BRich asked:
I've heard this reply before and I am puzzled by it. You, the seller, are buying the tubing from a vendor cut to length. A length you specify. Why can't you specify a longer length for a batch of tubes?
The "popular" length is the standard coupler length. In our case two lengths. Typically 3 and 6 inches or 2 and 4 inches. By adding a third size (length) the mill charges a new set-up charge, but more to the point, longer tubes have higher minimum shipping cost. So long couplers have very low demand AND about double the cost to the manufacturer. Not necessarily a deal breaker but if I were to go into the long coupler business I would start-up with a proposed customer list so I could recoup my costs as quickly as practical. I look for 2 year break evens and smaller vendors look for break evens measured in weeks or months so it is even less likely a small vendor would do it.
Wanner start a long coupler customer list grouped by tube diameter? I will be glad to order them and have them added to my next shipment.
Is is a minimum order per cut length? I would like it if the carried coupler tubes in longer lengths especially 36" or 48" to use as mandrills for Carbon fiber or fiberglass lay up tubes. True this would be a small market, but it would be a market. Bill Richardson
Good plan on the mandrel. I use standard tubes as a mandrel, lay it up and have custom fiberglass cones made to the slightly thicker wall now.
Neither plan can use stock cones unless you remove the paper from the lay-up which I never do for insulation and fit of standard parts.
Jerry
Jerry & Mike thanks for the reply. That is what i thought as my friend and I have contacted tube makers and they had a $100.00 minimum order for any size. They really would not say how many tubes they would make per size, just that it would cost $100.00.
To make minimum dia 54 mm tubes I use 3 foot mailing tubes from McMaster- Carr. I then cover them with 3M packaging tape and coat them with release compound. When the fiberglass or Carbon fiber is cured I just soak the tube out in the bath tub. Thanks for the info. Bill Richardson