Type and size of pipes

[ruders]

Greetings.

I'm a beginner bike builder. I live in Belarus. We have a big problem with the choice of pipes for the manufacture of frames.

I think the best pipe is 6061 or 4130. At the local market, I can buy 6060/6063 or ordinary water pipe only.

What pipes do you use in USA? And what sizes?

thank you
Alex

 

[deven_science]

I use thin wall steel tubing. 16GA/.065" thickness is fine, if you can find it.

 

[ruders]

I use thin wall steel tubing. 16GA/.065" thickness is fine, if you can find it.

Thank you for answer. and what type of steel?

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Plain everyday mild steel is the best place to begin at, and as Deven said 16 gauge or 1.6mm wall is the stuff I use. I have even used square tube to great results.
Don't forget you can use pieces cut from other STEEL bike frames as well, provided they are long enough and your welding is good enough, as they tend to run a bit thinner wall sections, so far easier to burn through. (The 6061 etc, you mentioned earlier is actually aluminium, it cannot be joined to steel and is not the place to start out building frames.) :wink:

Luke.