How flat should my 2.5" x 1.5" rectangular support tubes be?
Hello Shopbot friends:
Per Brady Watson's recommendation, I have purchased two steel rectangular (1.5" x 2.5" wall thickness 3/16") tubes. These will be welded onto my X car to better support the rails and to stiffen up the X car.
Before I try and cut them to exact length and square up the ends, I checked out the flatness of both tubes. One has a crown, of roughly .016", mostly centered. The other has a few smaller waves, of about .008" to .010".
While I would assume that the most ideal situation would be to have both tubes be exactly the same and perfectly flat, I don't have either.
However, I don't know if this is enough to worry about. But since I am trying to improve my machine, I don't want to waste $140 of new steel by welding in something that isn't right.
Should I send these tubes off to a machine shop to have them flattened? Should I do something else?
Thanks, Chuck
Chuck Keysor (circa 1956)
PRT Alpha 60" x 144" (circa 2004)
Columbo 5HP spindle
Aspire 9.0, Rhino 5