Joining loads of aluminium box

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SamWE19

Well-Known Member
Excuse the shite drawing but here is a little layout of my box sections I plan on joining together as a frame to hold all my f strips .

f strips will be mostly on air - but edges on the box frame.

looked into renting a welder but seems too annoying to have to use argon gas / a vacuum chamber for aluminium.

what would the best recommended method be for joining all these? Each piece would be around 1m long and some pieces will be connecting on right angles so only a small surface area to connect.

jb weld looked possible but I’d need a ton of it for the amount of aluminium I have.
Other thoughts are mechanic fixings with steel braces?

cheers
 

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SamWE19

Well-Known Member
What’s an aluminium fold? If I google it I just get aluminium folding doors

ok so it’s just aluminium sheet but still how would you screw sheet into mesh? Looked a few mesh fixings but don’t see any that would take a screw or something.

I would prefer to mount directly to the mesh actually without using the sheet for better airflow from the strips since I’m driving them very low

I’ll test the cable tie method - had thought of that but had a feeling a cable tie wouldn’t bend round a rectangular led strip well enough to create a right grip
 
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Nizza

Nizza

Well-Known Member
Have you looked into X channel? It is a cool product with nice hardware but is expensive
 
Bigjim34

Bigjim34

Well-Known Member
You dont need a vac chamber for welding aluminium. It is not something you can weld easy without experience. I have been a welder for almost 20 years and have done my fair share of it and still have issues with the stuff. with that being said on amazon there are some brazing rods that you just need a cheap torch and a little practice with to get the job done. just make sure you clean the metal to be joined really well. you cant have any grease from your hands or anything. scuff it up a bit where your joining them and give it a shot. get some extra so you can practice and get it right and test its strength. I havent personally used these rod but have seen videos on them. look around a bit for more info on them on youtube

Alumaloy Rods - Easy, Simple Welding Rods, Aluminum Repair Rods, Solution Welding Rods (15) - - Amazon.com

Alumaloy Rods - Easy, Simple Welding Rods, Aluminum Repair Rods, Solution Welding Rods (15) - - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
 
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SamWE19

Well-Known Member
Bigjim34 said:
You dont need a vac chamber for welding aluminium. It is not something you can weld easy without experience. I have been a welder for almost 20 years and have done my fair share of it and still have issues with the stuff. with that being said on amazon there are some brazing rods that you just need a cheap torch and a little practice with to get the job done. just make sure you clean the metal to be joined really well. you cant have any grease from your hands or anything. scuff it up a bit where your joining them and give it a shot. get some extra so you can practice and get it right and test its strength. I havent personally used these rod but have seen videos on them. look around a bit for more info on them on youtube

Alumaloy Rods - Easy, Simple Welding Rods, Aluminum Repair Rods, Solution Welding Rods (15) - - Amazon.com

Alumaloy Rods - Easy, Simple Welding Rods, Aluminum Repair Rods, Solution Welding Rods (15) - - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
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Will a simple braze have a good strength though? I will be hanging the lights so don’t want them snapping from lifting up and down etc
I had considered this but lots of Vids on YouTube sayings it’s not strong

Cheers
 
Bigjim34

Bigjim34

Well-Known Member
Honestly I cant say from personal experience. I have seen some of them being hit with a hammer over and over and not breaking. You could always get some small aluminium angle and make a frame and bolt the sheets to it. I had made a frame with 3/4 inch angle and my 3d printer and have no strength issues with it.
 
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1212ham

Well-Known Member
SamWE19 said:
Will a simple braze have a good strength though? I will be hanging the lights so don’t want them snapping from lifting up and down etc
I had considered this but lots of Vids on YouTube sayings it’s not strong

Cheers
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Forget those alum brazing rods, I speak from experiance. Use bolts, screws or rivets like everyone else. Most use aluminum angle or u channel rather than square tube. Look at the other builds here on RIU.
 
Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
SamWE19 said:
damn I had not considered this.

how would you mount the leds onto wire mesh?
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Its a good idea but looks like a bitch to clean. Assuming this is for the comercial place youre planning, a full sterilization with bleach or similar is standard procedure between runs. Wire like that will be a pita. I had similar complaints from my growbuddy when i proposed pinfin heatsinks for cobs a few years ago. Its ideal to try to remove or make easy any cyclic work when designing the place.
 
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SamWE19

Well-Known Member
Rocket Soul said:
Its a good idea but looks like a bitch to clean. Assuming this is for the comercial place youre planning, a full sterilization with bleach or similar is standard procedure between runs. Wire like that will be a pita. I had similar complaints from my growbuddy when i proposed pinfin heatsinks for cobs a few years ago. Its ideal to try to remove or make easy any cyclic work when designing the place.
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I plan to just blast ozone between runs wouldn’t that clean everything?

been doing that for last few years no issue
 
Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
SamWE19 said:
I plan to just blast ozone between runs wouldn’t that clean everything?

been doing that for last few years no issue
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You will have to clean them eventually anyways, all the airmovement and stuff gets them gunky in the end and by the time you do it it will be sticky and gunky. Go for straight surfaces, not nooks and crannies. Just like old blurple active cooled, boxed up lights getting pm spores inside and seeding outbreak after outbreak. We do both, bleach/alcohol on the lights and other work gear and ozone. That and lollipoping the bottoms with better airflow and goodbye pm after years of the shit. Just imagine that whatever youre building should be cleaned every day and design from that. Everybody likes to be lazy so plan ahead and save hours of work.
 
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SamWE19

Well-Known Member
Rocket Soul said:
You will have to clean them eventually anyways, all the airmovement and stuff gets them gunky in the end and by the time you do it it will be sticky and gunky. Go for straight surfaces, not nooks and crannies. Just like old blurple active cooled, boxed up lights getting pm spores inside and seeding outbreak after outbreak. We do both, bleach/alcohol on the lights and other work gear and ozone. That and lollipoping the bottoms with better airflow and goodbye pm after years of the shit. Just imagine that whatever youre building should be cleaned every day and design from that. Everybody likes to be lazy so plan ahead and save hours of work.
Click to expand...
You reckon aluminium angles will be strong enough?
I want to make it into one fixture 4m long by 1m wide don’t want it bending that’s why I went for the box
 
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