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The making of brackets
Irony - 30/6/10 at 08:15 AM

I have been making a plastic template for a alternator bracket I need. I was going to get the shape perfect and then cut it from 5 - 6mm ally. On mentioning this to friend of mine he said 'oh ally will snap, it needs to be out of steel'.

Will aluminium snap and should I make the bracket from steel? Should all brackets be make from Steel?

JeffHs - 30/6/10 at 08:19 AM

I agree with your friend. The tight bends needed to make nice brackets will break in no time if made from ali.

Irony - 30/6/10 at 08:22 AM

^^^ I agree with that after having tried to cold bend ally bar to a right angle. You can see it fracturing as you bend it. But my Alternator bracket is flat and just a funny shape.

iank - 30/6/10 at 08:22 AM

quote:
Originally posted by JeffHs
I agree with your friend. The tight bends needed to make nice brackets will break in no time if made from ali.


Tight bend, and 5-6mm ally

If it's just a flat plate with bolt holes (i.e. no bends) then ally will be fine and at 6mm won't fail.

Thin strip aluminium with bends will fail quickly if it's carrying any load and vibrates.

ETA: People make brake caliper brackets from aluminium.

[Edited on 30/6/10 by iank]

BenB - 30/6/10 at 08:27 AM

6mm ali is quite strong stuff- I made my throttle pot spacer plate out of it and couldn't bend it despite trying (for various reasons). It's also much nicer to work with.

Just be careful with the filings if you've got ali filings and old (rusty) iron filings all mixed up on the floor.

Irony - 30/6/10 at 08:33 AM

quote:
Originally posted by BenB
6mm ali is quite strong stuff- I made my throttle pot spacer plate out of it and couldn't bend it despite trying (for various reasons). It's also much nicer to work with.

Just be careful with the filings if you've got ali filings and old (rusty) iron filings all mixed up on the floor.


It is just flat plate with bolt holes essentially! Why would mixed filings cause a problem?

smart51 - 30/6/10 at 08:37 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Irony
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
Just be careful with the filings if you've got ali filings and old (rusty) iron filings all mixed up on the floor.

Why would mixed filings cause a problem?


Kaboom! Remember the Hindenburg? it set on fire because it was coated in an emulsion of aluminium powder and iron oxide powders. Static discharge on landing caused a spark that ignited it and Kaboom! This mixture is called Thermite and is now used as solid rocket fuel.

sucksqueezebangblow - 30/6/10 at 08:43 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Irony
I agree with that after having tried to cold bend ally bar to a right angle. You can see it fracturing as you bend it.


A good approach would be to bend it progressively 5 or 10 degrees at a time and annealing it each time by rubbing soap on it and heating the bend until the soap goes black.

eddie99 - 30/6/10 at 08:46 AM

I think 6mm Ally would be suitable, i've used it on a few occasions and its extremely strong.

Irony - 30/6/10 at 08:47 AM

quote:


Kaboom! Remember the Hindenburg? it set on fire because it was coated in an emulsion of aluminium powder and iron oxide powders. Static discharge on landing caused a spark that ignited it and Kaboom! This mixture is called Thermite and is now used as solid rocket fuel.


Oh dear. The things you learn. Just googled it as well. Seems a Thermite reaction could be produced. Good job I do most of that work outside and clean up regularly then! Back to brackets.......

[Edited on 30/6/10 by Irony]

loggyboy - 30/6/10 at 09:05 AM

Is this a mouting bracket or an adjustment bracket?

Irony - 30/6/10 at 09:21 AM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Is this a mouting bracket or an adjustment bracket?


The adjustment bracket. The mounting is the original cast ali bracket and I need to make a bracket that adjusts the tension. The original one is steel flat bar. But I was going to make a ali one.

40inches - 30/6/10 at 09:45 AM

Will be OK if using 6082 (H30) grade as here,you may get it cheaper elsewhere.