Quote:
Originally Posted by GeeTwo
As to our 2014 kicker shaft - yes, I concur that it was a brutal abuse of any conceivable material. The point is that, unless you really have worked out the details with a wide margin, a few extra ounces of steel in those key spots is way better than having to replace a mangled aluminum shaft between matches.
|
I agree that it is important to "do it right the first time". To me, this means thoughtful design, including designing for maintenance and engineering for the correct amount of strength for the application.
For example, a "few extra ounces of steel" won't help poor design. In the case of the shaft example, it is important to load the ends of the shaft instead of the center. If the shaft is correctly loaded, as many people have already said in this thread, a 1/2", 7075 shaft will usually be strong enough. If even more strength is needed, geometry is far more important than material. I'd rather have 1" diameter, 1/8" wall, 6061 tube for my axle in "key spots" than a steel or 7075 aluminum 1/2" shaft.