I've got 3/4" weld in tube inserts, 1 1/4" .125 wall, 1 1/2 .120 wall, and I'm going to make links by sleeving the 1 1/4. I was wondering about how close should the 1 1/2 be to the ends? I'm going to cut it at an angle so as not to fawk up the grain!!. the inserts are the avalanche variety so they are bigger around at the fat part than the 1 1/4 tube. sooooo, I'd think I could nip both sides of the 1 1/2 kind of like a fish mouth so it would butt up too the inserts and get welded close to them??? and also have the "half moon" welds on both sides. My biggest concern is having all the force at the inserts only being supported by the 1 1/4 tube. Thanks BTW the tube is DOM...... PICS???

why not just buy 1.5 x .250 wall????

I would be most concerned that the only way you are going to apply force to the outter tube is the two edges of the welds, the center will put all the force on the inner tube. To make up for this, drill some holed in the outter tube and spot weld it to the inner tube.

Pretty hoaky way to do it though, by the time you drop the $18 each on joints, and $ 8 each on ends, and $2 a foot for 1 1/4 tube, and $2.50 a foot for 1 1/2 tube, why not just do it right?

Sleeved tubing is stronger... I welded the main rod then slid the sleeve over and welded on top of the previous weld but think it might be better to fish mouth the end and the ends done usually break but the tubing bends...friend also told me to put a weld in the center area but I felt that was overkill...the 1.25 and 1.5 by 0.120 has a good interference fit.....the tighter the better but this works well.....

I used 1.5 x .250 DOM and then sleeved it with 1.75 x .120 HREW. Cut the ends straight, with the outer sleeve about .5" back from the end of the smaller tube, and welded 'er up...