Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase glass tubes for your laboratory

Scientific and medical laboratories often use glass tubes because they're transparent, heat and corrosion resistant and relatively cost effective. Borosilicate glass is higher quality than flint glass and is better for labs that work with corrosive materials or high heats. Flint glass works well if your lab doesn't use corrosive materials or high heat.

I recommend: ScienceLab.com, Inc. sells flint glass tubing in one pound boxes. Borosilicate glass tubes are available from CR Scientific.

Buy metal tubing for outdoor uses

Stainless steel tubing is well suited for outdoor uses like irrigation and fencing because it's strong and resists corrosion. There's also an abundance of metals, like steel, so it's easy to get large quantities of metal tubes for big projects. Because of the high conductivity of metals, they are also ideal for electrical wiring.

I recommend: Sequoia Brass and Copper provides copper tubing for electrical uses. Bushwick Metals, Inc. offers load-bearing metal tubes for awnings, canopies, fencing and other exterior projects.

Use plastic tubes for plumbing

Plastic tubes, or PVC tubing, are commonly used for indoor plumbing because they're rustproof, strong and relatively inexpensive. PVC, also known as vinyl, is a plastic mixed with additives to make it hard and strong. Some people feel that PVC may cause health risks due to the chemical additives leeching out of the plastic, but many experts agree that its safe to use PVC pipes.

I recommend: United States Plastic Corporation has plastic drain pipes in various diameters. MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. sells unthreaded PVC pipes.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You can use copper tubes in place of PVC pipes for plumbing if you're worried about the possible health consequences of PVC, which include an increased risk of cancer.