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Tube Outside Diameter
RESOURCES
PIPE AND TUBE MEASUREMENTS
Learn the key terms and guidelines
Both pipe and tube have two important measurements: The outside diameter (O.D.) and the wall thickness. The naming convention for pipe and tube is based on two factors: the size and wall thickness of the pipe or tube.
Tube is named, or called out, by the outer diameter. For example, for a 1.5 inch tube, you would refer to it as “one-and-a-half inch tube” when requesting that type of material.
Tube Wall Thickness
Tubing comes in a variety of gauges, or wall thicknesses. The most popular tube gauges are 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18 and 20. The lower the gauge number the thicker the wall. For example 10 gauge tube measures out at a .134 inch wall thickness, whereas 20 gauge tube measures out at a .035 inch wall thickness. The gauge measurement remains consistent among the various tube sizes.
A tube that has an outside diameter measuring 1.5 inches and a wall thickness measuring .065 inches is “named”, or called out as, “1-1/2 inch 16 gauge tube”.
For most commonly requested gauges of tubing and the corresponding measurement (in inches), please see the following chart:
Pipe Outside Diameter
The naming convention for pipe corresponds to the nominal pipe size, or wall thickness. This is known as “schedule” or Sch. In other words, the wall thickness of the pipe is referred to as schedule.
Pipe comes in a variety of schedules. Popular schedules are Sch 5, 10, 40 and 80. The measurement of a pipe’s schedule varies among pipe sizes, but the O.D. remains the same regardless of the schedule of the pipe. (You can see how the schedule measurement varies among the 1-1/2 inch pipe in the “Varied I.Ds” chart below.)
TUBE GAUGE
TUBE GAUGE = WALL THICKNESS
GAUGE in Inches
VARIED I.Ds FOR 1-1/2” PIPE
NOMINAL PIPE SIZE SCH (WALL THICKNESS) I.D. (INSIDE DIAMETER)
1-1/2” Pipe (1.90” O.D.) Sch 5 (0.065”) 1.770”
1-1/2” Pipe (1.90” O.D.) Sch 10 (0.109”) 1.682”
1-1/2” Pipe (1.90” O.D.) Sch 40 (0.145”) 1.610”
1-1/2” Pipe (1.90” O.D.) Sch 80 (0.20”) 1.50”
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