Solar panel bimini stainless steel tubing purchased - 2011

August 2011 - At Marina Cortez Harbor Island, San Diego, CA

Two 10' pieces of 1" stainless steel tubing (one 20' cut in half)

We have been getting the run around on the 1” stainless steel tubing from two different suppliers. My dock mates had said they had purchased some from each one.

 Industrial Metal Supplies in San Diego (IMS) said they did not carry it and it turns out they do but it was a struggle and a couple trips.

The other place Material-Sales said they stopped selling it because the workers were giving it out as brushed instead of polished.  Go figure that?

 In the end (IMS)) gave us a good price and as it turns out it was a great price because they gave us the heavy walled tubing or so I think, I will mike the thickness when it gets to the boat. I was not sure on which to get. The heavy walled is of course heaver and it will be up high on top of the bimini so I thought that the lighter thinner tubing would support the solar panels fine and of course be lighter. However the idea of three big flat surfaces that may catch gusts of wind a take lots of rain sitting on the thin walled tubing spanning  8-9 feet was a thought. The decision was made for us and so I do not think there is not a bad one here. This time around we could only buy a 20' section as last time they would cut it to the 11' we wanted to buy. Oh well at least we got all we need to do the whole job which is close to the 20' we bought.
 Seems like a lot of hassle for something simple or so I thought.
Note:
 We purchased 304 stainless steel and it gets surface rust quicker than 316 stainless steel. We, at the time did not find 316 stainless steel in 1" tubing. It is worth looking for though as we get to polish more than we like on the solar mount grid😩😀

With sample piece I brought.

 It seems hard to tell in the pictures the tubes thickness comparing them to my sample. My sample piece has a big burr on it so it looks thicker.