Need 300mm internal diameter tube for 10" DIY Newtonian

dragoncai2008 · Post by **dragoncai2008** » Thu May 06, 2010 2:58 pm

Hi Buddies,

I am planning to DIY 254/1250 f5 newtonian telescope. I need to solve the tube!
sepc: internal diameter 280-300mm, length:1270mm.

anyone who knows the place to get such aluminium/alloy tube, pls leave your helpful information.

thank you.

Post by **Airconvent** » Thu May 06, 2010 9:59 pm

I presume size is the issue. There are these stores selling steel pipes of all shapes and sizes. Have never seen on that big though but still worth a try. There is one at the cluster of shops at the junction of Yio Chu Kang and AMK Avenue 3 along AMK Ave 3. You can try there.

kayheem · Post by **kayheem** » Thu May 06, 2010 11:02 pm

You can also use sonotubes found here:

http://www.sonoco.com/sonoco/Products/Concrete_forms/

They are located near Pandan Reservoir area and they sell to end users.

Kay Heem

10,000rpm · Post by **10,000rpm** » Thu May 06, 2010 11:23 pm

The man has spoken!

orly_andico · Post by **orly_andico** » Fri May 07, 2010 1:13 am

kayheem,
they sell to end users? the lady at sonoco told me they will only sell a minimum of 50meters!

kayheem · Post by **kayheem** » Fri May 07, 2010 8:16 am

Hmmm.... at least they did sell to end users the last time I went down.

You can use their drums and secure them end-to-end.

Your other options are to use PVC tubes. They may not be 100% straight, but I suppose they may be good enough. But, boy, they are heavy. Why not consider a truss design? Are you using it on a GEM?

orly_andico · Post by **orly_andico** » Fri May 07, 2010 8:55 am

I'm currently in the middle of a truss build :-P

Precisely because I cannot get tubes. I made a mistake and built everything oversize, a 14" mirror would probably fit (my mirror is 10"). All I'm missing is the trusses themselves (have the mirror box, rocker box, and UTA already built). Already did first light last week (using broom handles duct-taped as trusses!) [smilie=embarrassed2.gif]

10,000rpm · Post by **10,000rpm** » Fri May 07, 2010 9:10 am

Haven't u gone to Teck Leong Alu?

kochu · Post by **kochu** » Fri May 07, 2010 9:42 am

Hi
Another practical way is to buy aluminium sheet and get the help of pipe fabricating workshops to bend it to the desired dia and join the butt by rivetting, or , still better by aluninium tack welding.
Kochu/7-5-10

10,000rpm · Post by **10,000rpm** » Fri May 07, 2010 9:46 am

That's how the commercial Newtonian tubes are made... well at least for my Celestron and Orion ones.