Pipe frame?

[small_e_900]

Originally Posted by MotoJ

Is 1-5/8" ID A500b schedule 40 pipe (which is rated as structural, used for railings and such) OK to fab a sidecar frame from, or is that suicidal, and only 1-3/4" x .12 DOM tube should be used?

My guess is that what you're being offered is 1 5/8" OD Schedule 80 pipe, with .190" wall thickness.

That's what's used around here for making pipe railings.
I've got a bunch of it in the garage that I'm planning to use for a frame.

[Strong Bad]

Originally Posted by BeeMaa

Easy there Strong Bad.
You did the same as I would have done.
Nothing to get worked up about here.

Cheers.

Cheers BeeMaa!

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by M37cdn

Pipe...
One of my other hobbies is Four Wheeling my 1948 Willys Jeep......
My rollcage is made from 1 3/4 tubing ( .120 wall)
My Rock sliders (under the outside edges of the body are made from 1 1/2" PIPE ( the 1.9" outside diameter stuff)
the reason is I was tired of denting up my Sliders on every little 3 foot boulder that I drove over. .Pipe is waaaaay tougher than regular tubing, and as for anyone saying that it is brittle and will shatter...we are not talking about an Iron Plumbing stack from a 1920's house here...it's Steel Pipe...

To Summarize... I say use the pipe if it's regular A501... the only stuff to avoid is sprinkler tubing ( measures as pipe size but is thinner walled) ... this usually has the grooves for Victaulic fittings (heavy cast clamp around the pipe thingys)

Yup.

Pipe, rolled many times:




A good alternative to DOM if you're not worried about a sanctioning body or state inspection is HREW tubing, but for a side car frame I'd just use the pipe for $50.

[Strong Bad]

Plenty of pics of homebrew pipe fab projects:

Hey it was cheep so I'll use this stuff:



Sick Schedule 80 fab work (note: non Fab guys may not see the humor)



Home brewing:



Hey...it's built like a tank!



Don't forget the gussets!



Needs to work on notching skills:



Needs to work on welding skills:



Notching skills, but got to learn how to measure:



Sic Yo!



A classic home build:



So I had this pipe laying around:



Got any extra?? How about a roll cage in your truck?



Of course you could always use schedule 40 PVC:



Just getting warmed up!

[FlySniper]

Originally Posted by Strong Bad

Plenty of pics of homebrew pipe fab projects:

Hey it was cheep so I'll use this stuff:
....................
Just getting warmed up!

NO!... You're already giving me a headache, please stop now.




IIRC, isn't work hardening a problem with pipe? It's been a while since I studied up on it, but it seems I remember reading that pipe will harden and eventual fracture under repeated loading/vibration.

[GearHeadGrrrl]

Might be little or no more expensive than the junk you're considering.

[MotoJ]

Originally Posted by Strong Bad

Plenty of pics of homebrew pipe fab projects:

Hey it was cheep so I'll use this stuff:



Sick Schedule 80 fab work (note: non Fab guys may not see the humor)



Home brewing:



Hey...it's built like a tank!



Don't forget the gussets!



Needs to work on notching skills:



Needs to work on welding skills:



Notching skills, but got to learn how to measure:



Sic Yo!



A classic home build:



So I had this pipe laying around:



Got any extra?? How about a roll cage in your truck?



Of course you could always use schedule 40 PVC:



Just getting warmed up!

Nice! From your own portfolio?

[Strong Bad]

Originally Posted by MotoJ

Nice! From your own portfolio?

Not a portfolio just a collection of pic of crappy fab work. I look forward to adding your pics!

[jaydmc]

One reason to use tubing is that you can slide tube into tube for adjustable mounts. We use 1 3/4 .120 wall tube as you can slide 1 1/2 inch tubing into it. For some of our mounts we use 3/4 scedule 40 pipe instead of one inch tubing as it is .50 of an inch larger and as such a bit stronger. We have also found that even with the proper dies for the bender the 3/4 inch pipe bends nicer then one inch tubing.
One reason I can see that some one might want to use pipe rather then tubing is that inexpensive benders such as those sold by Harbor freight come with pipe dies and not tubing dies. As long as you design the frame for the tubing or pipe you are using I see no problem running pipe rather then tubing but you must design for the material you are using. For 4 X 4 and such one reason there may be debate is regulations for entering events may state what roll bars and the like must be made from a specific tubing. I know that when I use to build rally cars the SCCA required us to use specific tubing sizes to pass tecinical inspection on the roll cages.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793

[MotoJ]

Originally Posted by jaydmc

One reason to use tubing is that you can slide tube into tube for adjustable mounts. We use 1 3/4 .120 wall tube as you can slide 1 1/2 inch tubing into it. For some of our mounts we use 3/4 scedule 40 pipe instead of one inch tubing as it is .50 of an inch larger and as such a bit stronger. We have also found that even with the proper dies for the bender the 3/4 inch pipe bends nicer then one inch tubing.
One reason I can see that some one might want to use pipe rather then tubing is that inexpensive benders such as those sold by Harbor freight come with pipe dies and not tubing dies. As long as you design the frame for the tubing or pipe you are using I see no problem running pipe rather then tubing but you must design for the material you are using. For 4 X 4 and such one reason there may be debate is regulations for entering events may state what roll bars and the like must be made from a specific tubing. I know that when I use to build rally cars the SCCA required us to use specific tubing sizes to pass tecinical inspection on the roll cages.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793

I'll take that as the last word! Thanks Jay. Unfortunately it's all academic, as that batch got snatched up by someone else. More will come available hopefully.

[steelsmith]

Please don't use pipe for structural fabrication. Pipe 'in general terms' is used for materials transfer, either gas or liquid. It is manufactured for bursting strength, not compression/tension loads like tubing. The metalurgy is vastly different between the two. That is why the governing bodies for all competitive racing specify tubing!

[FR700]

Originally Posted by steelsmith

Please don't use pipe for structural fabrication. Pipe 'in general terms' is used for materials transfer, either gas or liquid. It is manufactured for bursting strength, not compression/tension loads like tubing. The metalurgy is vastly different between the two. That is why the governing bodies for all competitive racing specify tubing!

... like sand through the hour glass , here we go again

[zipper421]

i only have one thing to add
how much is your life worth
1 inch dom 120 wall 2.95 per foot
1 1/4 dom 120 wall 3.50 per foot
1 1/2 dom 120 wall 3.95 per foot
each piece slides into the next

when im riding down the road and i look over at my wife i am responsable for her life, i will use the best material i can buy
i cant replace her

just my 2 cents

[FR700]

Originally Posted by zipper421

i only have one thing to add
how much is your life worth
1 inch dom 120 wall 2.95 per foot
1 1/4 dom 120 wall 3.50 per foot
1 1/2 dom 120 wall 3.95 per foot
each piece slides into the next

Junk yards are full of cars that are 'safer' and people are still dead when they hit shit ... where do you want to draw the line ... the D9 Cat I posted.

... and that would be more than " one thing to add " , just saying

Originally Posted by zipper421

when im riding down the road and i look over at my wife i am responsable for her life, i will use the best material i can buy
i cant replace her

just my 2 cents

Granted it's hard to lose your wife ... trust me I've tried ... she always finds her way back.



.

[RVDan]

I used HREW for my cage, because I got it for a good deal. I don't think I'd use pipe, too damn heavy.

For a sidecar frame, who cares. You can use square tube and angle iron so why would pipe be a problem.