# Has someone built a frame out of 1" pipe



## STARSHOOTER (May 4, 2012)

hello! I'm good at fabrication. I want to build an nev, for two people, to go 45 mph for 50 miles. I could use different metal, but i've 20, 1" pipe laying on the backyard. I'm hoping to locate someone that has made an nev frame before, or find a good blue-print to help me on my way.


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

About a hundred years ago my first dune buggy was made out of galvanized fence post. The kind used on chain link fences. I didn’t build it but I did some modifications and welding galvanized can kill you if you do not have good ventilation and at least a charcoal mask. If you are talking about plumbing pipe I have used black pipe for various projects other than vehicles. It welds ok with a stick or wire feed but it is going to be kind of heavy and is going to defeat the purpose of a tube frame. If you are going to take all that time on such a project it would be best to spend the extra cash on some good thin walled tubing suited for the job. If you have a lot of pipe maybe you can sell it to a plumber or scrap it for cash to offset the price of some good tubing.


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

I've used it, but for immobile structures. It is way too heavy to be practical in a car. Frame kits for VW based dunebuggies are about 600 to 800 Usd.


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

Pete please explain PbSO4 so I can fully appreciate the humor. Sorry I am kind a slow.


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## Tesseract (Sep 27, 2008)

dragonsgate said:


> Pete please explain PbSO4 so I can fully appreciate the humor. Sorry I am kind a slow.


That might have been a mistake - PbSO4 is lead sulfate, which is what the plates in a lead-acid battery turn into when overdischarged. Then again, maybe Pete *is* addicted to ruining lead-acid batteries???


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

I figured it had something to do with batteries. I have enough books about them I should have known. Of course it has been over a year since I cracked one open. I am getting at the point in life I can tell you in detail what I did when I was five years old but not what I had for lunch yesterday. Next year I am hiding my own Easter eggs. At any rate I got a second chukle.


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## ruckus (Apr 15, 2009)

DUDE! Yes, when I was 9 I built my first go-cart out of pipe and an Articat 440.

If you are older than 9 forget pipe. It is dumb like rocks.

ANYTHING is better. Junk vehicles with nice frames, brakes, axles, all the goodies are everywhere. Why in the hell would you use pipe?

It is lame. No offense.


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## STARSHOOTER (May 4, 2012)

I got the message. If my 1" thin wall pipe won't due. That's the best parts frame for building an nev, that will hold two people safely at 45 mph?


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

When you say pipe… plumbing is the first thing that came to mind. Now you say it is thin wall. So it is not plumbing pipe? Do you know any specs on this pipe? Sounds like it might be some kind of conduit if it is thin. You might take a sample to a metal shop or someplace metal is sold and maybe someone can give you a better idea of what it is and if it will suffice for your needs. Once again if it is black pipe don't waste your time with it.


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## aeroscott (Jan 5, 2008)

tubing is measured outside dia. pipe is measured inside dia. how thick is the wall , is it galvanized . If galvanized it very hard to grind off for a clean weld . It smears as you grind it , also makes the steel a little weaker, not significantly though . Thicker is easier to weld , but with a small tip,gas welding thin wall is a slow but fun way to weld . lots of alloy (4130) aircraft have been welded that way .


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

If it is thin wall pipe it could also be seam welded and so more prone to failure then seamless. It would also be soft to make it easy to bend in use, not good when you don't want it to bend in a chassis.

What is this 'nev' you speak of? I am unfamiliar with the term.


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## Tesseract (Sep 27, 2008)

Woodsmith said:


> ...
> What is this 'nev' you speak of? I am unfamiliar with the term.


NEV = Neighborhood EV

If I keep this up I'm going to change my name to Wikipedia...


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## ruckus (Apr 15, 2009)

I guess my point was that a vehicle is made up of MUCH more than just a frame.
Suspension, steering, brakes, axles, drive lines, gears, seats, etc. etc.

There are SO many dirt cheap junk vehicles already out there that have all that stuff. Go carts, golf carts, buggies, atv's, etc. It would be easier to put wheels on a snowmobile than build something from the ground.

It is much cheaper and faster to purchase what you need already configured as a vehicle than to buy each piece separately.

Check out craigslist in your area, or hit the back alleys, I see this kind of stuff everywhere. Lots of folks just want it out of their yard.

Good luck


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## Caps18 (Jun 8, 2008)

I would agree that you have to start with something. You can use the pipe to enhance and strengthen it in places, but tires, steering, suspension, brakes, seats, etc... too hard IMO. You might be better than me at those things however.










Use couplers and T's to speed up the fabrication.











These are fun to take in the sand and over bumps. This is probably the best design, just use a Lexan sheet for a windshield. After market seats. The rest of the parts, I don't know. Maybe you do.


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## Salty9 (Jul 13, 2009)

+1 on Ruckus' advice. I passed up a chance to get the stuff he mentioned and have been kicking myself since.


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

Tesseract You knew the job was dangerous when you took it. Keep up the good work. Woody is right. That is why I suggest having some one knowledgeable id what you have or put you onto the right materials. Rukus makes a good point but this is DIY. There can be a lot of satisfaction in driving around in something you have totally made yourself. It also is a lot of hard work and time consuming. There’s lots and lots of preparation to do before you start but the very first thing is some deep soul searching and truthfulness with yourself. Do I really have the skill? Do I have the time and dedication to finish the job once started? Of course there is the money question.


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## z_power (Dec 17, 2011)

A year ago i found nice article about diy tubular frames, it's more bicycle/trike oriented but still some useful hints there: http://autospeed.com/cms/A_111161/article.html


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