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An old friend once gave me a pair of cam clamps that he'd made for part of his apprenticeship as a furniture maker. They're small, light and very finely made, unlike any I've ever seen. I'm planning on trying to make myself some more. He used 1" x 1/4" clear anodized aluminum for the bar and I've had no luck locating this material. Anyone know where to get it in small quantities? I've only found 1" x 1/8."

Thanks

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Pat:

McMaster Carr has anodized aluminum in that size. Not cheap tho'.

Just search for aluminum, and click the anodized link.

-MarkMark Tripp38858.0041435185

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Pullman, WA

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Thanks, Mark.

Looked there before, missed the anodized button.

_________________
now known around here as Pat Foster
_________________
http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Why do you want anodized aluminum? Having an anodized surface on aluminum is only an advantage if it will be used in a really corrosive environment (salt spray, for example).

Otherwise, it just adds cost. McMaster Carr sells plain finished 7075 aluminum for a lower price than the anodized 6061, and the 7075 is also a bit stronger.


Phil

Clear Anodized Aluminum?
You've been watching too much Star Trek!


    I don't know where you live but there are all kinds of scrap metal yards around me and the stuff is cheap. Look in the yellow pages.
    If your aluminum is not to be exposed to any harsh environment, you don't really need anodizing! There is stuff called alodine available that is a cold process,brush it on and it turns a REALLY cool bronze, but you probably won't need it for a clamp!

In short, just "Buff 'N' Go"!!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Thanks for the feedback.

You guys oughta see these clamps I'm modelling mine after. They are the best I've used. They are very stiff and much lighter than my others with steel bars. They feel like a big-tube-thin-wall bike frame. And if I recall, the anodizing process also surface hardens the 6061 base material. Perhaps most important for me, any slop between the bar and moving jaw will have less effect.

I wanted to go anodized only to keep from having the black stuff get on my fingers and wood. The more corrosive resistant alloys would minimize it getting on my fingers, but then wear from moving the sliding jaw up and down would create the black stuff, which would then get on everything. I saw it happen with fixturing in manufacturing. We went with anodized, and never looked back. I thought about using corrosive-resistant alloys, but they're a bunch more expensive.

And the anodized does look cool.

I'll build two and report back.

_________________
now known around here as Pat Foster
_________________
http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Could you really be looking for annealed aluminum? Annealing is a heating/cooling process that hardens the surface and reduces brittleness (perhaps eliminating the black mess?). Anodizing is a coating process that doesn't, IIRC, harden the surface.

Maybe you can post some pics. I would like to check them out.

Anodizing, electroplates a combination of lead and aluminum oxide on the subject surface so it is more stabile, and, of course, harder, but typically very thin. Though, that can be varied.

The main thing I like about it is, it can be colored with Rit dye, and it hinders corrosion!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

I too suspect that annealed aluminum is what you should be looking for and her is why. When the clamp in onder clamping force the two aposing stop or locking bars are being forced into the bar under load. non-anneald aluminum may deform quickly due to this load. The annealed will hold up better. MichaelP38859.4156365741

You could probably find a local metal finishing shop that could anodize
the pieces once you've machined them. If you buy the aluminum already
anodized, you will end up with no anodizing on any of the surfaces you
machine, so having them done locally makes more sense.

Gentlemen,

You've convinced me. I'll look for annealed aluminum, but so far, no luck with McMaster-Carr or Ryerson. Any other ideas?

Thx!

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now known around here as Pat Foster
_________________
http://www.patfosterguitars.com

You will have in any major or minor city a steel vendor to support what ever manufacturing you have in your city. They will have annealed aluminum flat bar in stock it is a very common ite. MacMaster Carr may call it heat treated

Ah! You might want to check that annealing bit. Annealing just makes it soft, so it's more plyable. Not exactly what you want for a clamp. Aluminum, doesn't have as much spring back if it is annealed.

If you want to anneal any aluminum just heat it up with a very rich oxy/acetylene torch. If thats the route you want. The temp is easy to find in the Machinists Hand book or the internet.

I would get 6061 machine it, annodize and leave it alone.

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)