[j s]

j s  asked the Naked Scientists:

Chris et al,

I have a question of geometry and industrial processes:  How do they make seamless metal tubing?  Is Scarborough Faire somehow involved?

John in San Diego

What do you think?

[peppercorn]

Extrusion.  Look up:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrusion

[Knute]

I worked in a steel tubing factory for sometime and the tube wasnt really "seamless" but where it was welded the extra burr was cut off with a carbon blade making the tube smooth.
The tube was electric arc welded fusing the two ends of the metal together and as far as I know the weld is stronger then the rest of the tube.