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10:05 AM
February 18, 2011
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I need to make some brackets for a video camera rig from aluminium on a tight budget.
Essentially we are talking about some blocks of aluminium big enough to take 2 15mm holes spaced at 60mm. They will take 15mm diameter rods which support other camera gear and accessories. The plan is to make a cut at each end from the outer edges of the pieces and tap a hole for a thumb tightening bolt to secure the rods.
I am happy with tolerances of up to a millimetre, so I am not expecting CNC levels of accuracy. As long as things can be tightened rigidly, small inaccuracies can be adjusted for. I can't afford to anodise, but anyway it's a bit overkill, so I'm going to go for spray finish. Any thoughts on the most cost effective spray which will offer at least some scratch resistance? Or maybe chemically dying the metal is better at hiding scratches?
Are any guidelines / links / tutorials which could be recommended for drilling largish holes in aluminium. Do I use a small pilot hole to centre the drill, and then go straight to the full 15mm? Or do I buy a set of progressively bigger drill bits and work up to 15mm? I'm planning to make quite a few of these, so purchasing guidelines on drill bits would be appreciated.
To make my lateral cuts, I was thinking buying a cheap jigsaw table to attach my cheap jigsaw to. This is just to make the cuts properly square and to be able to use a guide rail to get a straight cut.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts, and thanks for reading.
Cheers!
10:40 AM
September 19, 2010
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locate the centre of your holes with a center punch, then use progressively larger driill bits. In order to get the slits personally I would just use a hacksaw, if you clamp the piece securely in a vice and scribe your lines clearly.
How do you intend to fasten the rails, are you going to tap the two smaller holes, or are you just going to put a nut and bolt through?
Are you in the UK?
10:49 AM
February 18, 2011
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GarethBell said:
locate the centre of your holes with a center punch, then use progressively larger driill bits. In order to get the slits personally I would just use a hacksaw, if you clamp the piece securely in a vice and scribe your lines clearly.
How do you intend to fasten the rails, are you going to tap the two smaller holes, or are you just going to put a nut and bolt through?
Are you in the UK?
Yes I am in the UK. The holes will be tapped for a thumb screw, although I haven't properly thought that bit through yet.
Since I posted this, I have been thinking about sending my model to a milling or cnc service and getting a quote. But I have no idea what the likely cost might be. Hmmmm…
11:01 AM
September 19, 2010
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Im going to have a go at making it. how critical is the 15mm hole? I don't have a 15mm bit, I have 14, and 16. the 60mm between holes is from the centres?
11:10 AM
February 18, 2011
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GarethBell said:
Im going to have a go at making it. how critical is the 15mm hole? I don't have a 15mm bit, I have 14, and 16. the 60mm between holes is from the centres?
The 15mm hole is not super critical, but it would be better if the hole was drilled to 14mm and reamed out to 15 than starting with 16mm.
If the holes were 16mm, the clamping would have to travel quite a lot to get a tight grip on the rod.
The rods the piece will support are definitely 15mm, and other standard accesories which will mount to them will have a 15mm diameter.
60mm is the distance between hole centres
11:59 AM
January 13, 2011
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Gareth, that is real nice of you to save James severl thousand dollars. If he had made it himself he probably would have gotten bitten with the metal working bug. He would then buy a lathe, mill, tooling, etc..
Sammy
12:17 PM
September 19, 2010
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I know right.. I only got a mill to make a tank..
And a hotshoe for the camera, because it is cooler to make it than to just buy one… one year later. Do I have a tank? no, do I have a hotshoe? no.
2:41 PM
February 10, 2011
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James,
These would be easy to make with the right gear, my only caution would be to not have too many intermediate drill sizes as a biggish drill taking a smallish cut it will tend to snatch a bit. Better to centre drill, then take out the width of the chisel point on your final drill size, then the final size. I think the size of the hole is the biggest challenge, you may need to get hold of a 14.8 or something similar to end up with the right size hole.
Introduce the slit using a standard hacksaw with two blades in it, you'll appreciate the scope of movement a wider gap will give. Also, whilst your thumbwheels will be OK, it would be good to have enough room in the slit to be able to put a 2p or similar in there, as by reversing the screw you can jack the slit line open.
If you need more detailed help, or indeed the supply of these, let me know. I'm a hobby photographer/videographer and have provided a few 'mount solutions' in my time.
3:44 PM
February 18, 2011
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GarethBell said:
Im going to have a go at making it. how critical is the 15mm hole? I don't have a 15mm bit, I have 14, and 16. the 60mm between holes is from the centres?
On second thought, maybe the 16mm hole would be better. I guess you could pack the internal surface of the hole quite easily to get the best fit and avoid the clamp travelling too far.
I forgot to ask, you are planning to make one of these because you also want a rails mount I take it? If you're successful, I would be interested to know whether you would consider supplying these parts, and if so, at what cost.
There is a good chance I might get bitten by the metalwork bug resulting in another shed and possibly divorce, so I guess I should explore the alternatives.
3:54 PM
February 18, 2011
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Jerry said:
James,
These would be easy to make with the right gear, my only caution would be to not have too many intermediate drill sizes as a biggish drill taking a smallish cut it will tend to snatch a bit. Better to centre drill, then take out the width of the chisel point on your final drill size, then the final size. I think the size of the hole is the biggest challenge, you may need to get hold of a 14.8 or something similar to end up with the right size hole.
Introduce the slit using a standard hacksaw with two blades in it, you'll appreciate the scope of movement a wider gap will give. Also, whilst your thumbwheels will be OK, it would be good to have enough room in the slit to be able to put a 2p or similar in there, as by reversing the screw you can jack the slit line open.
If you need more detailed help, or indeed the supply of these, let me know. I'm a hobby photographer/videographer and have provided a few 'mount solutions' in my time.
Thanks for the feedback.
I would think that if a 15mm drill produces a 0.2 mm bigger hole, that wouldn't be a problem because the rod doesn't need to have a completely snug fit.
I'm not sure how I would mount two blades in a hacksaw, but I'll have a look at it. In any case, I'm now thinking of not tapping the aluminium, but having a bolt and a clean hole instead. I'm a bit worried if the clamp has to travel it will put strain on the thread and eventually strip it.
Thanks for the kind offer of help. I would definitely consider getting you to make these for me. It would be interesting to know a ballpark figure for these. You can buy such things commercially of course, but my whole motivation is centred around the indignation at the prices people seem to want to charge for such a simple object. Also, I will enjoy making them if I do it myself.
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