are these for personal use, or are you having to 'make' a better wheel?, 5/8" solid rod, drilled thru leaving meat enough for tapping lf and rt threads in it... whats with the hex? CPP makes em, take a look. g.t.
sorry for the assumption. i thought you were talkin about tie rod adjtr's...if you dont mind me askin, what exactly are you fab'n? g.t.
It would help if I/we knew what you were fabricating it for and what kind of shear loads you expect. Are you asking for suggestions on type of material and thickness, or material sources? A little more detail would be necessary for me, otherwise it's a little too ambiguous of a question to provide a detailed answer. If you're in the Pomona area (like me) and you are looking for a materials source, I purchase a lot of my structural steel and aluminum from Marmon Keystone in Pomona.
Ramcast Steel I have already purchased 1" steel Hex Rod. I am making custom made adjusting sleeves. The will have 2 different diameters on either end. Prototype fits like a glove. Hex shaped makes it easier/faster to remove/replace. I still need to get them slotted. Will post pics, when I get a camera.
You still didn't answer the question as to what the sleeves are for but saying you were going to slot them just about narrows it down to tie rod adjusters. Any thing but a custom lock clamp on a hex bar will look funky so why not make the sleeve a little bit shorter and then use a jam nut like all the rack and pinion guide rods use. It's a lot quicker to use and a more positive lock. Bolt places like Fastenal have left hand nuts if one is needed.
Ramcast Steel ....yes Tie rod connectors. CAD Designed....prototypes fit and look great. Still working to perfect.