Stainless seamless tube

Hello all,

I'm in the market for some 316(L) seamless stainless tube (ie hydraulic tube). Specifically I'm after metric, 10mm OD x 2mm wall. There are an awful lot of steel stockists in the UK, and I'm trying to find the most reasonable price as I need about 25 metres of the stuff.

Can anyone point me in a right ish direction?

Carl.

PS best I've so far found is Nero, about £20.50/metre. There must be better, surely?

I wanted 3/16" stainless tube a few years back, when I first asked the only way I could get it immediately was to order in a box full(total 5000 ft), but fortunately someone else got some in, I only wanted 3 ft. No help to you , sorry Carl. You could try a boat builder, they use a lot of 316, don't know about 10 mm stuff though.

Ian S C

No connection at all but try Metal Supermarket you may be lucky.

Brian

When I was after some "slices" of steel tube, to make the tyres for my Castle, Steel Express:-

http://www.steelexpress.co.uk/non-ferrous/stainlesssteel-seamlesstube.html

came out the cheapest (link should take you directly to the stainless section).

Nick..

Edited By Nick Hughes on 05/07/2015 16:21:44

I have bought 6metre lengths of seamless 316 and 321 from **LINK** it was some years ago.

The names of suppliers keep changing with time there was Tube-sales, Fine tubes and the above the last lot I bought was a clearance sale so no idea of cost now.

Paul

I nearly bought some from here:

**LINK**

In the end I bought a second hand tripod for less than half the price of 3M of tube. Even a new tripod would have been cheaper!

Neil

I use these people for none ferrous as they are local. They don't show what you want as stock but it might be worth asking. Good / bad prices? No idea as I usually want cut to size and can just go and get what I want.

**LINK**

Also these people

http://www.rapidmetals.co.uk/

John

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Edited By John W1 on 05/07/2015 23:34:48

I found RS Components Ltd Birchington Rd Northants NN17 9RS UK, they sell in 2 m lengths, and it's expensive, 1 will cost 77.11 pounds, 10 is 64 . 77 ea. Grade 316L.

Ian S C

Gents,

Many thanks for all the replies and the suggestions. Steel Express got back to me today. They do 6m lengths and it is £10.60 a metre. This is the best price I've found so far for 316L in the size I want. I knew that it would be expensive, just a case of trying to get the best deal.

It has to be 316L as I am going to weld it.

Thanks again for all your help,

Carl.

I think you will find most of the 300 series stainless steels can be welded so you are not restricted to 316

Bob

Hello Bob,

What you say is correct however there are a number of provisos to welding 300 series stainless steels.

-316 is susceptible to carbide precipitation when welded, not so 316L

-The application involves high temperatures, and as above carbide precipitation can be a problem here, not so 316L

-Full corrosion resistance can only be achieved in 316 after post weld annealling, not so 316L

The application involves high temperatures in the presence of strong oxidisers and is welded. Ergo 316L.

316L is a bit easier to machine (well, ok, not much...)

Carl.

Not sure what ^^^ has to do with 316L Stainless !!!

However, try Paul at millstainless.co.uk in Wisbech. I used to use steelexpress, but delivery got excessive, so changed to these guys. Just a satisfied customer.

TW metals in Southampton.

Minimum order £80 so be careful on the quantity that you need. They dont tell you if it is cheaper per mt. They just charge up to the amount.

Brian

Have you tried Stainless Metric Stock Lancashire. you can use grade 304 or 321 or 410 all are weldable dependent on your requirements

Has anyone sat down and thought about how "seamless tube" is made?

So called seamless tube isn't seamless at all when it is drawn.

Yes thanks.

Andrew

Edited By Andrew Johnston on 27/04/2016 08:49:24

.

John,

A chap called Ray Miller seems to have thought aout it, when he wrote this article:

**LINK**

MichaelG.

.

Edit: Here, for the pool of knowledge, is the Mannesmann patent.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 27/04/2016 09:53:57

To make a tube first you have to make a hole. Easy if you are making it from strip, just weld to two edges together. More difficult if the tube is seamless. The methods described in the links from Michael Gilligan's posting are typical methods of starting seamless tube. During my time at Corby we did not commercially produce stainless steel tube but experimentally we tried. The method was completely unconventional, never patented and details never made public. It was not a success but I am sure it will be, one day, for tube made from exotic metals.

Although the API, and thus the whole oil industry, insisted on seamless tube for oil well casing and drill stems it was not really superior to high quality welded tube such as boiler tube. A main difference between the two types, other than the weld, is the wall thickness for welded tube is consistent. In other words the bore of a seamless tube wanders

JA