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The first tube for my 10" was rolled aluminium in 1995. I had it done at a metal fabricator and welded by a local (at the time) engineering firm... pretty tricky to weld ali without warping... boat fabricators may be your best bet.
Aluminium will conduct heat excellently, which will mean you will be introducing tube currents every time you get close to look through the eyepiece. The Amateur Telescope Makers of Queensland spent a lot of time debating and testing various materials to eliminate thermal currents and found that wood is the most thermally inert material... this is readily available in a refined form as cardboard tube. Can be pretty heavy though depending on the wall thickness.
If weight is the issue perhaps a truss style tube is the go. Hope this helps.
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