where can I get info on extruded aluminum?

[Peter Matteson]

Originally Posted by Jay H 237

It's also possible to carefully TIG weld the extrusion together.

Very bad memories coming back...
Pipe welder not removing andodized coating on extrusion...
Sound of dying cats coming from weld booth...
Lights diming in the factory!

Seriously I don't recommend this based on the above true incident and it defeats the whole purpose of a modular extrusion frame. But if you do weld the extrusion for the love of your ears, Grind off the coating.

Pete

BTW - I'm not kidding about the sound it ranked up there with the dry ice & aluminum trick.

[aaronbr28040]

We used 80/20 extrusion for the past three years obtained from Bertelkamp. They are usually great about getting us our parts fast if we are in a pinch. Extrusion can be combined with lightweight square aluminum tubing to build a very strong/sorta lightweight frame. To cut weight last year I rebuilt the inside platform of our frame with aluminum brackets that I cut to match the extrusion frame and riveted the frame together as we dont have welding capabilities as of yet (I do at home but thats four hours away haha it doesnt help too much). Extrusion is great because they have so many different hinges and joints that can be used. The only problem is that it can get outrageously expensive for some of the hinges and fastening plates. You can talk to some of the distributors and sometimes they will help you out with some discounts.
-Aaron