thick wall steel pipe for rollers

[capnahabParticipant @capnahab]

I need to move my lathe in the workshop. I have been using short lengths of 1 inch mild steel bar. I would like something longer ( 3-4 foot) and have seen people use thick walled tubing, – could be the rigid compressed air stuff ?. Does anyone have any recommendations ?.

[capnahabParticipant @capnahab]

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

Scaffold tube, cheap easily found

Mark

[capnahabParticipant @capnahab]

Scaffold tube is good but a bit big on the diameter , for various reasons needs to be about an inch.

[Rick Kirkland 1Participant @rickkirkland1]

25mm dia electrical conduit. Cheaper than steam pipe and up to the job.

Rick

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

3/4 Gas Barrel wil have a thicker wall than coduit and being the 3/4" is the bore then the OD is about 1 1 /16"

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

What about plain galvanised water pipe, nominal 1/2 inch bore? Also cheap and available

Brian

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

Why not water pipe ? Cheap from local hardware shop or cheaper from a scrap metal agent

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

If you can get them- 2 sheets of steel with grease between, easier and safer. Good ply etc. also works.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Usefull pointer to the use of 3/4 pipe as I have been ruluctant to cut down my 5 ft scaff pipes to 2 ft to get though gaps.

It may be worth looking at the underside of your machine to see what the shape is. While the feet may present a flat wide load area if the roller moves along under a thin steel cabinet wall for example the pressure distribution may be bad for both the cabinet and roller. If that is ok then short 6 in lengths may be easier to move about and cheaper too. Since thin rollers are affected more by grit and concrete roughness shorter ones may reduce that problem.

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

A few tool and plant hire shops offer skates to place under machinery / appliances for moving around.

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