looking for help from the great people here…I am designing a bracket to attach to the Z axis carriage to mount a laser system to.
I am by no means a machinist nor do I have a mill…but I do know that I can make what I am looking for with my table saw and a drill press…caveman style…
what I do not know is what grade of aluminum is best for this…3003…5052…6061…6063…
basically I am building a saddle to go over the gantry carriage that is going to held in place with Allan key set screws…
I do have a mill and I would use 6061 to make it, mainly because it is the most commonly available grade.
I wouldn’t rule out 3d printing it, though. I have done a fair bit of cutting with this 3d printed water shield in place and it doesn’t show any sign of melting yet.
main reason for suggesting delrin was because of the table saw, I would use stainless if I was making one where are you located I might be able to help
I find the PLA material begins to fatigue and crack about nine months after installation. I assume since it is under constant stress by the two bolts clamping the torch body. I also assume, if printed in ABS it would surely be more durable. I do not print in ABS as yet, a buddy will be printing one for me soon in ABS.
I may make a holder from 6061, but I really like the elegance and low mass of this printed holder. As I said, I always have a spare on-hand.
I live in Ottawa…Canada…
stainless would be to heavy and not very workable…
that is why I am choosing Aluminum…it can be worked with a table saw…just takes time…
Try printing one in PLA+. I find it to be much stronger and more resistant to heat than standard PLA and it can still be printed with a stock printer. I print it 225C on my Ender 3.
6061 machines better. 3003,5052 both form well and will handle water environment. 5052 is a bit stronger and does better in slat water environment. 3003 tends to be cheaper. Since you’re “Milling” with a table saw and it’s a 1 off. Whichever one you can get cheaper locally. Just apply some lube (cutting wax, WD40,diesel whatever) to the blade to keep the chip welding to a minimum. If you were welding everything or machining a bunch of them we can talk about which one is best for that application. in this case anything that’s light weight and metal will work.
Depending upon your location, you might have a Metal Supermarket somewhere near. You can get whatever you want there. There are also several online suppliers. If you were to 3D print I would suggest ASA as a filament. I use ApolloX on my Ultimaker 3E and get incredible results. It is dimensionally accurate, moisture proof, doesn’t warp, and is UV resistant.