Hard to find pipe fitting supplier?
Hard to find pipe fitting supplier?
(OP)
I'm having trouble finding a supplier for the following item:
Black iron cross fitting for 1-1/2" Schedule 40 pipe, butt-weld connection.
I was able to find a socket-weld on McMaster Carr, but that was nearly $50 each. Our customer has requested these be used in construction of some guarding, so there is no requirement for pressure rating or need to meet any standard.
Any help is appreciated!
-- MechEng2005
Black iron cross fitting for 1-1/2" Schedule 40 pipe, butt-weld connection.
I was able to find a socket-weld on McMaster Carr, but that was nearly $50 each. Our customer has requested these be used in construction of some guarding, so there is no requirement for pressure rating or need to meet any standard.
Any help is appreciated!
-- MechEng2005





RE: Hard to find pipe fitting supplier?
1.5" BW crosses may not be the most common thing, but I'm sure they're out there. Try going through a pipe and fitting distributor.
- Steve Perry
RE: Hard to find pipe fitting supplier?
jt
RE: Hard to find pipe fitting supplier?
jte: The customer specifically requested the butt-weld crosses. What you describe is what I normally do.
Thank you both for your responses. Currently, I have submitted the quote to the customer and took exception to using the crosses. I would be interested if anybody were able to find them or provide an explanation for why they aren't available.
-- MechEng2005
RE: Hard to find pipe fitting supplier?
As a architectural (handrail) item being used by lots of customers entering and leaving (using the stairs), the grinding and smoothing sometimes takes longer than the welding.
I don't have my King Architectural Metals at www.kingmetals. or Wagner catalogs with me, but I've bought tees and crosses from them regularly. King is usually chepaer. Their Tee's for example, are about 5.00 each.
I recommend 1-1/4 dia handrails. Both 1-1/4 and 1-1/2 are ADA-OSHA legal with respect to maximum-minimum handrail grip sizes, but the smaller 1-1/4 handrails "feel" better to most people's sizes.
RE: Hard to find pipe fitting supplier?
Using pipe,and especially with butt-welding fittings, is NOT the most efficient, or even the 2nd-most efficient, way to build safe handrail.
Go to a real industrial pipe fittings supplier for a decent price on the crosses, NOT a re-seller/catalog store like McMaster-Carr. When you do that, call them carbon steel, not "black iron". "Black iron" is a term more commonly used to refer to malleable/ductile cast iron screwed fittings.
The real sch40 butt-welding cross will be cheaper than a forged steel socket welding 3000# fitting which is probably what you were looking at. But it's still an expensive way to make handrail whichever way you slice it.
RE: Hard to find pipe fitting supplier?
(Handrail hydrostatic pressure tests tend to be required only when the parts sit outside upside down in the rail overnight ... Regrettably, most handrail pressure tests tend to pass.)
RE: Hard to find pipe fitting supplier?
I agree with others, there are cheaper ways to make guarding than using pipe. However, the customer has a building full of guarding made with pipe and it's what they want, so it's what they'll get (and be charged for of course). (As an aside, we've even had customers require 2" x 2" x 1/4" wall square tubing for handrails. Talk about not the cheapest option...)
-- MechEng2005
RE: Hard to find pipe fitting supplier?