Some tips on metalwork?

[astrovic]

Hey guys

I'm looking to do a little bit of metalwork...basically I want to mount my pots and rotary switches behind the front panel of my rack units, with the knobs poking through the front panel. This will mean fabbing up small strips of metal (basically small "L" brackets) to mount the pots and switches on.

This is completely uncharted territory for me - I can put holes in aluminium, paint it and label it, but otherwise its a form I like to leave completely as is. Basically the trick will be sourcing the right type and size of metal, and most tricky cutting it to the right size without bending it all out of shape.

Anyone got any good tips/do's/don'ts/etc?

[JulienG]

Hmm, IIRC there's a place near the Oakleigh Middendorps that will cut it for you, wouldn't be surprised if they'd do an L bend as well.

[rob]

aluminium L channel. Easy to drill, comes in various thickness ( 1.6 mm would be fine ) and various sizes from 10mm x 10mm to 50mm x 50mm.

cheap from your local hardware

Rob

[astrovic]

Cheers guys, just the info I needed. By the way, a wander around Bunnings (which I call going to Church these days, given that I tend to find myself going there every weekend - you gotta worship something!) didn't produce anything that suited. I think I need to go to a real hardware store.

[Mark Bassett]

i tend to find myself wandering through an industrial aluminium sales factory from time to time and the kinds of channels and angles you can buy is unbelievable , i am not sure about melbourne but in sydney the chain is called "capral"
they will just sell you a bit or a lot and will even cut it to size if you are nice to them .
you may have to drive out to the boondocks but it will be a 20th of the price of bunnings.
and you will buy all kinds of things you will find a use for.

make the effort to hunt one down, your diy projects will we well rewarded

[rick]

hey that last post was from me, but mark was still logged in, i think all he knows about aluminium is that if i need some cut and he is looking bored
he is going to have to do it

[astrovic]

Thanks Mark...I mean Rick...I mean I'm confused...

[rob]

Hey Astro, thats weird about you calling Bunnings church, around my place we also refer to Bunnings as church as we tend to go there sunday mornings and hand over wads of cash.

I hate them....but they are just around the corner from me and geez they do have lots of useful shit, and even more useless shit.

Rob

[astrovic]

and yea they did congregate there and bow their heads in prayer, to the holiest of holies, and it was good...

damn money-sucking cult.