Using metal tubing for gun barrels

Most people use hypodermic steel tubing.  I used to get mine from Small Parts, Inc., but they've been absorbed by Amazon http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=stainless+hypodermic+tubing&tag=googhydr-20&index=industrial&hvadid=12045723804&hvpos=1s5&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8866821911938755046&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_9f8euz8p80_b

Way back when, a member here, made a huge conversion chart that listed the conversion of standard barrel sizes to hypodermic tubing sizes.  If you do a search, it may have been archived.  Or, you can look up the barrel dimensions, and then just divide by the scale of the kit you're working on, and find the nearest-sized tube.

-Fred

Brass is the easiest to work with and to cut. As far as size I just hold up a piece of tube to the kit barrel and see what looks right. I'd say have some .5, .7, and 1mm diam. on hand.

This may help:

HYPODERMIC TUBING CONVERSION TO SCALE MODEL GUNS/CANNONS


Caliber- Gauge- True tube I.D.- Scale I.D. Part #

1/72 Scale

pitot- 25, 31- HTX-25R, HTX-31R Sleeved

0.30- 33- 0.00400 0.00417 HTX-33R

0.50- 29- 0.00700 0.00694 HTX-29R

20 mm- 26- 0.01000 0.01094 HTX-26R

25 mm- 23- 0.01300 0.01367 HTX-23R

30 mm- 22- 0.01600 0.01640 HTX-22R

1/48 scale

pitot- 21, 25, 31 HTX-21R, HTX-25R, HTX-31R Sleeved

0.30- 30 0.00600 0.00625 HTX-30R

0.50- 26 0.01000 0.01042 HTX-26R

20 mm- 22 0.01600 0.01640 HTX-22R

25 mm- 21 0.02000 0.02051 HTX-21R

30 mm- 20T, 20 0.026, 0.023 0.02461 HTX-20R THIN WALL= HTX-20T

1/35 scale

0.30- 27 0.00800 0.00857 HTX-27R

0.50- 23 0.01300 0.01429 HTX-23R

20 mm- 20 0.02300 0.02250 HTX-20R

25 mm- 19 0.02700 0.02812 HTX-19R

30 mm- N/S 0.03800 0.03375 HTX-051R not standard gauge

1/32 scale

pitot 22, 28 HTX-22R, HTX-28R Sleeved

0.30- 26 0.01000 0.00938 HTX-26R

0.50- 27 0.01600 0.01563 HTX-22R

20 mm- 21-1/2 0.02300 0.02461 HTX-21-1/2R

25 mm- 18 0.03300 0.03076 HTX-18R

30 mm- N/S 0.03800 0.03691 HTX-051R not standard gauge

I use both brass and steel tubing.  I've bought steel tubing online from McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/#), after reading this article at Aircraft Resource Center:

http://www.arcair.com/tnt1/001-100/TNT024-SS-Tubing/00.shtm

Brass is easier to cut, since it's softer, but I use my Dremel with a diamond cutting wheel to cut either material, to avoid compressing the stock.

Likewise, I just compare it to kit guns or just use what looks right. As for my source, our local ACE Hardware is also a model shop complete with stodgy old codger that oversees the model inventory. Right in the isle amongst the model stuff, he has a display of metal tubing (brass, aluminum, steel) in every imaginable size. And they're only pennies each.

An easier but more expensive way is to use replacement barrels by the Czeck company Master and carried by Ultracast.  Look here www.ultracast.ca/.../default.htm

Nathan T

Brass is the easiest to work with and to cut. As far as size I just hold up a piece of tube to the kit barrel and see what looks right. I'd say have some .5, .7, and 1mm diam. on hand.

Hey FlyItLikeYouStoleIt. I'm in the Dayton area. Which store has the model section you mentioned?

Thanks

Ed