Brass tube

[Dan Rowe]

It's not really confusing, just care needed to understand ....Pipe is Pipe and Tube is Tube!

I do not agree....

In the US if I am looking for copper to make a boiler which is typically 1/16" wall thickness if I look for copper tube which is correctly what it is I will not find what I am looking for.

I have to look for copper pipe to find what I need.

Now if that is not confusing I need a new dictionary.

Dan not down under but still confused by pipe vs tube.

[propforward]

Tube is sized by outside diameter, pipe is sized by a nominal pipe size which relates to the inside diameter.

The ASME codes do not favour tube in pressure applications as a rule. Not that you can't use it, there are just a whole lot of footnotes and appendices that relate to the choice.

Pipes are always round, tubes can be almost any shape.

[crueby]

A lot depends on which store you are looking in. Many locally here say tube is something that comes in a coil, pipe is in straight lengths, regardless of diameter or measurement method. Standards are one thing, and usually mostly more sorta precise, common usage is something else entirely!   

[propforward]

Well, sure. there is always common usage to muddy the water, but in strict engineering terms it's an OD vs ID (and shape) thing, essentially. But like Shakespeare said, a pipe by any other name surely still has to meet ASTM specification for material and wall thickness. Or something like that.

[RReid]

Tube is sized by outside diameter, pipe is sized by a nominal pipe size which relates to the inside diameter.

That's always been the key differentiator in my experience.

[Dan Rowe]

Tube is sized by outside diameter, pipe is sized by a nominal pipe size which relates to the inside diameter.

Oh now I get it in the US 2" copper pipe is really 2-1/8". Now it all makes sense to me.

Cheers Dan

[steam guy willy]

Just wondering..does the piper call the tube /tune ??

Willy

[derekwarner]

Copper Pipe?.......that's an interesting one Dan.............

Certainly Cupro-nickel, and exotic Grades of Copper alloy piping [usually for Military applications] hydraulic piping for Submarine or Mine Hunter boats springs to mind, but I have [edit - poor choice of wording] not seen a published listing for 99.9% pure Cu - Copper Pipe

Derek

[PS...55+ years ago, I served my Apprenticeship at Australias largest Non-Ferrous Tube & Wire manufacturer .......the name says it all as those  round lengths of copper with holes in the middle  were all Tube as measured by OD x Wall, and in 1966 naturally in Imperial Inch sizing]

[I am sure quite a few off-cuts ends of the 4" OD x 0.1875" wall Tube made their way out somehow to be made into model steam boiler shells]

[propforward]

ASTM B42 among others provide for copper pipe specs of a minimum of 99.9% copper content.

https://www.copper.org/applications/plumbing/techref/tpf_stds/Cu_Alloy_TPF.PDF

https://www.farmerscopper.com/copper-pipe.html

A little light reading. This is obviously USA based, I don’t know about availability in other regions.

Regarding offcuts of 4” tube - I can think of no more noble use for such offcuts than model boilers!

[propforward]

I was looking into copper tube and pipe a while ago for my own boiler project, but it is sooooooo exensive these days, I am looking at using stainless steel instead.

[Pete49]

With such a international site it pays to add your state and country to simplify help. It's not a big deal as most mobiles track everything you do so privacy is not what it used to be.

[derekwarner]

Thanks Stuart for the ASTM listing, and apologies for my poor wording as I acknowledge we have an Australian Standard for 99.9% pure Copper pipe

[An extensive range of DN15-100 size press-fittings are now available in Australia manufactured in accordance with Australian Standard AS 3688 and AS 4020]

Metal Manufacturers Port Kembla [subsidiary of BICC][where I served my apprenticeship] manufactured OD Tube up to 10" OD for the Australian market  - Copper pipe [NB] was then, and is still is an imported product..........[then from UK, now  ]

Yes, back in my apprenticeship days, Employees were able to purchase 4" OD off-cut tube lengths at the same Market Price for scrap Copper , however greed [& probably theft] killed the Golden Goose and the procedure was ceased 

Derek

[propforward]

Yep, only takes one person to go too far in those situations and ruin it for everyone. A real shame - what a great resource that was being able to buy for scrap value like that is a real benefit. Such a shame to lose it.

[gadabout]

Well, my brass tube/pipe turned up today, the seller advertised it as 20mm ID but, yes you guessed it came as 20mm OD!!
Oh well off to eBay to look for more……

Mark