Forming your own C-Base (Proof of Concept)

It was a slow Saturday in the shop, so I decided to teach students a little about manufacturing processes. I started off by explaining why C-base isn’t actually traditional C-Channel. Basically the fact that regular C-Channel is extruded, and C-Base is lasered sheet metal formed in a press.

Then I shifted into strength of materials and how we are looking to plastically deform the aluminum, but not pass its ultimate strength. Basically a poor forming die design can become a shearing die design.

Then I decided to whip up a demonstration, so we gathered supplies from our empire of dirt, and we whipped up our very own forming die that fit into our horrible freight 12 ton press. It wasn’t the most skookum die made out of wood and aluminum, but it was a relative success for being a proof of concept.

Pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/puwsQ

I don’t think you will see us competing with andymark any time soon.

I can’t tell if Minnesota is just close enough to Canada that they share slang, or if I smell an AvE fan.

Either way, pretty cool stuff!

Probably an AvE fan, as I have only heard other AvE fans say those up here :smiley:

What a treat especial! You could probably save some doll hairs in the season. There are plenty a vijayos in the gargler that could probably get you a bit closer, what for actually using the thing. Watch out for that chineesium though.

Minnesota is within spitting distance of Kanukistan…

Next time I will have to break out the ole cockford ollie frankenmill made out of the finest of cryobi drill presses, and whip up the an actual skookum choocher.

Well. That answers that question. Aaaaaaaand I think we’ve hit the limit on about how much AvE slang we can repeat on these fora.

Its a lifestyle choice at this point… not really slang wah. It would be interesting to see how many people in the FIRST community are also subscribers to the 200 lb gorilla.

The slang needs to be use tactfully, and no, it is not ingrained into the language of the north tundra any more than Canadians actually say eh. (gotta love Bob & Doug)

For reference- Forming of channel via progressive dies. This is not the same channel we use in the kit chassis mind you, but still cool.