Question on tubing

LowRider CNC Advice
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I will start with apologizing as I’m either on the verge of “stirring the pot” or “beating a dead horse”.

Years ago, I built a MPCNC (Burly), for experimentation, and because of my personal issues, was never impressed with the EMT I purchased. The MPCNC itself, I loved. However when I looked at other options I didn’t like the price.

I’m about to build a LR3, and I’m going to be catering to my OCD, and in my mind, this is either going to look like something that came out of a factory, or the laughing stock of the community. I’m afraid there’s not going to be a in between, and I’m hoping my OCD won’t stop it from producing chips.

With said said, I was investigating again, options for DOM. Found something that I didn’t think about years ago. Is SS, but cheaper than most sources. (And yet, you would think it would be more because of its primary purpose). Wall thickness seems right, for the gantry. Can be splined for the rail if desired. And yet, I don’t seem to recall any references in the past about this as a good or bad option, or failing after being tried.

Mirror finish stainless steel tubing, used for boat railings and Bimini tops.

Any obvious reasons I’m missing or not remembering after lurking in the shadows for years?

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My biggest concern would be that the mirror buff finish they get is from some sort of chrome finish applied to the SS tubing. I couldn’t find anything on their website that indicates that it’s anything other than highly polished SS, but I would imagine that sort of finish would be a premium finish.

I say this from the hazy memories of flaking chrome from stanchions and other fittings on many sailboats I’ve been on in my life. And you’ll ruin that finish in a heartbeat, anyway. Any applied finish will be destroyed very quickly.

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I use stainless steel similar like this (was mainly advertised for railings of stairs). It was just polished ss but as stated the polish goes away quickly when using; plus the bearings leave a mark where they roll over the tube.

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Thickness is about right. You can resolve whether it’s coated with an email or call I guess.
My suggestion is always to have a look around for a metal supply store. Call a local welding shop if you can’t find one.

I don’t have one in my city, but I’m only an hour from phoenix and I drive up there about once a month. Several shops there, and the closest one has remnants on a shelf. I got all my 1in tube for every mpcnc/lr i built that way, 1.89/lb for dom, 99cents/lb for mild steel. My 2x2 burly set me back 20 bucks or so.

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Now there’s a man after my own heart! I no longer feel alone. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

I’ve used this very successfully on lots of things including my LR2 and it will be repurposed on my LR3. (I’ve used it on boats too but that’s by the by…)

I’ve not come across “plated” stainless steel, nor any coated product and the durability of the stuff I use (polished 304 is outstanding)

I’m looking forward to seeing your shiny build!

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Thanks to those that offered input/advice.

I will add that Ryan, well this is all kinda his fault.
When I started with the MPCNC, I didn’t have a 3D printer. I wasn’t impressed with the people around me and what they were producing with their printers. I ordered everything from Ryan. I had no intention of getting into 3D printing.

When it arrived (Black and Grey), I was so impressed with Ryan’s parts, I started thinking about getting a printer, but was also getting annoyed by my hobbies spinning off a tangent “hobbies”. Then when I went after the assembly instructions, all of a sudden there it was, a beautiful MPCNC, on an old Milwaukee rolling cart, with a red and grey controller box. So E-mail to Ryan to find out what it would cost to get the controller box (sadly I don’t think the price was going to matter). In kind he responded, and informed me of my options, unfortunately purchasing was not one of them.

So I asked what type of filament he used, as I needed it to match (at the time it was inland). I purchased some, and gave it to a co-worker with the STL, and days later found out that not everyone has Ryan’s skills (or maybe his printers, or combination of the two).

So, now I bought a printer, and learned to print, and printed a controller box, better than the co-workers attempt. But my build just never seemed to be as beautiful as Ryan’s. It didn’t seem fair to copy his color scheme as in my mind those are the motherships, and it seemed like a sin to copy him.

A lot has changed, the lowrider now is more than just the needle cutter it used to be, or what in my circles at the time it was being used primarily for.

And now I have an idea for a color scheme, that I don’t think I’ve seen done yet. Here’s to crossing fingers, and hoping this goes smoothly for what is sort of experiment #2 for me, that not only looks somewhat unique, but I’m hoping is as functional as well.

Thanks to everyone’s advice and this community for helping everyone. Ryan, special thanks to both you and David, for indirectly getting me into 3D printing.

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I had different ideas for colour schemes as well. The Primo was based around the base colours, but also included white and was called Schneewittchen (Snow White)(MPCNC Primo Schneewittchen - Oldenburg, Germany).
The LowRider 3 is now called Der Froschkönig, it’s even got a crown (Der Froschkönig - Lowrider 3 in Oldenburg, Germany). It was close to becoming the huntsman or Blue Steel, but the green/gold with a little black I really like.

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I hope you are going to keep us in the loop as you progress! (No-one’s done a fully chromer plated version yet - just saying :smiley: )

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Yes, I’m planning on starting build thread, probably on Wednesday. @vicious1 ’s kit from California via USPS is somehow beating the tubes from Indiana via UPS, by a full day (both were ordered on Friday). Don’t know how that’s possible other than showing how awesome V1 Engineering is. (Destination is Tennessee)

I’m hoping it ends up looking as good as it looks in my mind. Was lightly torn today, on which color I wanted to make the core, but a decision was made today. I can always change it later. It will be a rather slow build to finish. Partially because I’m waiting to measure the tubing when it gets here, to make sure it’s going to work before I start printing. I’m totally stealing @Jonathjon ’s rather new concept of the full aluminum strut plates as the final step, but will need the LR to make them. I’m starting with the MDF YZ plates, but he also has me thinking of other options after seeing his clear acrylic plates.

It’s definitely not going to be fast build. And as others have stated already, will take some time (although could be a short time) to see what the longevity of the mirror finish is going to be.

Though the photos of the build itself should look shiny, once chips start flying, well that mirror finish is going to be the biggest variable of the experiment. Small downside is, everyone here is sooo supportive, I think it’s going to take trolls from a social media platform to tell me it looks like poo, if that actually is the case. And I’m not on the socials. :blush:

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whoa, 1" is 29 bucks for a 4 foot lenghth! Makes EMT look very attractive. Why did you not like emt?

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Not at all - give it a polish with ordinary car wax (or metal polish if you must) and the dust will barely stick.

Because shiny… This is the way!

Seriously, it’s really such a small percentage of the build cost that it’s not worth not doing IMHO.

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I think it might have been more of a personal preference thing, but the EMT I purchased at my big box store, the galvanized coating was far from even coated, and the weld seam was also slightly a challenge for me as well. (There was even a drip marks, on mine) I even went back to that BBS, and a different one to see if my local sources just had a crappy source for EMT, instead of me getting a bad tube or two out of a bundle.

It wasn’t as big of an issue for me until I got my first 3D printer weeks later. I found myself looking at the smooth SS rods, that I ended up putting greaseless IGUS bearings on. And I’ve always wished I could afford SS for the MPCNC.

The only reason it took me this long, is from my searches, stainless steel DOM, without a seam is normally twice this price, I couldn’t justify my desire for “pretty” at that price. I’ve been around boats all my life, to the point I’m almost ashamed I didn’t think of this possibility earlier. However I also remember the chrome coming off brass fittings as well. Also remember them being pitted and corroded on neglected boats, especially those around salt water. I didn’t know there was a chance the tubes were SS. For the “pretty” factor, I can justify this price.

For the record, I’m not trying to convince anyone else that this is the route everyone should take, as much as I was trying to error check myself this wouldn’t be an obvious mistake. (Other than the increased price which I fully understand is a turnoff for some)

To me, it’s along the same lines as to why not everyone uses aluminum or acrylic for flat parts. MDF and hardboard can be finished, and looks and works great vs the cost. Others have demons, deep rooted, and need just that little extra, even though it increases the cost for us.

I’m pretty confident, this is only going to bring “bling” to my machine. And the bling, well it might not last long. It’s just something I have to do, because of the demons inside. It will get rid of the seam, but there are cheaper ways to make that go away as well.

This is mainly my own demons, and yes, I know who the others like me are, we easily see it in the others that have the similar issue.

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EMT seems to be a local commodity thing. Both big box stores here in CO have the same brand. But it is different from some other areas when I checked.

They all have specs. I am sure EMT is focused on being good conduit and also being easy to work with (including bending).

The 25.4mm OD materials have a slight strength advantage. The EMT is measured by inner diameter, so 3/4" is actually 23.5mm OD.

Ryan and the community support both sizes, and 25mm available outside of North America because enough people want all sizes.

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Ahh yes, those demons of which you speak must be attracted by salt water.

I don’t want to make this a big thing, but for me stainless tubing was a no brainer - I actually went looking for it and bought the best quality I could find. Even the plated tubes on my Makita compound mitre saw, which is kept under a cover indoors, and regularly waxed and lubricated, rust in few weeks of no use, and I regularly have to give them a rub with a scotchbrite pad to slow down the pitting.

Yachting stainless is a usually of a high quality, consistent diameter and if kept shiny will stay that way.

It’s not as though the money doesn’t matter, but the nature of the way I use my machines is that they lie dormant for very long periods of time and then go through a short time of intense use. Anything I can do to make them ready for use is worth doing - ease of cleaning and service are very high on that list.

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That just sounds to me like the difference between being cheap and being frugal. Being cheap is spending the minimum amount regardless of consequences. Being frugal is spending appropriately for the situation. If SS rods are likely to improve the overall experience of owning/using the machine then they may be the frugal choice, despite costing a little more.

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Im using food grade 304 ss tube and it cost me about $140 for 6mtr it is seamless but not a polished finish

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That is New Zealand dollars

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So I ordered a test tube, it arrived Tuesday. I hope when it comes to be picture time, that it shows on the photos.

I can not say enough, how pleased I am, on my silly decision to go “overboard” on this one (see what I did there?).

All I can say is shiny, Either way, ordered the remaining tubes needed, for now. Ordered enough for the rail, on the off chance I go full sheet at some point in the future. Ordered up the screws, bolts, nuts, etc. Again, (think I’m finding a name or theme) even though I already have bearings, stumbled across SS 608’s and ordered those as well, so….

Time to get the laptop at a desk, find a picture, assign that to my profile, and start the build thread.

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Looking forward to see your build thread!