Need help, Aluminum or galvanized pipe for blind material?

G

Gene

Active member
You folks on this site have always been a tremendous resourse so here I go with another question. If anyone has any thought on this I would truly appreciate your input. I will be building a TDB/Bankes style blind on my aluminum rig. I will be hunting both fresh and salt water and would like to know any opinions on durability and corrosion resistence. I am trying to deside between using schedule 40 galvanized pipe or schedule 40 aluminum. It seems that aluminum would be my first choice being it is lighter and (what I thought) more corrosion resistant. However, I am hearing several things such as, get an aluminum with a low copper compound unlike 6063, get a polished anodized 5052, stay away from 6061... so on and so forth. And as far as galvanized goes I do not want to sink the money into this and have it rust away. You folks know best what our rigs go through and what may be best. Would you suggest galvanized or aluminum, if aluminum than what number?

Any and all ideas or thoughts are welcome!

Thanks,
Gene
 
I have been using cheap, easy-to-get-ahold-of aluminum ridgid electrical conduit for about ten years now. I hunt the salt several times every year. I've seen no adverse effects as far as corrosion. The 3/4" conduit is the perfect size, for me anyways. It's only drawback is it is a little soft. If you lean on it very hard it will bend. But it's soft enough to easily bend back into shape.

I would never consider galvanized pipe! Waaaay too heavy, in my opinion anyways...

You could always go to an industrial supply house that sells aluminum tube, tell them what you want to do with it, and order something special. It's not terribly expensive.

Jon
 
Same here, I've the smallest size electrical conduit Home Depot has for years. No corrosion, no problems.
 
The problem with EMT is that the only fittings out there are EMT fittings, NOT fittings that you want to build a TDB style blind out of. You need 3/4" aluminum RAIL fittings that fit 1" OD tubing. McMaster Carr has the fittings and tubing and you can also get tubing from onlinemetals.com.
 
Thanks guys, I truly appreciate you taking the time to offer your input. I am kinda locked into 1" sched 40 due to the fittings I purchased. I am using the Quick Klamps from farmtek. They are galvanized clamps but I really wanted to stay away from galvanized pipe due to weight and rusting ends. My buddy has a bankes and they use galvanized pipe and it is quite heavy. Going aluminum would shave down the weight substantially. I have a supplier I can get sched 40 6061 for just over a buck a foot. Was just told it would start deteriorating within a year or two. They are recommending polished/anodized. Anyhow, it does not seem like any of you are getting any rust/deterioration issues. Thanks again guys!
 
I build mine out of 3/4 copper pipe. It holds up great and no rust. I'm a plumber so it easy for me. I have been making them for 25 years. I hunt Maine to Delaware. And the Great Lakes.
 
If you take a 1 in or so piece of 3/4 copper tube and cut a 1/8 slice out of it down the side. you can reform it to slide inside of the 3/4" tube then solder it in. Then you can use the standard plastic bimini top hardware from West marine or Defender. I've used this for years. If you really want some heavy duty Aluminum tube and heavy duty handrail fitting check out R B Wagner Co. Stiffnes is a function of cross section so bigger is stronger. If my memory isn't failing me 1.25in schedule 40 aluminum pipe weighs about the same as the 1.25 thin wall square steel tube (roughy a lb per foot) I used on my boat last year and I could weld that. Granted it will eventually rust and you have to paint it but it will still out live me. Bare Aluminum will weather some and you probably want to paint it just to dull it down. I suppose you could have it black anodized but that's going to be pricey.
 
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