteful & expensive coil.)

Stainless would be too hard for me to flare/form.

Ian Law

[Ian Melville]

I think brake pipe is 3/16" and you should be able to get short lengths from any motor factor. Ask one to see if they do other sizes. They may have off-cuts from pipes they have made for customers.

[Bill McCarthy]

An MOT testing station should have plenty as brake pipe tubing is a regular replacement item during inspections.

[Ian Law]

Ian & Bill,

Many thanks and I will give that a try.

Ian

[Ian Law]

Bought a 1ft section from my local garage 300 yards down the road, for £1.

Thanks for the suggestion & the encouragement to do a bit of scrounging.

Ian

[Ian Melville]

A bargin in aviation terms

Was it 1/4"?

[Ian Law]

Yep! Exactly what I was looking for.

Ian