WTB: Cardboard tubes for fabric storage

[ultimind]

I'm merely a hobbyist at this stuff so a lot of material I've collected are shorter cuts of fabric from eBay and elsewhere (Most < 10yds) and shipped to me folded. I'm looking to store them properly on rolls. Outside of buying a caseload from Uline, I only found one carbon fiber supply shop selling 62" 1.75" dia tubes for $1.75/ea. About double that price when shipping is considered.
https://compositeenvisions.com/cardboard-fabric-tube-1-75-inner-diameter-x-62-long-951.html

Is this about the best I can do or are there better sources for such items?

Thanks all!

[Gear Dynamics]

For short rolls we use a few reusable lengths of 1.5" ABS pipe. The ends never get mangled and you can cut them to ensure they are longer than you need to aid in racking or carrying.

[BergspitzeCustoms]

David, if you aren't anal about them being the perfect length, find a local JoAnn Fabric or Hobby Lobby and go ask their fabric department for some.  I prefer JoAnn Fabric just because they always have a TON, and it's hit or miss with my local Hobby Lobby.  Most at JoAnn fabric aren't a full 60", so I have one end folded over before I roll it so it rolls up at 48" or 52" or whatever the tube happens to be.  The best part...they're free.  They just take them to the recycling dumpster out back so they are happy to give them away.  Ask at the cutting table and you should get all that you need.  Sometimes you get lucky and they have some full 60"+ ones from the upholstery fabrics and such.

[WBTactical]

I just roll them up as neat as possible and tuck them under the cutting table, works for me Just don't stack too much though.

[ultimind]

Most of mine is gently folded to avoid too many folds and stacked right now as well.

I’ll check the local JoAnn tomorrow and see what they have. Thanks guys!

[ViktorHUN]

If you have a carpets and curtains shop close to you then I would ask them about paper tubes. I think a lot of paper boxes and tubes land in the trash bin normally.

[imcat]

I second the use of plastic. Typically, I use PVC, you can cut it to length, holds up well and is not much heaver then cardboard.

[ultimind]

JoAnn Fabrics was a no-go. I was told in no uncertain terms that they do not give away any tubes, as each store has to pay for them. Even when politely asking where they get their tubes from I was told that was something they aren't allowed to divulge. Alrighty then  I walked down the plaza to Lowes, bought a bunch of 10ft lengths of PVC and cut them to size in the parking lot to fit in my car. Came out to $1.63 per tube. I'm still figuring out how to efficiently wrap the start of the roll without a set of rollers. I came up with a little table jig for laying down a 2" piece of masking tape sticky side up along the full width of the material and overlapping 1" on the fabric and 1" on the PVC pipe. There's plenty of adhesion to get a nice even wrap going. I'll post pictures in the Workspace/Tools/Mfg section if anyone is interested.

[BergspitzeCustoms]

JoAnn Fabrics was a no-go. I was told in no uncertain terms that they do not give away any tubes, as each store has to pay for them. Even when politely asking where they get their tubes from I was told that was something they aren't allowed to divulge.

Well that is definitely not what I was expecting. I was in my JoAnn store just a few days ago getting more now that I have the space for them.  When I asked how many I could take they literally said "How big is your vehicle?"  Sorry you aren't as lucky!  The PVC will serve you well though.

[Stone]

I second the ABS/PVC pipe route, although I can get free cardboard tubes from my local Joann stores as well 

The only issue I have with ABS and PVC is that I can't get tubes longet enough to have some "extra" on each end of 60" width fabrics. I store my rolls vertically, so keeping them off the ground is nice.

[ultimind]

I second the ABS/PVC pipe route, although I can get free cardboard tubes from my local Joann stores as well 

The only issue I have with ABS and PVC is that I can't get tubes longet enough to have some "extra" on each end of 60" width fabrics. I store my rolls vertically, so keeping them off the ground is nice.

I think I'll try a different store this weekend and see what I can score. I considered vertical storage as it would be far more efficient but I also had concerns about keeping the ends from getting smashed into the ground. Thanks gravity. 

[frozen-stitches]

See if you have a local upholstery or canvas shop. We have so many that we recycle. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind giving the, to you.

[Misadventure Gear]

I use PVC pipes to store my rolls vertically. It's been a few years since I made some, and forgot exactly what size, but I believe they were 1.5" diameter. I checked out the various tubes, and found that the 1" diameter tubes fit snuggly inside the 1.5"...... They might have been different schedules (thickness of the tube walls) to fit right. I bought 5 ten foot lengths of the larger, and a single 10 footer of the smaller diameter. The 1.5" pipes were cut in half (60"), and the smaller was cut into 6" lengths, and the edges sanded smooth. I then used a hammer and block of wood to pound the 6" stubs into the ends of the 60" pipes. This made the most efficient use of the 10ft pipes, while still giving me roll tubes that were wider than 60".  I also made some by cutting a 10ft pipe to 72 inches, and then using the 4ft tubes for narrower fabrics, and/or using a butt-connector fitting to piece together longer tubes. The ones made using the butt-connectors were harder to roll straight because of the uneven diameter, but they worked.