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Precision aluminum tubing from K&S Metals in eight professional-grade diameters for scale modeling projects. These lightweight tubes feature consistent 0.014-inch wall thickness and 12-inch lengths, perfect for aircraft detailing, armor modifications, ship rigging, and diorama construction. Complement with brass tubing for complete metalwork capabilities.
Precision metalwork separates good scale models from exceptional ones, and our collection of K&S Metals aluminum tubing provides the professional-grade materials serious modelers demand. This comprehensive selection features eight precision-manufactured diameters ranging from 1/16 inch to 9/32 inch outer diameter, each engineered with a consistent 0.014-inch wall thickness and supplied in convenient 12-inch lengths. Whether you're scratch-building landing gear for 1/48 aircraft, fabricating custom gun barrels for armor kits, creating rigging components for ship models, or constructing intricate diorama details, these lightweight yet durable aluminum tubes deliver the structural integrity and workability essential for superior results.
Our aluminum tubing collection spans eight precision diameters to accommodate the full spectrum of scale modeling requirements. The smallest 1/16-inch diameter tubes excel for delicate applications like antenna masts, pitot tubes, and fine structural details on 1/72 and 1/144 scale aircraft. Mid-range sizes including 3/32-inch, 1/8-inch, 5/32-inch, and 3/16-inch diameters serve as versatile workhorses for gun barrels, hydraulic cylinders, exhaust stacks, and structural reinforcements across multiple scales. Larger 7/32-inch, 1/4-inch, and 9/32-inch tubes provide the strength needed for landing gear struts, main gun barrels on armor models, ship masts, and load-bearing diorama structures. This graduated sizing allows you to select the precise diameter for your application while maintaining consistent wall thickness across the entire range, simplifying calculations for nested tube assemblies and telescoping mechanisms.
Every tube in this collection features a uniform 0.014-inch wall thickness, providing predictable strength-to-weight ratios and consistent machining characteristics across all diameters. This standardization proves invaluable when designing nested assemblies where smaller tubes slide inside larger ones, creating telescoping landing gear, retractable antennas, or adjustable support structures. The consistent wall thickness also ensures uniform behavior during cutting, drilling, filing, and bending operations, allowing you to develop reliable techniques that transfer across different tube sizes. When combined with brass tubing of complementary dimensions, these aluminum tubes enable sophisticated mixed-metal assemblies that leverage each material's unique properties.
Aluminum's exceptional strength-to-weight ratio makes it the ideal choice for applications where minimizing mass is critical. Aircraft models benefit significantly from aluminum landing gear and structural components that provide necessary strength without the weight penalty of brass or steel alternatives. This weight reduction becomes especially important in larger scales like 1/32 and 1/24, where brass components can make models top-heavy or strain delicate mounting points. Diorama builders appreciate aluminum's light weight when constructing elevated platforms, bridges, and overhead structures that must remain stable without requiring massive support frameworks. The material's natural corrosion resistance also ensures long-term durability in display environments.
Aluminum's soft, ductile nature allows easy cutting, drilling, filing, and forming using standard modeling tools and sets. Razor saws, jeweler's saws, and tube cutters produce clean cuts without the effort required for harder metals, while standard twist drills create precise holes without specialized equipment. The material accepts files and sandpaper readily, allowing you to achieve smooth finishes and precise dimensional adjustments. Aluminum also bends smoothly around mandrels for creating curved components like exhaust pipes, control linkages, and decorative railings. This workability makes aluminum tubing accessible to modelers at all skill levels while still delivering professional results. Pair with Dremel tools for advanced metalworking techniques.
The applications for precision aluminum tubing span every modeling discipline. Aircraft modelers use these tubes for landing gear struts, oleo scissors, pitot tubes, gun barrels, antenna masts, and structural reinforcements. Armor enthusiasts fabricate main gun barrels, machine gun barrels, exhaust pipes, tow cables, and hydraulic cylinders. Ship modelers create masts, booms, davits, railings, and rigging components. Automotive modelers build roll cages, exhaust systems, suspension components, and chassis reinforcements. Diorama builders construct scaffolding, bridges, cranes, utility poles, and architectural details. The material's versatility extends to diorama effects and scenic construction where metal components add realism and structural integrity.
Each tube's 12-inch length provides ample material for most modeling projects while minimizing the need for joints and splices that can compromise both strength and appearance. This generous length allows you to fabricate complete landing gear assemblies, full-length gun barrels, and extended structural members from single pieces, eliminating weak points and visible seams. The extended length also proves economical, as you can cut multiple shorter components from a single tube, reducing waste and cost per project. When longer spans are required, the consistent dimensions facilitate creating strong, aligned joints using internal sleeves or external collars.
K&S Metals has manufactured precision metal products for hobbyists, craftspeople, and professionals since 1950, establishing the quality standards that define the industry. Their aluminum tubing undergoes rigorous dimensional control to ensure consistent outer diameters, wall thicknesses, and concentricity that meet the exacting requirements of scale modeling. The company's commitment to quality means you receive straight, true tubes free from dents, kinks, and dimensional variations that plague inferior products. This reliability allows you to focus on craftsmanship rather than compensating for material defects, ensuring your finished models reflect your skills rather than material limitations.
Aluminum tubing accepts a wide range of surface treatments and finishes, expanding your creative possibilities. The material can be left bare for a natural aluminum appearance, polished to a mirror finish for chrome-like effects, or treated with chemical blackening solutions for gun-metal finishes. Aluminum also accepts paint readily after proper surface preparation with primer, allowing you to match any color scheme. For weathered or aged appearances, the material responds well to washes, dry brushing, and pigment applications. Advanced modelers can anodize aluminum components for durable, colored finishes that penetrate the metal surface. These finishing options integrate seamlessly with Vallejo Metal Colors and other metallic paint systems.
Aluminum tubing integrates effectively with other modeling materials to create hybrid assemblies that leverage each material's strengths. Combine aluminum tubes with brass rod and tubing for assemblies requiring different material properties in different locations. Use aluminum for lightweight structural members while employing brass for wear surfaces, threaded connections, or areas requiring superior strength. Aluminum tubes also accept plastic rod inserts for creating detailed assemblies, and they can be bonded to resin, wood, and other materials using cyanoacrylate adhesives or epoxy. This material compatibility enables sophisticated scratch-building projects that would be impossible with single-material construction.
Maintaining a comprehensive selection of aluminum tubing sizes in your workshop ensures you have the right material immediately available when inspiration strikes or project requirements emerge. These tubes store compactly, resist corrosion indefinitely, and remain ready for use years after purchase. Building a complete size range eliminates project delays waiting for materials and allows you to experiment with different approaches during the design phase. Serious modelers recognize that having quality materials on hand transforms the building experience from a series of compromises into a process of realizing your creative vision. Stock your workshop alongside essential modeling tools, adhesives, and finishing supplies for complete project readiness.