flatten ends of tube - but no torch

--Maybe acetylene-air will do it? Fun rig to have around, too..

Cheapest is a nice bed of coals from a camp fire.

Or a charcoal or gas grill

A bag of charcoal and a shopvac. Make a pile of rocks or bricks to contain the charcoal, stick the hose to the shopvac in the blower position, and point it at the charcoal through a gap in the bricks. If you need to turn down the heat, point it off center. You could probably use a grille, but I'd be worried about burning it out from the extra heat.

If you want to use propane, look up "reil burner". This is a naturally aspirated propane burner. Also, consider just getting some firebrick and stacking it up. A regular propane torch or weed burner may be enough if you contain the heat rather than try to heat in the open air.

--Glenn Lyford

What everyone else is saying will work, but beware the zinc fumes from the galvanization. It'll getcha. Large volumes of air moving past you while wearing a respirator outside.

Scaffolding cross braces don't cost much new from the normal manufacturer. For the measly cost of 8 cross braces (32 ends) and the potential savings of what, $20? I'd stick to OEM and their product liability insurance given the application.

Or maybe not. Try it cold first. Even if it does crack, the crack would not affect the final strength, much. Bob

I flattened the ends of some aluminium tubing once that cracked. So I cut some small flat pieces to insert in the ends. Then flattened. No more cracks.