Sourcing polished 316L tubing

[Muaddib1116]

I am having trouble finding polished seamless 316L tubing. The only place I've found is TACO marine, but I have to order 24ft and 20ft full lengths through defender and the price is pretty steep, nevermind the shipping cost. Is there somewhere better to find this?

[Bill O]

What size and gauge?

[skipmac]

https://www.onlinemetals.com/en/buy/...e-316-seamless

Just looked and could not find polished SS but thought I had bought some from them in the past. Maybe call to check.

[steamgoat]

You might call CMI marine, 781 337 0733, they are a stainless fabrication shop on outskirts of Boston.

[Muaddib1116]

Thanks, I'll look them up!

[deblen]

Drive up to Maine. / Len


https://shop.hamiltonmarine.com/prod...eel-43439.html

[Manateeman]

Stainless pipe, tubing, valves, and tons of great boat stuff are hiding around Boston in a junkyard or behind a local company. Boston biotechnology pilot plants and universities buy this stuff by the truck loads and throw it out back or sell it for junk. I buy polished 316 tube for $1.50 per pound cash from a recycle yard where the take apart machines used to make contact lenses.
This recycle yard also gets stuff from the local sub base and you see things like marine aluminum sheets five by ten feet, four inches thick. New but rain corroded so off to the junk pile. Tinned electrical cable off subs. Redd Foxx ...Old Mr. Sanford of Sanford and Son, knew what he was lecturing junior about.
Loved that talented man...Genius actor and professor of human nature.
Happy trails to you.
Captain Mark, Five college program Boston. And his Go Red Socks manatees.

[Muaddib1116]

Originally Posted by deblen

Drive up to Maine. / Len


https://shop.hamiltonmarine.com/prod...eel-43439.html

Thanks, but this is 304 stainless.

Originally Posted by Manateeman

Stainless pipe, tubing, valves, and tons of great boat stuff are hiding around Boston in a junkyard or behind a local company. Boston biotechnology pilot plants and universities buy this stuff by the truck loads and throw it out back or sell it for junk. I buy polished 316 tube for $1.50 per pound cash from a recycle yard where the take apart machines used to make contact lenses.
This recycle yard also gets stuff from the local sub base and you see things like marine aluminum sheets five by ten feet, four inches thick. New but rain corroded so off to the junk pile. Tinned electrical cable off subs. Redd Foxx ...Old Mr. Sanford of Sanford and Son, knew what he was lecturing junior about.
Loved that talented man...Genius actor and professor of human nature.
Happy trails to you.
Captain Mark, Five college program Boston. And his Go Red Socks manatees.

I'll have to learn where these raw material shangri-la's are. Thanks!

[coopec43]

I know I would have trouble buying a part length - maybe a half length (3M).

Why don't you check with a friendly SS fabricator and ask them if you could buy an off-cut. They might like to get some cash for a piece of their scrap?

[ABJ87]

Where are you located? Kato marine in Annapolis will sell tubing.

[zstine]

I 2nd the used market. I bought a huge 4 bow bimini from marine consignment in Mystic CT for $225... must have been well over 50ft of SS plus all the fittings. I cut and re-welded it to build a solar arch AND a 2 bow bimini.

[Offshore1960]

Yarde Metal's in Connecticut is a great source for stainless and aluminum material.

If you are fabricating something it's best to polish it after welding. new England Electropolishing in Fall River can passivate and electropolish just about anything. They are great people to work with. I send all my stainless parts to them for electropolishing after fabrication and it comes back looking like chrome.

Cheers,
Eric

[taylormobile]

Believe it or not Sailrite sells it at very good prices.

[Muaddib1116]

Thanks guys, I'll check all those out.


As far as I know, all the tubing on Sailrite's website is 304.

[psk125]

Like Manatee, we found ample supplies of high-quality 316 stainless tubing for sale by the pound in a wide range of lengths at a junkyard. We used it to replace all our stanchions and install a binnacle grab-bar. Turns out that the oxygen systems used in hospitals are plumbed with 316 stainless, and they are continuously renovating and updating one wing or another.