Building from Aluminium Extrusion

All,

This stuff looks really good: http://www.metallin.co.uk/shop/

I've seen it used in furniture and its really easy to realign and move elements. As such I think it might be good as a shell for a cockpit, easily constructed, movable at a later date and expandable as one sees fit. It also looks pretty cool and kind of tech sexy.

Has anyone else tried this and have an particular issues with it?

J.

Aluminium extrusion like that is used all the time in the racing sim community. It does let you make changes easily and add thing on.

8020 extrusion is one of the popular ones but anything similar you can get hold of locally will do the trick.

Thanks MetalnWood.

I'm seriously interested in this stuff for the reasons you mention.

It may have to wait until Christmas is over but I'm definitely going to have a go.

Rgds,

J.

Hi Jase,

I use this stuff a lot and I built my cockpit using it.

see

The cockpit is just a frame at the moment, but I built hinges and locking pins into it so it folds flat.

Its much better than MDF (imho) because you can build adjustable, modular frames with it and the mounting points are perfect to add panels using M4 screws.

I recommend you get a cheap chop saw and an ally cutting blade so you can cut multiple lengths all exactly the same and they have nice clean, square ends.

Good Luck

Matt

Matt,

Thats very cool and exactly what I had in mind.

I already have a workshop full of the tools, I just now need to buy the Extrusions :)

I like your practical solution there, and even though mines going to be fixed rather than portable its the adaptability, and mounting options that appeal to me.

Did you plan it in 3D on Sketchup or an equivalent or did you do it by trial and error. Over here in the UK the extrusions aren't cheap and therefore I think I will need to design it well before I buy and cut. Do you have any pictures of it lit, your YouTube clip is a bit dark.

Which size extrusions did you use? It seems Profile 6 (Series 6?) is about the right strength vs rigidity required for load bearing furniture?

J.

check this topic on the checksix-fr website :

http://www.checksix-forums.com/viewtopic.php?f=286&t=170180&start=50

the guy made is cockpit designed to switch between A-10C, liner and driving...

Thanks Dime.

Much appreciated.

J.

Jase,

I did it by trial and error. One of the good things is that you can shift the elements around on the brackets to fit your size and later in the build to fit new components. I think it will be necessary to use sketchup if you are building to scale. See the photos in my thread 'Matt 's A10C cockpit build' for more details.

Try KJN, aluminium-profile.co.uk for cheaper, pattern framing that's indistinguishable from Rexroth. I use 20x20mm frame.

Matt

Matt,

Much appreciated and thanks for the link.

Does look cheaper too, I don't know why its so expensive in the UK compared say to Europe. I could guess but that's politics and best avoided ;)

J.