Abstract: A method for manufacturing thin-walled metal tubes and structures utilizing thin-walled metal tubes. A continuous metal tube is formed by passing longitudinally-extending metal tape through forming tools which bend the lateral edges of the metal tape towards each other to form the tube. A continuous wire or tape is wrapped in the form of a helix around the tube. The wrapped tube is heated to melt soldering material that joins the lateral edges of the folded metal tape to each other. The soldering material can take the form of a separate sheet positioned between the wire or tape and the folded tube, a coating applied to the wire or tape, or a coating applied to a surface of the metal tape. The thin-walled tube is attached to other members to form composite structures.