LR4 Steel pipes, what are the priorities when choosing

LowRider CNC Advice
1

I looked through quite a few topics to avoid duplicating a topic that was already discussed, but I haven’t found one similar.

The question is how to prioritize pipe options when there is more than one available. I’ll have to use stainless pipes. They are sold by weight, so lower weight means lower cost. The material quality options are 304, 304L, and 316. The dimensions I am aware of are 30x1.5mm (1.07Kg/m), 30x2mm (1.4Kg/m), 30x3mm (2.03Kg/m), 32x1.5mm (1.15Kg/m). Only 30x1.5mm and 30x2mm are available as SS316. 304 should be much cheaper than 316. 304 is about 6EUR/Kg. For 316 I still do not have any price.

The question is how to prioritize available options. Should I go for the biggest diameter with 32x1.5; or go with the heaviest to keep the x axis pressed down with 30x3mm; or with the lightest with a thickness above 1.5mm, which is 30x1.5mm?

If heavier/thicker gives a benefit, I would go with it, but if there is no added benefit, I would go with the cheapest/lightest that complies with design guidelines with a thickness of above 1.3mm. Essentially, 30x1.5 and 32x1.5 will be similarly priced, 30x3 will be almost double in price, and 30x2mm will be somewhere in between.

2

Why’s that? I did do that for the Primo and LR3, I now bought DOM for the 4 and am much more happy.

Besides that: 32mm. :slightly_smiling_face:

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3

In my country, DOM is available only commercially on preorder (in higher quantities). Inox is much more available in many dimensions for many small industrial applications and other projects, and can be easily bought for 6 EUR/Kg in quantities of one whole pipe (which is mostly 6m, but for some more often used dimensions is 3m is also available).

SS304 32x1.5mm, for example, costs about 7 EUR/m.

4

32x1.5 will likely be the best option. The larger diameter adds more to the ridgitity then wall thickness will do.

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5

Jabimetal.at sells “Präzisionsstahlrohr”, that’s what I use. It’s DOM as far as I know. :slightly_smiling_face:

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6

Thank you, but since I am outside the EU (Serbia), it does not help.

I am generally happy with 42eur/6m, it could have been worse. The only caveat is that a company has to buy it, so I have to find someone to buy it for me and then sell it to me with minimal profit margins.

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