Picking materials and tube thickness

[MxPropulsion]

I'm new to building my own rockets, for now, I've just overbuilt all my rockets and hoped they didn't break. Does anyone have any pointers, books, or websites that can help me learn how to choose the appropriate body tube and nosecone thickness and material?

 

[JohnCoker]

I did a comparison of commercial rocket body tubes:
https://jcrocket.com/body-tubes.shtml
I think most of us over-build; it's the only option when you don't know the actual mechanical properties of the materials you use and/or don't know how to calculate all the forces/stresses.