Milled from solid aluminum billet...

[schodge]

I see some manufacturers make their chassi from solid chunks of aluminum (the Ayre MX-R comes to mind). Where'd would I go about sourcing a chassis size chunk of aluminum? The best I've been able to find is 6" square in arbitrary lengths, which is too small. (I'm thinking more like 12" square or 12" x 18")

Thanks,

Shayne

[Magura]

Casting comes to mind.

I made a chassis by simply melting a load of broken alloy car rims, and a few percent Al99.5 to get a respectable surface finish.


Magura

[okapi]

i use www.industrialmetalsales.com

they are located in michigan so they might not be of use to you because shipping charges would be so high.

they don't have all their products listed on the website so give them a call they can usually get what you need.

it would be nice to see a list of metal supply sources form in this thread.

[okapi]

Originally posted by Magura
Casting comes to mind.

I made a chassis by simply melting a load of broken alloy car rims, and a few percent Al99.5 to get a respectable surface finish.


Magura

have you documented this procedure somewhere? if not, would you mind telling us a little more about it?

thanks

[Magura]

Originally posted by okapi



have you documented this procedure somewhere? if not, would you mind telling us a little more about it?

thanks

I have no gallery at this point.

It's really fairly simple. Get a load of alloy car rims, remove the steel bits, make a mold, either of sand or sheet metal, heat the whole shebang to like 720C, add like 5% Al99.5, heat the whole thing to 720C again.

Pour the metal in the mold, leave the project for a few hours to cool down gently. Heat the cast to like 520C for about an hour, and drop it into a big bucket of water to shock cool it. Now leave it at room temperature for at least a week......

Now all that's left is the machining to final dimensions


Magura

[xiphmont]

Personally, I find McMaster-Carr usually has the better prices on metal (as well as alot more materials choices.... choose from a good fifty aluminum alloys, etc...). I've been buying from them for a good 15 years at this point. The aluminum I'm milling my chasses out of right now came from McMaster in fact.

That and their website rocks. Better than a paper catalog. Just type 'aluminum' into the little search box in the upper left and you'll have what you need in no time.

www.mcmaster.com

[xiphmont]

(Oh, and as Magura mentions, casting is an option if you have access to cheap scrap. The only hard part is a furnace... and a location... to smelt it. If you have those things, casting aluminum is pretty easy, easier than welding.)

[okapi]

i also use mcmaster because of their high quality, great website and fast shipping BUT their cost can be more than twice as high as industrialmetalsales.

[xiphmont]

Originally posted by okapi
i also use mcmaster because of their high quality, great website and fast shipping BUT their cost can be more than twice as high as industrialmetalsales.

Probably depends on when and what metal... Every time I go to buy stuff, I look at IMS too, they're usually very close. I can easily believe one or the other wins big at times.

(BTW, got any examples? Not being argumentative, I really want to know. Sale shopping :-)

[okapi]

http://www.industrialmetalsales.com/1310.html $159.24

mcmaster item no. 8975K289 $296.82


sorry, didn't know how to link directly to the mcmaster item.

i only mention this item because i used it in a project.

they are both 6061. if there are other differences that i am unaware of and i am comparing apples to oranges i apologize.

i have noticed that the surfaces of aluminum from industrialmetalsales need more material removed to get a smooth finish but this has never been a issue for me.