Needed Metal Cut for Mount... Update, Mount is Here!

Strykervet

ain'T goT no how whaTchamacalliT
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Jun 5, 2011
    6,047
    4,937
    49
    Pierce County, WA
    Edit: go to page 3 for the pictures of the finished unit.

    I need a "C" shape welded from 1/4" aluminum plate that measures 3.5" high with 3" long legs with the left side 3" deep, the top leg 8" deep and the bottom leg 5" deep. All edges will be flush in the front so the top extends 5" past the side and the bottom extends 2" past the side. The left side piece will be 3" tall with the top and bottom welded with it in between so the whole height will be 3.5". I need really solid welds and a perfect square in all 3 dimensions!

    I can make a good drawing and scan it and email it to whoever can do it. I figure if you can weld the aluminum and are as good as I need, you've probably got some 1/4" x 3" x 8" scraps laying around. I can pay $20 plus the shipping; it should fit in a flat rate Priority mailer.

    I plan on installing posts on the three unsupported corners using 3" hollow aluminum tubing with 1/4" thread stock and lock nuts. It's going to be used for a spotter/LRF mount and the LRF will be sort of cantilevered out on the end of that top 8" piece. The LRF is 2 or 3 lbs. I'm guessing, it's a Litton LRR-104 Mk5 if you want to see what it will need to support, and the bottom will have a USO spotter mounted forward on the bottom 5" piece. There'll be a 2.5" length of rail on the side to accept IR illum. I'll try to center the weight the best I can and mount the whole thing onto a ball head and tripod with a steel helicoil threaded insert, which will be used for all the threaded mounts.

    So that's it the best I can explain it, like I said, I'll include a good drawing. It's really simple if you have the materials and equipment to keep it square and weld it solid. I figure $20 is reasonable? If it's honestly not, let me know. It's only two welds and three pieces of scrap. I can throw in some KAC rail covers or something to sweeten the deal.

    This would really help me out, nobody makes what I need and I don't really wanna put 'em side by side. And I know some of you are excellent welders.
     
    Last edited:
    hit a local shop, big guy...
    you may want to jump up to 40 cash, but a local shop would more than likely love it...
    most shops have scrap laying around and what your asking for would only take a sec
     
    Your looking at 60-80 bucks easy for what you want. Everything sounds easy but until you invest for skill sets an tools most never understand that simple fact. One off items are never cheap. The different one off breaks I make for myself I figure cost me about 200-300 bucks each, depending.
     
    I agree with tucker. It might look simple but it is amazing how much time goes in to prep, before the welder is even turned on.
    He's right, you know.

    Now, IF I had an TIG welder, and IF I had that material laying around, I wouldn't have much problem at all helping you out. Unfortunately though, I'm not in that business. Others are, and may be able to help you out. What you're asking for (product wise) has more to it than most think. But that DOESN'T mean that it is impossible or improbable.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Strykervet
    Okay, yeah, I didn't know, $20 was just pulled out of the air. I used to work at a shop building palletizers when I was 17 or 18 for a summer and we had scrap like that, mostly steel but some plate aluminum. They'd let us in there one day a month I think it was and use any scrap (within reason, if it was a big piece you had to buy it but it was for cost) and use the shop's tools for personal stuff. Some of those welders built some pretty amazing stuff! God I wish I had access to that shop again...

    I bought a large plate of aluminum a while back, if it didn't have several tons on it I could cut the pieces from it. I could call around but I figured I'd throw it you guy's way first.

    I'll do the drawing here in a bit and scan it and post it up here. It's literally 2 3" welds.

    Thanks for all the replies!
     
    You gotta be kidding me. First off, do you know how clean Aluminum has to be to get a good weld?
    I would assume (dangerous word) that you want the pieces somewhat square and aligned, that calls for fixtures and you can't use magnets, so clamps and squares.
    You won't want sharp edges around either so demurring and maybe machining on the three coupons, each of which has 4 sides and 8 edges not counting rounding the sharp corners.
    No spec on what kind of aluminum, some of the stuff doesn't weld well, other stuff is difficult to machine.
    My best recommendation would be to make it out of wood, screwed and glued together and if you lack the skills to do that, it still would cost you $50 in any professional shop.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Black max
    Okay, here's the drawing:



    Spotter-LRF Mount.jpg


    Edit: I can drill and tap and work all the holes and fittings of course, I just need the 3 pieces of aluminum welded together.
     
    Last edited:
    • Like
    Reactions: Barneybdb
    I need really solid welds and a perfect square in all 3 dimensions!
    Not really elementary dude.

    I suck at welding aluminum but I know enough not to promise "perfect square" unless I can flycut the sides after welding.

    If I am imagining this right, he would be better off buying a piece of 3.5" square tube with 1/4" wall (shouldn't be too hard to find) and then cut it to shape with a milling machine, bandsaw, the creative use of some other machine or even a hack saw and files.

    Pro tip: lay out the corners and drill holes to make nice radius'.

    Welding probably won't come out perfectly square unless your fixtures are perfect and a 1x piece doesn't get that.

    A square tube will spring back a bit when you cut one of the walls but dealing with that is about like dealing with a crooked weldment.

    Bending and thick aluminum don't really mix, you get cracking at the edge and if it's under any stress, metal fatigue will break it.

    If you made the left side of a "C" thicker, you could get the edges milled square and then bolt the "C" together pretty square but it could loosen and isn't as strong as a tube extrusion.

    Any way you slice it, making 1 isn't cheap.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Barneybdb
    Stryker... Give me a few days and I'll do it for you. I have 1/4" scrap lying around. And it's too damn hot to go out shooting. And the workshop at Schloss Nitrocellulose is air-conditioned.

    No charge. Pass the favor on to someone someday. Though I am partial to good hoppy India Pale Ale's if you happen to have some lying around!

    PM me with where to send it when it's done.

    Cheers,

    Sirhr
     
    Well damn, you got lucky.

    You know, I've got this idea for mounting my Kestrel to the panning portion of a gimbal that I'm going to mount my spotting scope on.

    Will the TIG welder fairy make it happen if I put the gimbal under my pillow?
     
    I still think the tube is the way to go but you're right, I shouldn't call you a fairy sir-her.

    You seem to do some fab work so I expect you're used to some ball busting...
     
    There are a lot of things that "they" never do which don't bother me at all.

    But you shouldn't say I chickened out of a fight unless you've got evidence.
     
    @Strykervet, back to the second sketch with the 'support posts' installed. Do those need to be fastened/removable or can those be welded at the same time? I ask, because in the due process of setting up and welding, those done at the same time would DEFINITELY help keep things aligned and stable and square and plumb and perpendicular and gooder.

    Those are technical terms, for the unwashed.
     
    What I've gathered from the drawing above.

    1 - The fleshlight mount has me concerned because if I get a bit overzealous, I may cut the shit out of my abdomen with the protruding edge of that design.

    2 - Sell your USO spotter relic. I've handled one before. The eye box is something that should be made illegal. Ever wonder why no one else makes a spotting scope that looks like a telescope?

    3 - Use your newly acquired funds and wait for a sub $1k Leupold spotter with a reticle in it. You thought I was about to tell you to buy a Spotter 60, didn't you?

    4 - Buy the Badger rail system made specifically for the Leupold spotter

    5 - Mount all your shit to your rail system and be done with this.

    6 - Build bunk beds in your new house because I'm coming to visit and play drums in your living room. Do you have a boat?
     
    main_900.jpg



    I was thinking of it in terms of "The Gadget." But I get all historical at times.

    As for backing down from fights... Oh and and ignoring the advice of folks who have BTDT... and have the scars? And live by our (albiet generous rules of conduct)... This is not the place to start. Just 'sayin. Just ask Pop Rocks... among others.

    Cheers,

    Sirhr
     
    • Like
    Reactions: 1J04 and Barneybdb
    main_900.jpg



    I was thinking of it in terms of "The Gadget." But I get all historical at times.

    As for backing down from fights... Oh and and ignoring the advice of folks who have BTDT... and have the scars? And live by our (albiet generous rules of conduct)... This is not the place to start. Just 'sayin. Just ask Pop Rocks... among others.

    Cheers,

    Sirhr
    Hmmm.......what ever did happen to him ? :unsure:
     
    • Like
    Reactions: 1J04
    main_900.jpg



    I was thinking of it in terms of "The Gadget." But I get all historical at times.

    As for backing down from fights... Oh and and ignoring the advice of folks who have BTDT... and have the scars? And live by our (albiet generous rules of conduct)... This is not the place to start. Just 'sayin. Just ask Pop Rocks... among others.

    Cheers,

    Sirhr
    No gadgets for me but I did get thermonuclear back in the day.

    The problem with some people who btdt is that they imagine everyone else has been twiddling their thumbs.
     
    main_900.jpg



    I was thinking of it in terms of "The Gadget." But I get all historical at times.

    As for backing down from fights... Oh and and ignoring the advice of folks who have BTDT... and have the scars? And live by our (albiet generous rules of conduct)... This is not the place to start. Just 'sayin. Just ask Pop Rocks... among others.

    Cheers,

    Sirhr
    I’m old, my eyesight isn’t what it used to be. Where’s the Fleshlight “port” ? (Askin’ for a friend......).
     
    Okay, here's the drawing:



    View attachment 6917495

    Edit: I can drill and tap and work all the holes and fittings of course, I just need the 3 pieces of aluminum welded together.

    2 cents? - Would it be worth considering that as good as our man is, your chosen fabricator, that getting these two planes fully and perfectly square to each other may be a near impossible task without the aid of CNC milling the thing from a solid billet? Therefore, perhaps incorporating some kind an adjustment / alignment feature into the mount shoe for the LRF could be worth considering.

    That said and aside, cool idea!

    That said and aside - What happens when an immovable asshole meets and unrelenting asshole?
    Stay tuned.
     
    2 cents? - Would it be worth considering that as good as our man is, your chosen fabricator, that getting these two planes fully and perfectly square to each other may be a near impossible task without the aid of CNC milling the thing from a solid billet? Therefore, perhaps incorporating some kind an adjustment / alignment feature into the mount shoe for the LRF could be worth considering.

    That said and aside, cool idea!

    That said and aside - What happens when an immovable asshole meets and unrelenting asshole?
    Stay tuned.
    no need to over design this thing...if its not in alignment.....just find an engineer and ask to borrow his "universal adjustment tool"

    hdx-claw-hammers-n-a10shd-64_1000.jpg