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Modding Aluminum Angle Attachment...?

Discussion in 'Modding' started by Inf3ction, 12 Dec 2008.

  1. Inf3ction

    Inf3ction What's a Dremel?

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    Hey guys, got a bit of a dilema brewing in my head. I'm planning on begining a new project here in the next couple of days and I've got everything pretty much designed and figured out except how to assemble the frame to the case. I will be using 3/4 x 3/4 x 1/16 inch aluminum angle. Each corner will consist of the 2 pieces with *45 cuts and one perpendicular piece sticking straight up. My dilema lies here, I don't want to go the traditional route and use pop rivets, I want to use something that will give me clean lines. I think I am going to use JB Weld Kwik but I don't think the aluminum has enough surface for the JB Weld to have something to bite into. My question is, will it benefit the case's structural integrity if I drilled holes in the 2 pieces and the perpendicular piece and filled them in with the JB Weld, will this give the corners the right stuff to stay together with just this? Thank you for any help you guys can provide.
     
  2. mvagusta

    mvagusta Did a skid that went for two weeks.

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    How about tapping some threads in the angle pieces & brackets, using a few bolts, with loctite, and after the loctite has fully cured, you cut the bolts approximately level with the surface, and you can grind them flush. You can then finish them however.

    It would be easier to use bolts that are at least a couple of cm longer than required, and tighten a pair of nuts at the correct height so that the remaining thread is the correct length for the joint.

    This way you only have to cut & grind one end, which can be the unseen side, and when the loctite cures you can undo the nuts, thread them up to the head of the bolt, so you only have to cut the threaded part of the bolt.

    I hope all this makes sense :D :confused:

    edit: actually, if you don't mind having the head of the bolt from the inside, then you can just pre-cut the bolts to the correct length, and bolt from inside. Loctite isn't neccessary like this but will make things last longer.
     
  3. Inf3ction

    Inf3ction What's a Dremel?

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    I like your idea, but if I was going to take all that time to cut and grind down a bold and still have half of it on the inside I would just go ahead and use rivets. :blah: Thanks for the idea though, I might use it on something else that is getting build into my case.
     
  4. mvagusta

    mvagusta Did a skid that went for two weeks.

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    If you want it smooth on both sides, so there's nothing sticking out at all on either side, then you can do what i tried to describe in the first three paragraphs, before the edit.
     
  5. Inf3ction

    Inf3ction What's a Dremel?

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    But seeing as when both pieces are together it is only going to be about 1/8" thick, there isn't going to be enough threading within those two pieces to hold it together.
     
  6. jhanlon303

    jhanlon303 The Keeper of History

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    Several of us have had less than happy results relying only on JB Weld. It has like no shear strength. Any twist of parts will 'pop' the weld joint. Any mechanical solution - rivet, tap and bolt, etc - would be a better solution. Search the project logs for G5 and you will find some good help and alternative solutions. Search for my Sacrilege log - JB is a good part of why I haven't finished it. Yet!

    john
     
  7. Inf3ction

    Inf3ction What's a Dremel?

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    I just got back from harbor freight and I picked myself up a rivet gun and 1000 rivets, looks like the jb weld won't work, I tried it out yesterday on some test pieces and it wasn't strong enough. Rivets are going to be what I use, I just have to figure out a way to hide them. :waah:
     
  8. Spyrious

    Spyrious Modding all the Time

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    You could use square aluminium rods like some project.Search for Der Meister and Aluchill project logs.It is cleaner.Thats what i will do with my custom case i'm planning now.
     
  9. Inf3ction

    Inf3ction What's a Dremel?

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    I thought about that as well, but cosidering the dimensions of my case that would a bit too bulky. I am going to start construction tomorrow so I should have some pics up soon in the work log section. Thanks for all the suggestions guys.
     
  10. notatoad

    notatoad pretty fing wonderful

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    instead of grinding bolts down, you could get some set-screws at the correct length.
     
  11. Inf3ction

    Inf3ction What's a Dremel?

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    I think that would work alot better if I were using the 1/8" alumuminum angle instead of the 1/16".
     
  12. notatoad

    notatoad pretty fing wonderful

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    ah, didn't see you were using such thin aluminium. why did you go so thin? i can't imagine that's going to make for a very strong case.
     
  13. jhanlon303

    jhanlon303 The Keeper of History

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    My case is made of 1/2" X 1/2" x 1/16" alum angles. I can tell you that without some external panels it will still flex. I'm now trying to find what they call countersunk rivets for my final assembly but the 1/16" may be too thin to allow a good countersink/flush mount rivet.

    My project is here:
    http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=159236

    Go to the end and work back to see the alum. frame bits.

    john
     
  14. Logikal One

    Logikal One Is that with or without fries?

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    Got access to a welder?
     
  15. Inf3ction

    Inf3ction What's a Dremel?

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    Yeah but not the kind I need to do aluminum. :wallbash:

    Believe it or not dude I've been following your project for quite some time now, been browsing the forums for awhile before I joined. :)
     
    Last edited: 14 Dec 2008
  16. barry99705

    barry99705 sudo rm -Rf /

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  17. mvagusta

    mvagusta Did a skid that went for two weeks.

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    Grinding small bolts down will work better than unmodded set screws here, since the alluminium is thin and we need as much thread as possible! The grinded ends also help to lock the bolt into the alluminium - the grinding isn't just for asthetics.

    If you use set screws, you miss out on at least half a thread at the top and another half at the bottom! That's at least one full revolution of a thread, and that's if you use a set screw of the corect length.

    If you use slightly oversize set screws, and grind them down, then you will have just as good a connection as using bolts. If you don't grind, you miss out on the additional locking though. The threads can be distorted a little after tapping, to provide a much tighter fit, which is an ok substitute. Compared to using rivets, i'd much rather use bolts with the heads on the inside = smooth outside finish, or use unmodded set screws which are slightly oversize = a few nice little lady lumps on the ends of the alluminium :naughty:
     
  18. jhanlon303

    jhanlon303 The Keeper of History

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    Thank you for a great idea! Bolts from the inside, tapped through both layers of alum angle and ground flush would solve one of my problems but do you think 2 1/16" pieces will have enough thread count to be able to tighten?

    john
     
  19. mvagusta

    mvagusta Did a skid that went for two weeks.

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    Well using fine thread bolts, you'd get at least a couple of threads into each piece of alluminium. You'd probably want at least 5 or 6mm diameter threads, so that's probably about 9-10mm bolt heads. Now you can't tighten that much obviously, but you can get a nice snug fit. It's a good idea to experiment with an offcutt of the same alluminium angle first, learn how much is too tight on the scrap, and don't go too close to that on the project!

    You should use at least a few bolts on each end of the alluminium angle, so that way you have a total of 8 threads hanging on ot the alluminium. Don't forget to use loctite! And the holes in the angle would have to be tapped to suit the bolts.

    Now allthough all this should work fine, i've attached many bolts to ~1mm thick alloy like this, and they are quite strong... but a few times i tightened a little too much and chewed the alloy like butter :D

    edit: and you probably just want to tapp the outer piece, and have the hole on the inner piece large enough for the the bolt to just barely pass through - the bolt head can do the clamping.
     
  20. Inf3ction

    Inf3ction What's a Dremel?

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    I've actually reworked my design around the rivets, lol, I've decided to go with a previous idea I had about 6 months ago which was to go with an industrial color and highlight scheme. The rivets will work well with this scheme, now I have to continue learning how to use sketchup so that I can make a model for my project log.
     

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