The AM Forum

These two are "done".

They are not particularly straight, nor smooth, nor even, nor equi-angular.

To place some screws I measured, for most I did not. 

The angle pieces are located higgily-pigily.

The finishing was accomplished with a die-grinder and a cut-off wheel.

BUT, they are mostly square and very usable, AND they are done. A bit of work!

Their most redeeming quality is that they are to be installed in a dark cabinet. 

Rich

One more.

Nicely done. I don't see any blood stains either!

HARD CORE! ! ! ! !   Even built his own chassis pans! Good show OM!

"it isn't the kill, but the thrill of the chase"

Thanks for reminding me!  At one point I was drilling the umpteenth hole with a 1/8" bit.  I was rushing it, pushed too hard and the bit snapped.  The remaining stub came down a went all the way through the fat part of my thumb.   :P

It was strange in that I didn't realize what had happened until I found the exit wound.  Yuck.

Rich

nice work !

I've also been doing aluminum work by hand, rack panels too (my wife
thinks I'm nuts), with hole saws and stepped drill bits with a hand-held
drill, and a tapered hand-turned reamer...

It builds character and roughens up the palms  ;D

73s de Peter

Vely vely nice job, Rich!

You even counter-sunk the outside screw heads.   Those boxes look perfect.

All my projects here are done the same way. The only difference - for final sub-chasis, mine are designed taller to accomodate the air passage and larger components.


BTW, about drilling thru the meaty thumb area. That same thing happened to me back in 1972. The problem usually is from using dull drill bits - we have to push too hard.  Pick up "The Drill Doctor" sharpener. That solved the problem here, though I still have scars from that mishap - nasty, torn wound... ;D

T

I'd recommend a GOOD set of bits. 

I use a set of Aggressor by Blue MOL bits that are Cobalt.  Not cheap, but I've had them > 10 years and used them for everything from drilling PC board holes to drilling holes to remove V8 head bolts that had become in need of additional coaxing when the heads decided to decapitate themselves.

4 point heads, they do NOT walk....  A biggie for me, even using a center punch they always seemed to want to move a bit...  I'm guessing from using cheap bits in the first place.

Hard to find nowadays, but if you can, I'd HIGHLY suggest them..  They cut easily, don't dull, and have served me well cutting through aluminum, iron, steel, fiberglass, you name it.

--Shane
KD6VXI

Shiny!!!  good job.....Consider using pop rivets next time....

They look FB OM....


can anyone find drill bits saw blades, et al, made in the US?


klc

Fine work there OM.  Looks like they are built to last. True homebrew rig going on there.

"I carved this rig out of solid steel with my bare hands"

-Bob Piper, K1AJL (SK)


Can one find anything made in the US any more?

we work with equipment which is hardly very far ahead of stone knives and bearskins  ;D

Really nice work. nice n shiny

Chuck K1KW, made a masterpiece called "The Big Rig" Beautiful aluminum work and drilled and tapped screws all around. Consisted of two boxes containing the tank circuit for a 4CX1500A RF deck and the modulator and meters housing 2 ea 3CX1200A7's. 20 watts RF drive and 3500VDC @ 5A will give 2.5KW out and massive TX audio.

Fred

The city on the edge of forever


when will this madness end?


klc

Nide Work - I tend to leave the blood stains as sort of a safety reminder.

Rich,
  I have done a couple of rigs that way. Feels good to make 'em yourself!

Bill

The number 1 FONT is not very smugggg

Fred

Very nice work, Rich. I can sympathize with the thumb penetration thing. I've done it too. Sharp, good quality bits are our friends <G>.

Any particular reason you selected the 'nut and bolt' method over pop rivets? Just curious.

Again, well done.

ldb
K5WLF

Nice job on the chassis construction!  That is a good way to make chassis just the size you want.  I acquired some stock that was made back in the 60's time frame....I think it is called see-zak or something like that.  They made aluminum plates and side rails with holes punched all around the edges.  You can assemble them in many different ways using 6-32 hardware and build chassis boxes.  I was fortunate to get a box full of different sizes of stock quite cheap, and I have built a number of chassis over the years.  You can still get aluminum plate stock at the local home creepo, but it tends to be extremely expensive.  I would like to find a local source for aluminum stock that was inexpensive, but haven't found the place yet.  Good luck with your project.

73,  Jack, W9GT

NICE..... I always enjoy doing sheet metal work and appreciate someone else's that is well done....

Nice job Rich!  What gauge?

For a long time I labored under the impression that step drills were a poor substitute for the real thing but now they've become a preferred tool.   No one ever completed a job and sat back thinking "gee I wish I'd had fewer or duller tools" ;-)

Hi Jack -

Yep, forget Home Despot. They price alum like platinum.

Do a web search for metal recyclers / scrap metal  on the web for your area and you'll come across some excellent sources. Many have alum sheet and tubing that has been sitting around for years. By the pound it will cost between $1 -$3, depending on how greedy they are.  They will even cut to size for a nomial fee.

I've built many Yagis and rigs all from scrap yard alum. Most stock looks like new.


Dealing with them:

Always haggle about the price per pound. Look up the current alum scrap prices on the web and be prepared to throw that number at them right away. They will balk and tell you these are wholesale prices and they have to make a profit - but they will stay away from the usual sucker-walk ins retail gouging. Act like you own the place and are a big scrap user or pay the sucker price. I saw them trying to get $6/pound from walk-ins three years ago while I was buying it at $1.50 at the same place.

A better idea:  Pick out a big pile of scrap and offer the guy $1/pound for it. They will deal faster when they see a big pile rather than talking at the beginning. This deflation has casued many to get more agressive in pricing, so go for it.

T