Thank you for reading this. Im currently building a Giant Vario Hughes 500E and as it turn out last night due to some supernatural powers one of the aluminum tubes that goes thru the fuse and into the wood formers mysteriously disapeared. now given that i was planning on spending the whole day saturday working on the fuse. that fact that my wife may have something to do with it is not ruled out yet. JK LOL. Anyways, i spent all day today trying to find a replacement locally. i went to 3 metal yards and 2 machine shops. i was unable to find anything that matches and the machine shops said the wall was to thin to turn on a lathe. so as a last resort i turned to Josef at Vario USA and i had no luck there. he says that he had no spares and that he had nothing i could use. so now i turn to my trusted coligues on the forum. im asking that if by any chance someone has some aluminum tube that fits the description below, i will be more than happy to buy it from them. or if maybe someone know were i can get some metric aluminum hallow stock online that would help as well. any help will be greatly appriciated and i thank you in advance.

the dimensions are

ID = 8.20mm to 8.25mm

OD = 9.80mm to 9.85mm

length 150mm minimum

Thank YOU!!
Robert Vera
Miami, FL

maybe an expensive alternative...

http://www.ulmkemetals.co.uk/pa1-aluminium-tubing.htm


Id also check at your nearest airport with aircraft maintenance (general aviation). They usually have access to all kinds of aluminium tubing, if not available, they could order some for you. The aircraft parts supplier catalogues have 000's of types/grades/sizes.

Since you need only one piece of tubing, you might be able to get away with this idea and get you back to your Saturday schedule.

Buy a standard size Aluminum tube (your local hobby store) and shim it with paper. Then saturate the paper with thin CA,,, need it stronger, use epoxie or JB weld.

K&S Round Aluminum Tube 3/8x36" .016 (4)
Special Stock# LXRW78 Towerhobbie's Price 10.99
Tower has 3 different wall diminsions in this size (3/8" )

Any machine shop could make that tube,,,, not a difficult task at all,,, they probably didn't feel like setting up on that small job. The machine shop would need a 8mm expanable reamer, thick walled alum tube material, then turn the OD down to size,,, estimated time on set-up and execution, 1 hour,,, Price, $50 for that tube!

Decimal conversion; (Standard Size)

8.225 mm = .323 ths ID (5/16" = .312")

9.825 mm = .386 ths OD (3/8" = .375")

150mm = 5.900 ths Length (5 29/32 inches)

Hope this gets you going again, Willi

Rob - Try any Home Depot. Plus R/c Hobbies in Ft Lauderdale, on Univercity and McNab. Talk to Robby - He can probley hook you up. I have seen some stock there. There is also Warwicks Hobbies on Peters Rd and Univercity. Just off 595. They carry alot of stuff for planes and Helies. Good Luck