Attach a PDF, DXF or STEP file. You can request a review without configuring individual pieces.
How your quote works +
Add one or more cuts, share your requirements and tell us where to deliver. We review material, cutting and freight before sending a quote.
Dimensions & material weight +
Dimensions describe your requested section and cut length. Standard sections and feasible cuts are confirmed during review. Include any tolerance in project details. Weight is theoretical, uses ideal section geometry and excludes corner radii, packaging and cutting loss. The preview is a schematic, not a manufacturing drawing.
PROJECT CONTENTS
Your cut list
Cut lines are saved in this browser. Only added pieces are included in your request.
What to include in your request
For welded or bolted assemblies, identify the faces used for connections and any restrictions on seam location.
Subject to review; no live-stock or tolerance guarantee
Outside dimensions and uniform wall. Theoretical weight excludes corner radii, welds and tolerances. Supplier section review is required.
01
Turning a rectangular profile changes the available interfaces
A rectangular tube's wide and narrow faces are different pieces of the assembly envelope. Rotating the member changes which face meets a panel, how a surrounding bracket fits, and where an opening or connection sits. Those changes follow directly from the geometry, before any structural performance question is considered. An installed section view makes the arrangement understandable: the outside profile defines space, the wall defines a boundary, and the connection drawing explains how neighboring parts use those surfaces.
02
Wrapping brackets need a complete interface
A bracket that surrounds a rectangular tube depends on more than the two product names matching. Its locating face, side clearance, attachment points, and any later finish all belong to the interface definition. A section through the joint is a compact way to explain those relationships. It also shows which surfaces need controlled contact and which simply need room, avoiding a blanket fit requirement that treats every part of the bracket as equally critical.
03
Make handed parts unmistakable
Two rectangular members can have the same outside dimensions yet become different parts after end preparation or hole placement. Give mirrored pieces distinct identifiers and show them in their installed orientation. State whether the raw blanks may be supplied identically or require part-specific identification before fabrication. Carry finish and visible-face notes through the same records. This is especially useful when one shop purchases material and another shop turns the blanks into the finished assembly.
Compare hollow and open member layouts
Compare hollow and open member layouts
Catalog option
Geometry
Key drawing distinction
Carbon steel rectangular tube
Hollow rectangle
Wide and narrow faces have defined assembly orientations.
Carbon steel square tube
Hollow square
Equal outside sides change the component envelope.
Carbon steel channel
Open section
Connections and access require a different section drawing.
PUT THE DIMENSIONS INTO PRACTICE
Example: a four-piece rectangular tube request
Use this illustrative cut line to see how the fields work. It is a dimensional example, not a stock listing or a recommended section for a particular load.
Outside width2 in50.8 mm
Outside height1 in25.4 mm
Wall thickness0.125 in3.175 mm
Cut length24 in609.6 mm
The outside section is 2 × 1 in with a 1/8 in wall. Subtracting two walls gives an ideal 1.75 × 0.75 in internal rectangle. This ignores rounded corners and any seam; use it to understand the fields, not as a guaranteed clearance envelope.
How the theoretical weight is calculated
Cross-sectional area × cut length × reference density = estimated material weight.
Material in this example
Carbon steel
Reference for this example
Material average; grade to be specified
Density used
7,850 kg/m³
One piece, approximately
4.68 lb / 2.12 kg
Four pieces, approximately
18.72 lb / 8.49 kg
Calculated from ideal geometry and a reference density. Actual section, alloy, tolerances, cutting loss and packaging can change the result. This is not a shipping weight or a load rating.
On your own cut list, add a part reference and quantity to each distinct size. Put extra operations such as holes, miters, threads or finish work on the drawing, then keep that drawing reference with the relevant line.
Which dimension should be vertical on a rectangular steel frame member?
Use the orientation established by the structural or mechanical design. Swapping the two dimensions can change bending behavior; the catalog cannot choose that orientation from weight alone.
Can I request rectangular tubing with miter cuts?
Attach the angle and the long-point or short-point length convention, together with the orientation of both ends. Miter cutting must be confirmed as part of the quote.
Does rectangular steel tube use perfectly uniform walls and square corners?
The preview does, but actual sections have manufacturing geometry and tolerances. Use confirmed supplier section data where weight, fit or section properties are critical.
Why does rotating rectangular tube change the fit of surrounding hardware?
The wide and narrow faces exchange positions when the member is rotated. A wrapping bracket, panel offset, or adjoining opening therefore encounters a different envelope. The raw section is unchanged, but the interface geometry is not, making installed orientation part of the component definition.
Why can't a through-bolt joint be defined by its hole diameter alone?
A hollow member's wall response and connection geometry also matter because bolt tightening can pull the faces inward. Hole size describes only one feature of that joint. The complete design must account for the member and the attachment, rather than treating the fastener as an isolated part.
What distinguishes a clearance face from a locating face on a tube bracket?
A locating face establishes where the bracket sits; a clearance face leaves space so another surface can do that job without interference. Both may surround the same tube, but they have different functions. Requiring tight contact everywhere can obscure the intended relationship between the parts.
Why can a rectangular-tube assembly have handed components?
A hole pattern or end feature can relate differently to the wide face on opposite sides of an assembly. Those relationships create left- and right-hand versions even when the raw blanks share dimensions. Rotating a completed member may not reproduce the mirrored feature arrangement the assembly needs.
Can one assembly drawing replace all the individual tube drawings?
Use the assembly drawing to show relationships, but retain individual records for member dimensions, material specification, and part-specific features. A compact member schedule may cover plain blanks; more detailed parts need their own views so the assembly overview does not obscure their requirements.
How should I identify a tube member that receives several different brackets?
Label the attachment faces and locate each bracket interface from consistent references. Give the tube its own part number and connect the related bracket drawings to it. State whether you are purchasing the plain member or requesting a further defined fabrication scope.
What dimensions do I need to request carbon steel rectangular tube?
Provide outside width, outside height, wall thickness, cut length, plus quantity for each size. Use inches or millimeters consistently. Add the required grade, condition, finish and any critical tolerances; attach a drawing for details the standard fields cannot describe.
Turn your specification into a clear request.
Include the material, dimensions, quantity and critical requirements. Availability, supplied condition, cutting and delivery are confirmed in a reviewed quote.
