Question for all the Tuber experts...
 

What material and size of tubing are you using?

Where are you getting your material?

I am wanting to build a tuber but am having a hard time finding matial. Please help.

Thanks

3/16 or 1/8 " brakeline tubing from your local auto parts store "thumbsup"

brazing or welding?

brazing

3/16" & 1/8" Solid Rod from Home Depot or Lowes.

On the solid rod, do you have to heat it before bending?

I am planning to braze.

Just pick-up some 3/16" brake line from an auto parts store. Solid rod is way too heavy imo, unless you're using really small diameter stuff for bracing. A properly braced chassis built out of 3/16" brake line is plenty strong enough.

Funny how much tuber making has changed. When you asked this question a year ago, it was all 1/4" tubing. Now 3/16th and smaller is standard (for good reason).

I use both 1/4" and 3/16" tubing.

I get all my brake line at Pep Boys... dont know if there is one near you but the line they carry is awesome for brazing- it is not coated or galvanized.

Hey Thanks guys!

I am a newbie at this so I'm a bit in the dark. I have built crawlers but never a tuber. I currently have a 2.2 and two clod cralwers. I thinks its just as fun to build them as it is to run them. I will post pics as I make some progress. Thanks again.

No bends real easy. Buy a hand held tube bender. Like this
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3-IN-...spagenameZWDVW

those benders are very hard to get right... do a search for tube benders- some people here have made some pretty nice and easy to work with setups that you can do yourself.

me.... I just use a vice, hammer, thumbs, whatever I can to make the bend I need.

dont get to complex on your first build.... KISS keep it simple stupid.

If you use Solid rod. Brazing will take more time. I MIG weld my Solid rod tubers. I would sudjest using 3/16in Tubing if Brazing. Also use a tube Brake tube bender or something round to bend the tubing around. But with solid rod a Vise and hands are your best friend.

Yes, I have a tube bender that will do small radius bends. Are you filling the tube with sand or some of other material to keep it from kinking?

Are you using a brass brazing rod or do you use the silver?

i used the harris silv 56 56 % siver flows nice.No need to fill with sand i dont think,i made some pretty tight bends on my tuber without kinks.

Why are you guys suggesting NOT to use 1/4" brakeline?

I used 1/4" on my current project and it seems to have worked great so far. I'd think it would stand up to some pretty harsh abuse without bending aswell. "thumbsup"

Don't think anyone said to NOT use it... they just said that 3/16" seems to be plenty. I use 1/4" in a few places on some of my builds. 1/4" just kinks a lot worse than 3/16" on tighter bends. I even have a rod of 3/8" tubing- havent used it for anything yet but who knows. Use whatever you like.

1/4" is ok.....just a fair bit heavier and is somewhat fat looking to scale.

Jay