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Sacrificial fixture plate [for welding]

Avadon77

Plastic
Joined
Sep 9, 2019
Hi everyone,
I'm looking to have a 10"x20"x2" [0.005"-0.006" flatness] sacrificial fixture plate with 1/4-20" threaded holes on a square pattern. I'm hoping to use it to weld up small Aluminum parts for my baby robots. Wondering if this will work and be flat enough, not warp, and not suck all the heat out of my welds.

I've seen 8x16x.59 for $103.21 but I think thicker would be more resistant to warping with the heat.
Sacrificial fixture plate or mini pallet - 8" x 16" aluminum | eBay

Wondering if you could quote me for how much a 10"x20"x2" would cost and a the same thing if it were a 1" thick plate.

Also wondering what a 10"x20"x5/8"s plate would cost in steel.

Fixture.jpg


I found a video of the basic idea of what i'm looking for
making a sacrificial aluminum fixture plate on a Tormach PCNC 1100 - YouTube
 
locally, in aluminum that piece of material would be $300. in steel probably $100 or so. before any work is done. im building some right now for myself, and flatness over 3 ft is about 0.001" with 5/8" holes in it for fixture clamps.

2" will definately be overkill for that. ive got 1/2" that pulls the heat out of everything.
 
locally, in aluminum that piece of material would be $300. in steel probably $100 or so. before any work is done. im building some right now for myself, and flatness over 3 ft is about 0.001" with 5/8" holes in it for fixture clamps.

2" will definately be overkill for that. ive got 1/2" that pulls the heat out of everything.

I could source the aluminum pretty cheap. for example.
1" X 6" X 6" aluminum 6061 T6511 new solid plate flat bar stock mill block MT | eBay

It's just all the drilling and tapping I can't do. I suppose 1" would be fine, I just don't want to get much below that.
 
Hi everyone,
I'm looking to have a 10"x20"x2" [0.005"-0.006" flatness] sacrificial fixture plate with 1/4-20" threaded holes on a square pattern. I'm hoping to use it to weld up small Aluminum parts for my baby robots. Wondering if this will work and be flat enough, not warp, and not suck all the heat out of my welds.

I've seen 8x16x.59 for $103.21 but I think thicker would be more resistant to warping with the heat.
Sacrificial fixture plate or mini pallet - 8" x 16" aluminum | eBay

Wondering if you could quote me for how much a 10"x20"x2" would cost and a the same thing if it were a 1" thick plate.

Also wondering what a 10"x20"x5/8"s plate would cost in steel.

View attachment 311694


I found a video of the basic idea of what i'm looking for
making a sacrificial aluminum fixture plate on a Tormach PCNC 1100 - YouTube

Why does it HAVE to be "sacrificial"?

There is actually a through-body PORCELAIN wall and floor tile stock size of the Metrifuckated closety to 24" X 24" by 1/2". 60 cm, is it? Concretes also exist.
And out-of-spec use granite surface plates, and not-only.

And that tile is a standard, if not all-that-common tile. Before you even get into industrial/structural/engineering ceramics.

I use (multiple) smaller, ordinary, porcelain left-overs. Those big ones for a fewer-seam/grout-lines countertop. $60 each, IIRC? And still have some Asbestos around.

Not a big fan of welding, brazing, or soldering on metal fixturing if I can avoid it and not lose heat until I DECIDE to do, let alone having s**t penetrate, splatter, scar, stick, destroy...etc.

2CW
 
It doesn't need to be sacrificial, but I do need someway to use clamps like a minature welding table. Not sure what those porcelain tiles you're talking about look like though I found many things in google images. Can you link me to something specific?
 
Something like that should be made from Alca5 Mic6 or some form of cast tool and fixture plate. It already starts much flatter than your requirements, costs hardly any more than 6061 (less when you factor in 2 side already being machined) and it is much more stable.
 
It doesn't need to be sacrificial, but I do need someway to use clamps like a minature welding table. Not sure what those porcelain tiles you're talking about look like though I found many things in google images. Can you link me to something specific?

Plenty of used granite countertops and surface plates in the market. Also drilled ones that were part of a machine.

Ceramics, the industrial goods, including already precision drilled for clamp fasteners, Google will find:

One example of many:

Ceramic Plates (MISUMI) | MISUMI | MISUMI

Ceramics can be cut, ground, and machined:

Advanced Ceramic Technology | Precision Ceramic Machining | Orange, CA

Ordinary tiles as a jump-off point for DIY - as large as 24" X 48", are in any big Box or tile store. if-even you must have "seamless" instead of just making up a matrix.

I tend to use only "through body porcelain" for my flooring. MUCH tougher than bisque body + overglaze "ceramic".

As to precision, flatness, etc- you have to sort what you REALLY need and go for it.

Just because you can buy a Blanchard ground plate doesn't mean your weldments will come out perfectly flat off the fixture, nor be the same a week later.

Welding is kinda funny that way...

:D
 








 
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