Need 4130 chromoly steel

Geodoc

Adventurer
Getting ready to start my trailer build, but want to do it in 4130 chromoly steel. Anyone know of a supplier that can provide 2"x2"x.095 tubing? I can't seem to find anything online (lots of 1.5x2, but I need/want 2x2). Will be checking with some more local companies tomorrow.
 

Geodoc

Adventurer
Lighter - will be towed by an old Willy's, so need to keep weight way down and every little bit helps (using fiberglassed corecell for the body). Also, best welded with oxy-fuel, so breakdowns will be easier to fix in the field.
 

Howard70

Adventurer
Onlinemetals.com

Here you go:

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=21559&step=4&showunits=inches&id=250&top_cat=197
www.onlinemetals.com in case the link doesn't work. This is 2" OD x 0.095 wall. It is round (which is what I'm used to in 4130). Is that what you want?

I definitely think you are wise to use 4130 = crazy strong and therefore you can get by with much less material and build a very light & strong trailer.

However - as we always said in sailboat racing - Strong, Light, Inexpensive: Choose any two. You'll never get all three.....

Howard
 

flyfisheraa573

New member
I guess my point is this...sure it's lighter, to a certain extent...BUT if you have a stick of 2" w/ .095 chromoly and a stick of 2" w/ .095 mild steel...it weighs the same. Here's the rub...you can go lighter by reducing the size, which I'm assuming that you are going from .125 to .095, BUT your weight savings will be minimal at best...figure on the entire roll cage of a race car you're saving somewhere between 80-110 #'s...so maybe on your trailer you're going to save maybe 50#... The cost and availability of the mild steel would be the better choice...rather than searching out for a specific size of chromoly that your struggling to source.
 

Geodoc

Adventurer
Flyfisher, cost isn't the factor, weight is. I'm making things EXTREMELY lightweight (fiberglass over corecell for the body, aluminum wheels, LiFePO battery, , flexible solar panels, my Simple Shower with a 5 gallon bucket, etc.). I can save between 25 and 50 lbs using 4130 instead of MS (which would have to be .120 to be the equivalent of 4130 at .095).

Thanks Howard, I've checked with onlinemetals but didn't find what I was looking for earlier (I could only find round tube, I need square tube). Reckon I'll give them a call and see what they've got.
 

Howard70

Adventurer
Hello Geodoc:

I've dealt with online metals before and they've been helpful with odd requests. I think giving them a call would be a good idea. If they don't have it they may be able to direct you to someone who does.

Now if you want it really light you could use Reynolds 853 double-butted cromoly tubing...... Though I doubt you'll find it in 2" OD, I know you won't find in square and you'd have to silver-braze it! But it would be one sexy trailer.....

Don't give up on using the best material for the job. I was lucky as a kid - my dad was a tool and die maker who always had pieces of titanium stock around. He once made me a titanium abalone iron! Ironically I didn't realize how cool that was when I was 12.

Howard
 

Geodoc

Adventurer
Wow. Just wow! a titanium abalone iron - I'm impressed (not that I ever dive for abalone, but that's still impressive). I thought of going with round tubing, but for a trailer build, I'd rather stick with square (or rectangle) - much easier to bolt things down to.

Haven't called online metals yet (too busy) but will call on Tuesday and let everyone know what they have/can recommend (nothing on their website that matches my needs, so maybe I'm just chasing sparkle unicorns at the end of the rainbow).
 

Howard70

Adventurer
Wow. Just wow! a titanium abalone iron - I'm impressed (not that I ever dive for abalone, but that's still impressive).

I'm with you regarding diving for abalone in this century. The titanium iron was last used in the late 1960's back when most of us thought that abalone and giant black sea bass would be conspicuous components of the California free-diving scene forever. I wish we'd of known then what we know now..... Fast forward to today and I wonder if we aren't going to have the same wishes about Uma notada and Crotalus cerastes of the Imperial Dunes sometime in the future.

Square tubing certainly would be an easier base for attaching components of your trailer. I'm not an engineer, but I think that round tubing provides the best strength to weight ratio for structural components. Of course that advantage might be lost once you started attaching gussets and brackets everywhere you wanted to mount something.

Further up thread you mentioned flexible solar panels. What brand are you thinking of? We've gone with Solbian CP 140's for our under-construction truck. 144 watts each at 2.6 kg.

http://www.solbian.eu/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=52:cp-140-l&Itemid=302&lang=en

Howard
 

Geodoc

Adventurer
Yep, round is stronger than square, but needs must...

Haven't chosen the solar panels yet. That's still a bit out (one step at a time). Whatever I choose (probably 2 each 100 watters) would need to be light and small enough to fit on the limited roof space I'll have. Those SP100s look like they would fit the bill. I'm thinking a 150aH LiFePO battery with 2 100 watt flexible panels (that should keep total electrical weight down to just under 50 lbs). I calculated my electrical needs at between 66 and 104 amps per day, of which 30 amps will be during sun time (refrigerator), so real storage needs are 36 and 74 amps, so 150 ah battery should be more than sufficient (plus I'll be wiring in to the Jeeps electrical system, so I'll be able to charge the batteries while driving, too).

I'm also looking at making the trailer a pop-up using gas struts. Still in the design phase (downloaded Sketchup but haven't had the time to sit down and learn it - most of my drawings are rough in a notebook I keep for this particular activity).
 

I Leak Oil

Expedition Leader
Going to be tough to find 4130 square tubing. Usually 4130 is round DOM where most square\rectangular is ERW. You may get lucky and find someones left over from a custom run but most mills aren't going to have 4130 rectangle hanging around. Doesn't make sense because you lose the advantage of the 4130 material once you go ERW.
 

Geodoc

Adventurer
That was my original choice, but then I discovered that any repairs would require TIG welding, which requires electricity. 4130 is actually best welded with oxy-acetylene (which is pretty much available all over the world, unlike electricity).
 

I Leak Oil

Expedition Leader
Aluminum can be welded with gas as well. How do you think it was done before the Tig process was developed?
 

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