plate thickness question

[aragorn723]

Hi,

I'm building a 3d processor, and want to put it on a plate similar to the Quickie, but made of aluminum instead.  Is 1/16th of an inch too thin for the plate (will it flex?) or would it be better to go with 1/8th?  Thanks,

Dave

[Paul Birkeland]

It's tough to answer a question like this when the size of the aluminum plate, weight of the object placed on it, support under the aluminum, etc. is all left out of the conversation.

[aragorn723]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the response.  There will be next to nothing on this plate, 4 rca jacks, a switch, and a tiny little board for 3d processing (its about 2" X 3").  Since there is so much space left over, i'm contemplating the idea of incorporating something else into the chassis too, maybe some 12v SLAs to power my quickie, or possibly a switch that will allow me to select 2 different amps for a set of speakers.  Maybe the amp switcher and the 3d processor would be a good combo for this chassis?

Dave

[Paul Birkeland]

Ah, I Googled "3d processor" and found some interesting results.

Just use a cheap plastic project box from the local electronics parts store.  You should be able to find something for $10 or so that isn't too big and won't be hard to drill holes through.

[aragorn723]

The board i'm building is the 3d imaging preamp in the thread a few lines below this one.  I have a pretty hefty drill press sitting in the garage and wanted to get a chance to mess around with it, and wanted to branch out into some aluminum anyways (to make the system look good too).  There don't seem to be many domestic companies with cases I like, and found this on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/B0905-Full-Aluminum-Enclosure-mini-amplifier-case-Preamp-box-PSU-chassis-/221611997159?hash=item33991ab7e7:g:DIEAAOSw1XdUVbKf

Will regular titanium bits drill thru aluminum?  The front looks detachable, so i'll probably clamp it down, put some masking tape over the drilling spots, and then use air compressor tool oil to keep the bit from overheating.  Should the drill press be brought down slowly/is there anything i'm missing here?  Thanks!

Dave

[caffeinator]

Hi there,

Here's a good video that shows drilling through aluminum, albeit thicker than your workpieces.  Lots of good info, though.

Always wear eye protection and use clamps (don't try to hold by hand; drill presses have plenty of torque).

I haven't had as good of luck with hole saws in metal as he seems to have in the video.  I have had much better luck with a flycutter, especially on thinner gage (up to 0.125" for sure) materials for larger holes.  For medium sized holes in thinner gages, stepped drills work well.

[caffeinator]

Forgot Link: 

[aragorn723]

cool video, thanks!  Looks like i'll have to buy a center punch, de-burring tool, and maybe some clamps.  Most of the drilling should be simple, is there an easy way to figure out where to drill for the anti-rotation stop for the pot?  Thanks,

Dave

[2wo]

If you mean distance from center, just measure. I think you mean what position. No it does not, put it where it is most convenient and puts the terminals were you want them. You set the position of the knob to compensate...John   

[aragorn723]

I meant the distance from the shaft to the anti-rotation post.. maybe it's as simple as measuring from the outside of the shaft to the center of the anti-rotation post?  Gonna try that in a scrap piece of wood..  Sometimes the obvious isn't so obvious 

Dave

[2wo]

Get yourself a (set, pair?) of  Calipers, something like this.

http://www.parts-express.com/6-precision-digital-caliper--390-592

An invaluable tool for working with and laying out most any project.

In this example, if you have drilled the hole, just measure direct. If not measure the threaded part, round up to the next drill bit size, divide that by 2. Now measure from the closest edge to the center of the nub. Add the 1/2 from above and that will give you the center to center spot for the holes.

Or you can do what I do, hold the part in one hand and the caliper in the other, hmm that looks like about 1/2 inch.

Seriously, it is amazing what you can do with them, use the inside jaws to measure and the outside to transfer and directly scribe the measurement to your plate.

I am sure YouTube has a zillion nifty tricks...John