- Joined
- Jul 15, 2020
- Messages
- 422
While 8020 aluminum extrusions are a great substitute for steel in many fabrication projects, it can be quite expensive. You can greatly reduce the cost of a project by CNC plasma cutting your own brackets. Here is an example:
The eight brackets shown below cost under $10 to make, including 1/8" steel, paint, and a two dollar allowance for consumables wear and electricity. The cheapest price I could find for eight of the 10 series 8020 brackets, was $5.95 each, or a total of $47.60 plus shipping. While the 8020 version is 3/16" thick, the steel is just as strong or stronger. Use 1/4" flat washers to make up the thickness difference.
I didn't take the time to clean these up much, as it wasn't important for my project. A few seconds on each side at the belt grinder and they would look as good as the genuine article.
The larger and more complicated the bracket, the greater the savings.
The eight brackets shown below cost under $10 to make, including 1/8" steel, paint, and a two dollar allowance for consumables wear and electricity. The cheapest price I could find for eight of the 10 series 8020 brackets, was $5.95 each, or a total of $47.60 plus shipping. While the 8020 version is 3/16" thick, the steel is just as strong or stronger. Use 1/4" flat washers to make up the thickness difference.
I didn't take the time to clean these up much, as it wasn't important for my project. A few seconds on each side at the belt grinder and they would look as good as the genuine article.
The larger and more complicated the bracket, the greater the savings.
