Our robotics team uses self tapping bolts with an impact driver to tap. It works great. Also, you might consider a wing faster like 8020 part 3378 to help with twist. It will make it a bit stronger then just using a screw.
Just a quick word of caution when using a tap as a center punch, do not use a metal hammer (a soft face hammer like Nero used is fine), or use it as a center punch on materials harder than aluminum. Taps easily shatter/break and the pieces can be razor sharp.
Everyone says this but you should never hit the tap hard enough to shatter it. In fact, you have to hit a tap really hard really hard to shatter it and if you do that you would be center punching way to hard.
Seriously don't think I've ever been so happy I watched a video! I was completely oblivious to this type of joint! That is absolutely perfect thank you so much buddy you really are the brains of the printing world!
Great video, as always. I have a suggestion for a video. I would love to watch you calibrating the tallboi, achieving the perfect settings for pressure advance, retraction, etc. Thank you for the videos.
Great video, but you should be using a cold form tap for aluminium, not a fluted tap. Fluted taps will cut a thread and make it prone to stripping under load whereas a cold forming tap will push a thread into the material and work harden it, resulting in a much stronger thread.
Nice video. On the openbuilds build site, Rick mentioned drilling a 3/16" hole, then thread it with a screw. I have been doing this with a 3d printed jig to line it up and a stainless steel screw to thread it & works really well for me and no tap required. I have not drilled any of the allen key access holes, but using a 3d printed jig there should also help to line up the drilling easier.
Aluminum is soft so if you go with a bigger hole you can use a screw to make threads. But your cutting new threads your forcing aluminium to form to the threads. I much prefer cutting in the long term. As for printed jigs. Not required but yes they can be a great help. Especially if your lacking in proper tooling
The process is exactly the same, only had spare 2020 on hand for the video otherwise i could have covered 1515 as well, just make sure you go 7.5mm in not 10 :p
Is it normal one has to break those treads? (black and at least right profile) I mean if the anodizing happened after all cutting work. I had three extrusions in a set and those what needed joint work, which could be "easely" screwed in. But the rest was well but not so well err screwed, to get the screws in, in one go in, but needed some working. So now I got the frame build up. Next is rails.
Thanks Nero, after cutting, tapping and drilling all extrusions manually I'm not sure I'd want to do it again. Frame squareness is going to suffer a bit.
FWIW, a self-centering doweling jig works pretty well for the hole. 8020 does make a jig for this as someone else mentioned and I think there are some 3D-printed ones available too, although I don't have a source. May I ask if you're using 20 or 25 mm long bolts?
Great video, thanks! In the beginning of the video you mentioned that there is an option for Misumi extrusions with holes predrilled and tapped. Would have opted for that instead. However the sourcing guide for Voron 0 nor BOM list that as an option with p/n like for 2.4. Makerbeam XL which is out of stock for past months leaves Chinese extrusions as only choice. Confused now....
Misumi doesnt offer 1515 in a drilled/tapped option, only cut to length, Openbeams/Makerbeams and Misumi profile are the only 3 profiles of 1515 that work for vzero
Awesome! I was thinking of doing blind joints on my doot changer. Sadly I don't think my extrusions are cut accurately at all so it'd kind of bend :( so I might stick to corner joins ( L shaped ones) My extrusions are also 3030 so the hole in he middle of it is gigantic
Hello, Sorry for my ignorance. Could you tell me the hole diameter before tapping? I am confused because I found M5 needs 4.2mm drill hole and M6 needs 5mm drill hole. On Amazon, I found two different extrusions with 4.2mm and 5mm hole sizes. So when you say 5mm screw you mean 4.2mm hole diameter? or really 5mm hole diameter? Thanks in advance.
misumi extrusion spec is a 4.2mm hole tapped for a m5 bolt in the middle, The spec of extrusions commonly found from china for example are meant for a m6 bolt in the middle Both work, just need to use the right size bolts/tap
Cubes do have some advantages. Cleaner look anti rotation nubs. But in terms of use and strength as long as your using both properly its about the same. Cubes also cost about 5$ each so theres that
How do I get such panels and other aluminum because they are not found in my country and how do I know their types and prices I follow your wonderful work from Iraq
Either find a local dealer that sells aluminum extrusions in Iraq, or see if you can get them from China. China has slightly different dimensions than other manufacturers so just make sure to measure them with Calipers. Perhaps Aliexpress will deliver to Iraq so you can check there if you cant find someone in Iraq selling them. I'm sure there's someone selling them (who probably bought them from aliexpress)
Unfortunately for 1515 the profile commonly found on aliexpress does not work for vzero as the extrusion profile is quite different. Misumi..openbeams and makerbeams are the 3 that work
when u drill tap, DONT do it in one go, clean the tap 2-3 times for 1 tap finish. the metal chips need to be removed or it will block and break your tap.
Yes, this is accepted standard practice, but situational, with a machine tap for example you can bury it in one go, or in this case, a starter tap into aluminum cuts well enough thats the risk of breaking it is quite low.
