Comments on: A Grown Man’s Tinker Toys: Structural Pipe Fittings

By: christolles!

christolles! — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:16:00 +0000

sorry to bother a dead thread, but i just found easyfit:

http://www.easyfit.com/index.html

their fittings are designed to work with standard big box (HD in my case) black pipe, and are both affordable and feature an abundance of styles in 3 sizes.

bought enough for a lofted queen sized bed just now - will let you know how it turns out…

anybody else used easyfit?

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:52:09 +0000

Steel pipe, for a given nominal size, will have the same OD regardless of wall thickness. So, for say thick-wall Schedule 80, the ID will be smaller than the same nominal size in the thinner-wall Schedule 40.

By: BJN

BJN — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 04:06:03 +0000

Galvanized? Sounds like the HF fittings are cast iron. I’d be careful about using them in the appropriate application since cast iron is a brittle material.

I have raft rowing frames made from cast/anodized Hollaender fittings and anodized aluminum tubing. I wouldn’t use iron fittings in a similar application, but I’m sure the HF fittings would make decent railings or shelf supports.

By: Toolmonger » Blog Archive » Toolmonger’s Top 5: The Week In Tools

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:13:43 +0000

[...] A Grown Man’s Tinker Toys: Structural Pipe Fittings Looking to build something like a jungle gym out of PVC? This post shows you how to find the key ingredient to do it on the cheap: connectors that are inexpensive themselves and — better yet — fit cheaply-available tubing/pipe. Now you have no excuses at all! [...]

By: Benjamen Johnson

Benjamen Johnson — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 21:40:27 +0000

My local Harbor Freight actually carries a limited selection of these fittings. I bought one and brought it to the local big box. Galvanized steel 1″ sched. 40 pipe seems to fit. The actual ID of the fittings is approximately 1.4″ and the ID of the 1″ pipe is about 1.3″. There’s a little slop, but the hex drive screw seems to secure the pipe well. When I say the ID of the fitting is approximately 1.4″, I mean approximately. These are not precision machined pieces of steel here, these fitting are going straight from the mold to being galvanized.

By: Bee

Bee — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 15:59:57 +0000

I was recently excited to find exactly this style of cheap pipe fittings at a farm supply company. teksupply.com they are 3-7 dollars each. probably 20 styles. they say that 1 1/4″ size is for 1.66 OD pipe. 1 1/2 size is for 1.90″OD pipe and 1″ is for 1.315″ pipe. maybe that clears up the sizing issue.

By: Clinton

Clinton — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 22:15:52 +0000

I’d love to see fittings like the slides and swivels that could work with 1/2″ or 3/4″ EMT conduit as the pipe of choice. Would be a great way to make a multi-purpose easily configurable and adaptable wire rack of DOOM. I’m sure electricians (and the low voltage guys like me) would love them for all kinds of nonelectrical projects.

By: Chuck Cage

Chuck Cage — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 21:51:51 +0000

I always thought that “pipe” was specified by schedule or ID and “tubing” is specified by OD.

By: RobinB

RobinB — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 18:00:17 +0000

Kee clamp has liks to Sketchup components for designing with this stuff.

http://www.simplifiedbuilding.com/sketchup.php

By: Eli

Eli — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 15:28:42 +0000

And I’ve always said, “Let’s play Legos”

By: Eli

Eli — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 15:27:58 +0000

Kee Klamps work with both 1 1/4″ and 1 1/2″ (obviously you’re buying different fittings for the two diff sizes). This pipe is schedule 40 or sched 80 and available from your local metal purveyor. Anybody who has structural or raw steel as a welding supply should also carry this. Black and galvy pipe will not work. It isn’t budget, but the good part is this stuff has an almost infinite life span, if you believe in buying the best once. Today’s scaffold is tomorrow’s treehouse is a haunted house a year from now. There is just no end to the use for it. Not unfortunately adaptable for geodesics. For that, on the small scale, you’re better off flattening and drilling the ends of conduit.

By: Benjamen Johnson

Benjamen Johnson — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 03:09:57 +0000

Now we all know that some people disagree what the plural of Lego is. Let us all just agree that Lego sets (see how I am now avoiding the whole issue) were cooler that Tinker Toy sets, but you can be pretty creative with either.

I’m still working on the 1-1/4″ OD pipe issue. Tomorrow I need to get some supplies. I’m bringing my calipers — I’ll comment if I find anything.

By: eschoendorff

eschoendorff — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 02:55:24 +0000

Not to be a jerk, but Keith, you are wrong. The plural of Lego is Legos.

By: Randy Piscione

Randy Piscione — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:24:13 +0000

Wish I had known this a few months ago. Not sure if I can post links in these notes but here’s what I built using one of the name brands (not Kee):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/keysandslots/Music/RPKeys007-03-10a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/keysandslots/Music/RPKeys007-03-10c.jpg

Cost of the rack was approx. $600 CAD. There’s at least 300 pounds on it now. Pipe is an odd thing. OD dimensions of pipe are nominal, the ID is usually accurate. There is also a “schedule” number, which I think is the thickness. These are the main differences between pipe and tube. It’s the combination of the thickness of the pipe and the strength of the key clamps that give the final weight limits.

Randy

By: Benjamen Johnson

Benjamen Johnson — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 19:04:31 +0000

DaveD,

I’m not quite sure where you find 1-1/4″ OD pipe, When I wrote the post I assumed 1-1/4″ OD was a common size or else what is the point? It seems that black and galvanized 1″ pipe has a OD of about 1.315″, I’m not sure if that is close enough or not. I’m sure the local HF probably doesn’t carry these fittings to actually measure their ID — I’ve never seen them and I’ve combed over that store pretty well.

I guess I’ll have to bring my calipers next time I stop at the local Big Box.

By: Keith Melton

Keith Melton — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 18:59:29 +0000

Not to be a total jerk… but the plural form of Lego is just “Lego”

By: Domes

Domes — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 16:30:11 +0000

These look nice…Does anybody know of a similar product, but set up for geodesic constrution?

‘Cause THAT would rock…

By: DaveD

DaveD — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 16:11:54 +0000

That is so cool!
Where does one get the pipes for this?

By: JamesBrauer66

JamesBrauer66 — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 16:04:37 +0000

I see some monkey bars in my little girls future.

By: modernman

modernman — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:20:12 +0000

Anyone know how these compare to kee clamp or speed rail?