[sdiy] Synth Front Panel Material?

[Tim Parkhurst]

Some general info about aluminum (or aluminium to our friends in the U.K.):

5052 and other 5000 series alloys are often used for sheet metal panels and
enclosures. 5052 is made to be easily bent and formed. 5052-H32 is a fairly
common designation and means that it is a high strength non-heat treatable
grade.

6061 and other 6000 series alloys are made to cut cleanly and be easily
machined. 6061-T6 is a common designation and means that it is a high
strength heat treatable grade.

5052 is 'gummier' and does not machine as well (tends to stick in the
cutting tool), but for the amount of machining you'll do on a front panel
(mostly drilling holes and cutting notches) it will work just fine. 6061 is
a bear to bend or form without cracking. 

Basically, in my experience I specify 5052-H32 for sheet metal enclosures
and panels, and 6061-T6 for machined parts (and A356.0-T6 or 356.0 for cast
parts...should you ever find yourself designing cast parts). 6061 will work
for okay panels (just don't try to bend it), but I believe 5052 is a little
less expensive.



Tim (that's MISTER Aluminium!) Servo

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein




> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Patchell [mailto:patchell at cox.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 1:11 PM
> To: Alexander Dunbar; synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl; jacosloof at yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: [sdiy] Synth Front Panel Material?
> 
> I get my metal from http://www.onlinemetals.com  (Hope I got the URL
> correct).  You want either 5052 or 6061 aluminum sheet.  Generally, for
> front panels, I just go to front panel express.  The cool thing about
> online metals is that you can get the sheets cut to size, which really
save
> a lot of hassle...
> 
> At 02:14 PM 1/26/2005 -0500, Alexander Dunbar wrote:
> >can anyone reccommend a good metal for making a front panel with many
> >holes required? I read on Mike Walter's site that he uses "welder's
> >sheets". I have no idea what this is, but I am assuming it's thin gauge
> >steel?
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >AD
> 
>          -Jim
> ***************************************************************
> http://www.oldcrows.net/~patchell
> 
> ***************************************************************
> 
> 
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