These are standard sizes of aluminum 6061-T6 (61S-T6) round aluminum tubing stocked by most aluminum suppliers or distributors in the United States and Canada.

Here is an interesting story for you. Shortly after the Muslim terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, I began getting a lot of e-mail inquiries into available stocks of thick-walled aluminum tubing. Sure, it seemed strange, but I didn't think much of it. Then, a couple years later, news outlets began reporting increased activity detected by Iran and Iraq related to uranium enrichment using centrifuges. One of the things mentioned was the requirement of specialty aluminum tubing with thick walls. Since inquiries kept coming in, I began checking the IP addresses of the e-mails, and discovered that, indeed, all were originating from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. I contacted the FBI about it and they sent an agent to my house to investigate. He asked a few questions, took my IP address list, and left. I never heard from him again, but within a couple weeks, no more such requests for aluminum tubing were received. Coincidence?

Aluminum Tubing Vendors


* These sizes are extruded; all other sizes are drawn tubes.

Information derived from the 78th edition of the ARRL Handbook 2001, Copyright, 2000.