Square copper tube/pipe
 

Does anyone know of a supplier that sells square copper tube or pipe? I have done a few searches, but I can't find anything.

Re: Square copper tube/pipe
 

What size?

I know that alot of hardware stores sell small sizes of square copper pipe.

Don't know about availability in Canada, though.

Re: Square copper tube/pipe
 

http://www.lewisbrass.com/catalog.htm

try searching for copper stock instead of pipe

Re: Square copper tube/pipe
 

Hey BGP Spook, know of any places in Northern VA?

Re: Square copper tube/pipe
 

to my knowledge, copper isn't normally manufactured in square tube stock. I just checked my usual supplier and they didn't have any. Brass and aluminum are alternatives and if you were REALLy fancy you could get those copper plated.

don't quote me on this but I think it is more for manufacturing reasons. Normally square tube isn't drawn (unless it's aluminum or brass) it is sort of bent up and forced through a reciever and then electron beam welded. Off the top of my head I remember hearing you can't resistance weld or electron beam weld copper as it's reistance is too low and its thermal radiation is too great.

I'm not sure why they don't draw square tube as they do draw round copper pipe and tube. but there is probably a manufacturing or engineering reason (maybe there is no market)

alternatively if it is not long lengths or great quantities of pipe, you could use a round-square pipe...uh It's late I can't remember what they are called. Basically you have one that matches the exact I.D of the pipe and then it's profile slowly changes from round to square. Results should be satisfactory especially if you used annealed pipe first.

Re: Square copper tube/pipe
 

Too bad, I didn't know it was (probably) difficult/impossible to make. That round corner square stuff would work though. My basic idea was to solder some of it to a copper plate and use it as a harddrive cooler like in the pic, but with holes for 10 drives. I could square the middle, and leave the ends round so that they would fit better on the pipe. :) Thanks for the idea!

http://www.martlen.com/D13/hdd.GIF

Re: Square copper tube/pipe
 

Thin walled brass can have the same thermal properties as thick walled copper.
Brass's thermal resistance is worse, but the measure is unit of thickness so thinner is fine. Radiators are made with brass tubes after all.....

Re: Square copper tube/pipe
 

yah actually brass and copper are pretty close so that would be a possibility as well. brass does come in decorative drawn pieces in 3 foot lengths

honestly I always though HDD coolers were not needed or in detrimental to a drives live in a normal tower. that and they just put extra heat in the loop, I suppose if you have 10 drives though that might warrant more cooling.