26 replies to this topic

[marble]

Its amazing how hard it is to buy bloody tubes if you don't live in the US

Heres a list of all the places that i have found

http://pyrosupplies.moonfruit.org
http://pyrocreations.com/
http://www.everythingpyrotechnic.com/
http://www.mojopyrotechnics.com/
http://www.hobbyhorse.com/
http://keten.org.pl
http://pyrotubes.com
http://www.pyrotubes4europe.com/

So far that all that i could find, feel free to add others

Edited by marble, 14 September 2007 - 07:55 AM.

[Arthur Brown]

Most things, tubes to chemicals are available cheaply! BUT only in bulk quantities. If I wanted 1, 10 or 100 tubes the delivery would cost more than the tubes, If it was 10 - 100 thousand tubes a year then suppliers would be beating a path to my door with better offers inc delivery!

In hobby circles you are going to pay a fortune for small quantities. then have delivery added on top. Look out some sizes of tube that have common use in your locale that would have crossover uses. Till roll, fax roll etc paper cores. Look out the companies that prepare till rolls from the mill rolls and ask them for paper cores.

Go chat to a paper converter (there has to be one in your locale) someone who takes paper in the roll from the mill and converts it into sheets, small rolls etc.

There will be a paper tube supplier, just that they haven't thought to supply tubes to hobby pyro's.

Maybe they dont want to sell to people who want to make illegal or inadvised bangs or devices. No responsible trader wants to be "by appointment to Al Quaeda" ot the like.



If you have a large photolab nearby try to get the cores from the larger sizes of roll photo paper. Kodak, Fiji, et al make paper on 3" bore tube with about 10mm walls. Mini-labs will have 6 and prob 8 and 10 inch. Pro labs for the advertising industry will have up to 60 inch.

Edited by Arthur Brown, 14 September 2007 - 09:40 AM.

[marble]

Ive contacted a few local tube makers and until you buy over a few thousand its not worth it, most places charge a set up price and then the price per hundred tubes on top of that. Getting large (1"+) tubes is easy enough but anything smaller than 1" is difficult. Rolling tubes sucks for rockets, they are always a tiny bit to big or small. I would much rather buy a few hundred tubes than having to either roll my own or find a source that have the correct wall thickness and ID.

[Mortartube]

http://www.stells.co.uk/

This is the company we used when I worked at a firework factory. I don't know about minimum orders etc, but we used to get tubes for silver jets etc from here for theatrical work, so they would make ideal stinger missile and rocket tubes if the length was altered. They already should have the mandrels for these so at least it is a size that they already make.

[Mortartube]

Sorry Marble, I didn't consider the fact that you are in Australia.

[marble]

Just ordered some 5/8" 3/32" wall tubes from everythingpyrotechnic, should be strong enough for small spin stabilized rockets

A bit expensive but at least i don't have to roll 50 tubes

Edited by marble, 14 September 2007 - 12:45 PM.

[treefingers]

Another one for the list is Inoxia who sell good 1/2'' ID tubes..... http://www.inoxia.co...ategory/20.aspx

[SwissTony]

Anyone had any problems cutting the long lengths of tubes???
I found that the internal layers would collapse into the middle of the tube.
Ordered from the moonfruit one before and delivery/quality was excellent

[Sambo]

Anyone had any problems cutting the long lengths of tubes???
I found that the internal layers would collapse into the middle of the tube.

Yeah, the same thing happens to me when i cut my 1/2 inch tubes.

[Richard H]

Tubes are best cut on a band saw with a guide to keep the work piece square on the blade.

[SwissTony]

Tubes are best cut on a band saw with a guide to keep the work piece square on the blade.

I am lucky to have access to one of them.
Thought it may be a bit ferocious to use on a cardboard tube though.
Got some precut ones on their way now so wont be needing to use it just yet.

[marble]

Cut the tubes fast with a small sharp saw

[Mortartube]

A piece of dowelling inside almost to the point where you are cutting, also helps to prevent inner damage

[crystal palace fireworks]

A piece of dowelling inside almost to the point where you are cutting, also helps to prevent inner damage

Perhaps a good idea would be to use a small Plumbers Pipe cutting tool with the dowel placed inside the tube.

Edited by crystal palace fireworks, 14 September 2007 - 05:46 PM.

[Mortartube]

Sounds like a good idea. Welcome along Crystal palace Fireworks.