Re: Alum. Extrusion Manufacturers

Chris,
If you're feeling entrepreneurial, you could go to a manufacturer
and spend about $600 on an extrusion die and have them crank
out a couple hundred feet of your rail. Sell the chunks on various
web sites and you could end up making money!

-Jeff

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., Chris L <datac@l...> wrote:
> When it comes to Linear Motion application, "affordable" linear
motion
> methods specifically (related to CNC of course), I have
searched over
> the past year for just *one* Aluminum Extrusion company who
has been
> "innovative" enough to make the Center Hole or Cavity
(sometimes more
> than one cavity) of an extrusion, to allow an *easy* insert of one
of
> the common Linear Bearing sizes.
>
> My goal was this. As many know, typical Round Linear Rail is
quite
> affordable. Sellers on E-bay practically give it away if you know
who to
> contact. But to afford Linear bearings premounted "IN" linear
mounting
> blocks raises the costs involved quite a bit. If you've priced
Thomson
> Rail Stands you've likely noticed they are pretty pricey as well.
>
> So, For a short travel distance "starter" machine, I hoped to
find a
> method where you would use real common Aluminum
Extrusion sections
> (short pieces), and press in a Linear Ball or Frelon Lined
bearing into
> it. This would allow one to buy just the "inner" portion of the
bearing
> and not the aluminum mounting blocks. Frelon gets pretty
affordable.
>
> The beauty of the concept is that you would ALSO use the very
same
> extrusion as the stands for the rail (one each end), by turning
some
> simple "liners" that again would press into the Cavity of the
extrusion.
> The rail could be held in place with a setscrew or two. A 1/4"
spacer or
> even machinery feet would go under those end supports to
allow necessary
> clearance for the "Slide" sections. And, It would Look good !
>
> In the case where one prefers the linear rail to be secured all
along
> the length, you could even make your own "open" bearings as I
have seen
> some extrusions that offer some real good wall thickness.
This to me,
> seems like a really good "economy" - "hobby" - "newbie"
method to make
> inexpensive, yet pretty accurate slides.
>
>
> Well, I have looked at using Fractional Extrusion with Fractional
and
> Metric Bearings as well as the other way around. Nothing lines
up worth
> diddly. I even checked out the dimensions of the extrusions
used for
> that new Air Line concept. Nothing lines up very well. Too bad.
>
> I am sure there are those "one off" extrusions out there that
would fill
> this interesting situation, and I am really sure if you had the
bucks
> you could have it made. But then, it probably won't be that really
> affordable solution we all look for.
>
> If you happen to have a chunk of extrusion with a hole bigger
than 3/4"
> in it, and a piece of 3/4" linear rail Laying around, Slide that
> extrusion over the top of that rail. Now imagine it had ball
slides
> holding it centered........ Now picture some of that extrusion on
each
> end of the rail in the same orientation with the rail firmly
attached in
> the center of it. "Instant" Linear Rails !! Without Thomson
Pricing !
> Joe Blow, could make this work just with a lathe by his side !
>
>
> Not a bad Idea, I think !!!
>
> To me, I would say every extrusion maker is "missing the
boat" in
> this regard. If you know of one of the common rail companies
that offers
> a possible solution, please let me know. I've been swimming
in DXF
> files and Catalogs without luck.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Chris L