5" or 6" steel pipe

[allcart]

I am planning to make a permanent pier for my AVX mount. I envisage a larger version of the SW EQ6 pier to sit in the garden. Does anyone know where a 5ft length of steel pipe can be purchased at a sensible price.

[Nillchill]

try here, they do a 4 x 4 inch box section for reasonable price

http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ssn=bisteel13&_pgn=2&_skc=50&rt=nc

[allcart]

yes I suppose box section could work as well, but I would prefer a UK supplier to avoid shipping costs etc.

[Bizibilder]

Try your local steel fabricator - the people who make fire escapes and fencing etc - they may have something suitable in their "offcuts" pile.  

[ronin]

http://www.pyramidsteel.co.uk/index.php?webpage=Hollow_Sections.html

Aldershot ?

Found an easy option is google maps, go to your town, type "steel tube supplies" in the search bar, turns up several pins local to whereever.

There is http://www.beverleysteel.co.uk/steel_tube.htm at Farnborough but cannot work out the diameters.

[Bizibilder]

Should have said - your fabricator may be able to roll and weld you a tube from sheet if they have a decent set of bending rolls.

[allcart]

Good plan guys, i'll get on it.

[Steve Ward]

Try your local scrapyard/metal recycler  ... you'd be surprised at what can be found for peanuts ... 

[allcart]

yes Steve, I have one local to check out too.

[gajjer]

I got some 1/2 wall thickness 6" diameter tube from these people

Future Advanced Manufacture Ltd Staverton Technology Park, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 6TQ, UK Tel: +44 (0)1452 712597

I knew the guys there and they let me have a length for a very reasonable price. About £70 delivered.

Good luck. I love my pier.

cheers

gaj

[wella]

This is the best i could find on ebay

[Peter Drew]

Diameter is more important than thickness (within reason!). I would recommend no smaller than 6". 

[ChrisLX200]

Whilst visiting a farm shop I noted ( :-) ) their steel gate post would make a lovely solid pier, it was about 300mm square with rounded corners and 1/2" welded cap. I hope no-one noticed me taking such a keen interest in a gate post LOL.

ChrisH

[Wetsparks]

I've just finished making my own pier. I used this for the column. The key to rigidity was to fill the column with concrete to make it as vibration deadening as possible, it certainly seems to be rock solid for me EQ5 Pro mount.

I dug a 350mm deep by 200mm square hole to set it into the ground. A nice little tip here, BnQ have some post mix that doesn't need mixing, just fill the hole two thirds up with water and then tip in the mix straight from the bag. Ten minutes later and it's set. What I did do was to weld a 50 x 50mm plate onto each face of the post to give it some real key in the ground. I'll get some pic's up later (when it's stopped raining) of the pier.

[laser_jock99]

Here's the company I used for my steelwork

http://www.charleswatts.co.uk/

I think you'll find that just about every town has a similar company though. Show them a picture of a commercial pier and get them to knock you one for half the price! 

Peter is right- diameter adds stability. I used a 9" dia pipe x 5mm wall thickness in a 2m  length (1 foot is below deck level) and it seems to be very stable with big scopes.

Mind you head on those counterweights!

[opticalpath]

In case you decide not to do the whole job yourself, a fabricator in Southampton (near you ?) that I can recommend:    http://www.weland.co.uk/

I got them to make a short pier extension for me. They were extremely helpful via email working from my sketches. I got them to drill and tap the top plate for the mount base screws and azimuth-adjustment pin.  A neat job and price was good compared to commercial products.

Adrian