Need 1.875" OD plastic tubing

[homyakchik]

Hey, all

First: I did use the forum search tools (thank you, Great One-Zero, for insisting on it) and found people asking a similar question. Those answers just didn't answer my question.

I'm working on my Apollo 27 entries for the contest (three, so far; why?), and for one of them I'm thinking I'd really like to extend the main body by a few inches (as long as I'm cutting it apart to rotate front from back 45 degrees anyway, there's room to paste). The OD of the front half of the ship is 1-7/8" (the back a little smaller, but I can make that up with filler or strip). I'd rather use styrene or something of a similar weight, as the Apollo 27 is a pretty lightweight model (or the plastic is).

USPlastic only sells in 6' increments. Not a deal-killer, but they don't come anywhere near 1-7/8". Plastruct has tube styrene, but they jump cleanly from 1.5" to 2" without a break; still missing too much acreage to use them.

Googling and forum searches haven't netted me anything else. I'd rather not use things like brass or PVC (although I might on the latter if I have to) simply because of the weight difference between the substance and the styrene (plus I've never worked with brass). I found a yogurt container (score one for having kids) today that's almost the right size; might have to glue two of them together (they slant) to get one length. But I figured I'd could ask first.

1-7/8" OD (preferably) styrene, or something that I can work with on the Pegasus Apollo 27 model. USPlastic and Plastruct do not have what I need. Anyone know of anywhere else that does? How thick a sheet of styrene can be rolled with a rolling pin to make my own cylinder? And other such tricks?

Thanks

Davey

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

You need to hunt down some 1.5" PVC pipe.
The outside diameter should be 1.875".
However, it is not a common size for plumbing.

[homyakchik]

I was by Lowe's today, looking for something else, and snuck in a check of the PVC department. They had lots and lots of 1.5" PVC; it being not what I was after (and me not having brought a ruler, thinking the size on the label indicated the OD), I passed it by. Dang.

On the other hand... I have to drink sugar-free drinks, and Stuff*Mart used to sell some home-grown ones in cylindrical containers (the jackholes at their central offices decided to put them in different-shaped containers now, like that's useful). I found one that the scoutermomma wife hadn't snatched up. It's not quite the right size, but the plastic is stiff, yet thin enough that I can slit it open and re-cylinderize it and have a hope that it'll be round enough to mate with the ship.

Good to know about PVC in the future, though (after all, I might try to build the 1/72 support station for these ships some day...).

Thanks!

Davey

[oliver_s]

You can always buy some 0.5mm styrene and make your own tube. Depending on the size either put extra rings inside or outside.

[Rocketeer]

If it were me, I'd build a frame (four or five circular bulkheads strung along a slender tube), then wrap it with two or three layers of 0.010 sheet. You could get your taper with little trouble, and it'd be light and glue-compatible.

[homyakchik]

Just as a response to everybody:

I got some epoxy (first time in my life, best of my knowledge, that I've used the stuff). Stuff bounced off the existing tube (even though it clung harder than the CA had). Still, I suppose it never hurts to have some on-hand.

Took a sheet of styrene (I believe .4, but I'm not sure). Tried the "rolling pin on a carpet" trick to curl it into something roughly cylindrical. It just laughed. I heated the sheet over an heating element on the stove, and was able to curl it, but because I couldn't figure out how to (a) hold it without burning my hands and (b) hold the tube I was trying to use as a wrap-around curling guide, I've got a sheet of styrene that's really weirdly warped now.

So I bowed to the inevitable. It actually took a bit of time--Lowe's is not organized according to any human standard--but I found 1.5" PVC (in a two-foot chunk, to boot) which, according to my "I brought it this time" pocket ruler was exactly the right size. Got a couple of 6" chunks cut loose. Got it home.

A quick search of SSM discussion fora reveals that I have my styrene model, I have my PVC expander tube, and I have apparently nothing in my toolkit that will cement the two. No one mentions using Testors Model Glue (the Olde Standard) to do it. No one mentions using CA to do it. And no one mentions using Epoxy to do it. *sigh* Looks like a trip back to Lowe's tomorrow for a can of PVC glue.

I'm never gonna get this thing finished.

Thanks, all.

Davey (Rocketeer, I seriously considered building several circular bulkheads to do the wraparound trick. Unfortunately, I want a thicker hull than .01 sheet; I like to play with my models, and I could probably put my finger through .01)

[naoto]

Davey (Rocketeer, I seriously considered building several circular bulkheads to do the wraparound trick. Unfortunately, I want a thicker hull than .01 sheet; I like to play with my models, and I could probably put my finger through .01)

You don't have to leave it just one layer... As he stated, do several layers of the thin sheet -- the thinner sheet would be easier to wrap around the form than one thick sheet.

[homyakchik]

Yeah, I realized that just after posting it ("d'oh"). I'm slated to be up in the Big City tomorrow; going to stop by my Dad's house and use his workshop full of power tools to true it and (within reason) smooth it. Gonna try the Lowe's re-visit and get some PVC glue, as it can't hurt to have that around either (someday, to go with my rockets, I may want to build a Hamilton Station along the lines of the nigh-legendary Jeffries Station, and for that, I'll want PVC stuck together).

But I begin to like the idea of building the bulkheads and doing the multiple wraps just for the experience--aside from which it might not hurt to have it on hand for my next Apollo 27 model.

Thanks

Davey

[Mr. Badwrench]

The walls of PVC pipe don't hold glue or paint very well. Which makes sense, you don't want, er... stuff... sticking to your plumbing. Fortunately there is a fix. The way they make PVC non-sticky is they bathe the plastic in, (I believe), fluorine gas, which chemically treats the surface. Sand through this surface though, and all kinds of glues will stick to it. You don't have to take off very much material, just a couple thousandths will do. I've glued styrene to PVC using Ambroid ProWeld, (Tenax or other styrene cements will work as well), CA, and 5 min. epoxy. Just a few minutes with some sand paper makes it easy.

[homyakchik]

THANK YOU, Badwrench sama. I'd've likely spent a fair number of hours trying to figure out why things (including the stern and bow of the ship!) didn't want to stick. That also explains nicely why the PVC cement stuck like cement in the holes I dremeled out.

Shall spend some time sanding a few thousands away from the whole tube so the paint'll stick. And thanks again!

Davey