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Thread: Attaching brass rods

  1. #1

    Question Attaching brass rods

    I'm finally getting to make some progress on a build I started way back in 2017!
    I'm looking to attach brass accents to a curved choke like so:
    Screen Shot 2020-03-21 at 10.45.23 AM.jpg

    What would be the most forgiving way to do so, assuming access to powered hand tools and epoxy, but no access to proper machining tools? I'm aiming to make the saber duel-worthy (stage combat+).
    To give some examples of tools I have on-hand, I have a handheld electric drill with a variety of bits, a dremel, sandpaper, a hacksaw... things like that.

  2. #2

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    I doubt you’ll ever achieve something like that, you’d have to have custom work done on a choke like that with predrilled holes for the rods, and even THEN, I’m not sure if it would work or look right given the shape of the choke. You’d be better off using a choke with a flat choke and running the rods parallel to that. You could do that yourself, if you have long enough drill bits.
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  3. #3

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    Alright, thanks for letting me know how difficult that mod would be. I assume it wouldn't be any more realistic to sand / file / cut the rod to roughly the shape of the choke, epoxy it, and disguise the epoxy? Would such a bond be too weak, or is brass really hard to sand?

  4. #4

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    It would be weak, probably look bad and would probably fall off with contact
    TCSS MODERATOR
    All n00bs READ these first (PLEASE)!!!:
    1. Forum Guidelines
    2. FJK’s “Down and Dirty” guide to Ohm’s Law

    "Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before... you want blindingly bright, super loud, running 1138 blinkies off of the cheapest sound card you can find AND you want all of it to run on a battery the size of a dime, and run for a very, VERY long time. That one cracks me up every time..."
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  5. #5

    Default

    Gotcha.
    Guess I may have to give up on placing speaker holes in the choke: those rods would be to prevent my hand from covering them, while hopefully looking somewhat attractive.
    Do you think it might be worth testing the bond strength with epoxy and wood dowels, since it's easier to sand wood rods to shape, or should I just (give up and) leave the choke blank?
    Last edited by Lolwel21; 03-22-2020 at 07:00 PM.

  6. #6

    Default

    Hey Lolwel21

    Do you think it might be worth testing the bond strength with epoxy and wood dowels, since it's easier to sand wood rods to shape, or should I just (give up and) leave the choke blank?
    I say give it a shot; anything is worth a try. The bond strength of the epoxy is not really as much of an issue as the adhesion. Even if you can't see it, raw aluminum will oxidize slightly from being out in the open air - that oxidization prevents a good adhesion. They key is to get rid of that oxide layer before bonding. Try cleaning wth acetone, sand the aluminum area to be bonded, wipe again with acetone, and make sure you get everything "glued" up with in 15 or 20 minutes.

    If you decide to try it please do it in ventilated area & wear gloves; also be prepared for a mess ...

    - Steve

  7. #7

    Default

    Thanks for the advice! I'm anticipating liberal use of masking tape, etc. in my near future! (I'm gonna do some previz on how it would look if I place veneer in the sanded regions should epoxy not hold the brass strongly enough)

  8. #8

    Default

    I'm going to have to agree with FJK here. If you want a nice clean look, you just don't have the tools.

    Unless you are extremely skilled and spend an enormous amount of the shaping the rods, you aren't going to get a great fit and alignment will be difficult to say the least. Epoxy isn't going to get the job done. You'll spend a lot of time and effort and have a mess to show for it.

    Your best chance would be to drill holes to insert the rods into, but unless you have the wrists of a Greek god it will be next to impossible to do with hand tools. Even a drill press would require a lot of skill, patience, and custom jigs to get even marginal results.

    TCSS might be able to make a custom piece for you that would work. The shop has the machines that could possibly make this. I'm not an expert on the capabilities of the equipment, but I think that is your best hope for happy days.

    That being said, if good enough is good enough and you are okay with it looking fairly rough, I still recommend drilling. Take your time, plan each move out, measure many times, and figure out how you are going to hold and manipulate your work piece. Start with a small hole at an easier angle, and use that to have a place to get purchase at the extreme angle you need. Getting this right with a hand drill will be next to impossible, but if you don't mind some slop and gaps you can make it work. Your best chance is to get some small round files and spend a lot of time working a smaller hole from about the right angle to what you need. Here's where that epoxy might come in handy, since you'll need to hold this rods in place and fill some gaps.

  9. #9

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    Speaking of extreme angles, would changing the angle or any other modification to the design (ideally keeping to the same general idea) make this significantly easier? I don't want to insist on a master craftsman level design if there's a doable one within arm's reach.
    The main practical use of this decoration would be to keep my hands from covering any potential speaker holes I might drill near the top of the choke when I have access to a drill press back at college (probably in the fall).

  10. #10

    Default

    The closer a hole is to perpendicular to the surface the easier it will be to drill. Any similar design will have the same issue, drilling at an oblique angle is not going to be easy.

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