Interchangeable tube sizes

[rblakemore]

I have looked thru a bunch of threads and the library references;
but are some of the tubes interchangeable or are the clearances just too tight?
For example, 25/64" and 10 mm or 10.5 mm. For that matter, are 10mm and 10.5 mm interchangeable??
Or, 15/32" or 31/64" and 12.5 mm??

 

[Gary Beasley]

Clearances for the most part are too tight. Only time close makes it is when drilling holes, certain soft woods you can get by with a bit big while very hard wood and acrylic you want the smallest hole that will let the tube fit in.

 

[ed4copies]

I have looked thru a bunch of threads and the library references;
but are some of the tubes interchangeable or are the clearances just too tight?
For example, 25/64" and 10 mm or 10.5 mm. For that matter, are 10mm and 10.5 mm interchangeable??
Or, 15/32" or 31/64" and 12.5 mm??

This is a "common terminology". Refers to the size of the hole that is drilled for a given tube.

But inaccurate as it can be!

Measure your tubes in outside diameter and inside diameter in thousandths of an inch. Otherwise, when you try to press fit components, you will find they "just don't fit right".

 

[plantman]

I agree with ED 100% on measuring and sizes. Fraction drills are measured usualy in 64th of an inch. Metric drills can go as high as 10,000th of an inch. If a machine cranks out thousands of parts a day, you can be sure that the last part made in that day is not the same size as the first one. Some manufactures start out their run of parts a little oversize so that at the end of the run they are a little undersize. If they measure the first part and the last part, add them together, and divide by two, you have an average part size within the range stated. Always measure all components twice and write it down so you know for sure what size you are going for. Jim S