Re: Save time? Use aluminum extrusion kits!
 

im wondering if Item or anyother company sells extrusions. also are the 20/20 profiles for Bosch rexroth and ITEM the same? can i use bosch with item fasterners and back. Bosch rexroth fasteners are really expensive, t-nuts $.75 a piece and blocks $1.50. Im wondering how much is item and will it work with Bosch and if i can buy without the package. Other companies would work too. Does anyone have any experiance with the inch series?
info would be great!
Thanks!

Re: Save time? Use aluminum extrusion kits!
 

You could try 80/20. They make 1"x1" 1"x2" 2"x2" and many other sizes. We used the 1"x1" last year and are using it again this year, and have found it to be strong enough for our needs. It is actually lighter than comparably sized aluminum tube, until you add the fasteners. This year we welded the frame and saved nearly 20 lbs from not using fasteners. T-nuts and fasteners do add up, both in weight and cost, however.

Cory

Re: Save time? Use aluminum extrusion kits!
 

Yea well our school is not allowing us to use our welder so we cannot use the weld material. So need to get bosch and i want to find out where i can get the fasteners for cheaper. thanks
AmX

Re: Save time? Use aluminum extrusion kits!
 

not to mention t-nuts can be almost as big of a pain as set screws

Re: Save time? Use aluminum extrusion kits!
 

Well, seeing as this is a thread about aluminum extrusion, theyre kind of inevitable. They dont come loose all that often if you use them properly. We never really had trouble over two competitions, although they do need to be tightened periodically.

Cory

Re: Save time? Use aluminum extrusion kits!
 

any time we can we try to eliminate t-nuts by just drilling and tapping to eliminate the t-nuts

Re: Save time? Use aluminum extrusion kits!
 

We eliminated T-nuts by using 1/4-20 square nuts and 1/4-20 x 1/2" button head cap screws. These work extremely well and are quite inexpensive compared to the metric t-nuts.

If you tighten them with a long-handled allen wrench or a 3/8" drive allen head socket then they will not come loose in competition. The hardened cap screws are very tough. None have broken in 2 years of competition.

The square nuts do not turn in the extruded channel, and can even be forced into the channel from the side if the end is blocked, just like T-nuts. We got them from MSC.