Who's played with 80/20 before?

[rtz]

I like it but it's pricey.

https://www.8020.net/

Anyone ever built anything out of unistrut? You would be surprised how many companies make this stuff.

Any built anything out of either?

http://www.unistrut.us/

https://www.power-strut.com/

I'll try and get some pics of some light stuff I've built tomorrow.

 

[bob15]

I use 80/20 more than unistrut. They both have there place but prefer 80/20....it looks better, can be more precise, easier to work with (adjustment-wise) and has more add-on (brackets, rollers, hinges, accessories, etc).

Buy 80/20 on e-bay. It is by and far the cheapest place.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

If you need a saw stand that cost more than a TIG welder...

 

[ratdoggy]

I didn't even know what it was before...
I've seen it coming into the scrap yard and never gave it a thought...
Now I'll have to bring some home at my cost...

 

[jdm5]

My CNC machine is based on 8020 - the kit is designed and sold by CNCRouterParts - http://www.cncrouterparts.com - they add some custom pieces but mostly stock 8020. It’s very rigid and works great.

No affiliation, just happy customer.

 

[Citation]

I've used it a few times. Great stuff, I wish it were cheaper.

 

[Strouty]

I have taken apart a bunch of it, but never used it for anything, at least not yet. I want to make a bench out of it and a few other things. I agree that eBay can be the best place to source it unless there is an industrial salvage yard around. I have bought some good size structures pretty cheap, they had already removed the machines from them.

 

[velocipede]

I used 80/20 to build a router planer sled a few years back. I love this stuff...just like the erector set I played with as a kid.

, ,
,

 

[jonshonda]

Great stuff to work with if you can't weld or don't have the resources. But it is expensive.

 

[larry_g]

Be aware that 80/20 is only one brand. There are many in the field and with working with the many brands I've found that a lot of the fasteners and brackets are proprietary to the brand and will not interchange. Also be aware that 80/20 comes in both english and metric sizes and can get you in a bind if not careful.

Here is a typical machine guarding system that I used to work on.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Reborn]

Yea, we use it alot to make chassis' at work for various equpiment. Handy stuff. Never thought to use it for garage space (like shelves, etc.), but could be a great option that would work similar to gladiator brackets if done correctly.

 

[dr_clyde]

I've always thought 80/20 was for guys who didn't know how to weld, and for prototypes where things may change a lot. I'd rather just weld a tube frame.

Uni-strut is really popular in industry. I use it all the time for hanging pipe and conduit, stuff like that. Cheap and easy to work with.

 

[dawgee]

McMaster Carr sells something almost the same.Great stuff built many a machine out of it lots of guarding too

 

[pattenp]

I used 80/20 to build a router planer sled a few years back. I love this stuff...just like the erector set I played with as a kid.

, ,
,

May I ask..... how much did that setup cost you?

 

[ichabod]

80/20 is handy stuff, I put this drill press stand together from scrap that was getting tossed at work. and a little bit of scrap laminate flooring.

 

[rtz]

Just a quick pic of the back of my van. Overloaded like always and that's not even all the stuff! I don't have my smaller windsurf board yet. Nor am I transporting a kite buggy.

Bolted up some of the thin unistrut to the wall using factory holes horizontally. Then the standard stuff vertical. The idea being I could slide and move everything to change up how it's mounted. Numerous ways to do the shelving. They make some really cool mounts and ready made pieces. The catalog is extensive.

That small rack is all thread sleeved in vinyl tubing. I need to expand or widen it to get the Blokart sails and mast off the floor. Just haven't done it yet. If I get a second windsurf board I'll have to move it over and block my "isle". Debating taking out the kites(I might, actually; probably will). I'm going to stack the other board over that big one. May move the boom over to the wall where the kites are.

 

[bullnerd]

Back in the 90's I used to build ultra sonic scanning bridges with a similar product. Back then it was called Bosch extrusion. Very fun to work with! We always ended up with tons of cut offs that couldn't be used, so everything was made out of these "scraps"! lol. I used to mill the ends square, made it even easier to build accurate fixtures and frames.

I also worked at Trumpf for 9 yrs. They LOVE this stuff! Have a separate shop and job position just for making tables and fixtures out it. Huge rack full of extrusion!

 

[fastev]

When I worked at Tesla we built pretty much every machine on the assembly line from he stuff. We used the item branded extrusions. It was excellent quality, and all the accessories were great.
I'd usually order about 4000 feet in a shipment, in 20' lengths. I was always surprised how straight the extrusions were.

 

[PCMusicGuy]

The generic name I supposed would be extruded aluminum. Bosch Rexroth is another brand that has some unique types of extrusions. I used 80/20 to build the life platform of my material lift, and it is guided up and down by unistrut. My 3D printer is built using some smaller profile extruded aluminum.

 

[mikegt4]

Be aware that 80/20 is only one brand. There are many in the field and with working with the many brands I've found that a lot of the fasteners and brackets are proprietary to the brand and will not interchange. Also be aware that 80/20 comes in both english and metric sizes and can get you in a bind if not careful.

Here is a typical machine guarding system that I used to work on.

lg
no neat sig line

This is exactly what I was going to say. I have built many guards like in the photo. The best advice is pick one brand and stay with it. Parts do not interchange, on purpose.

 

[manwithtools]

When I worked at Tesla we built pretty much every machine on the assembly line from he stuff. We used the item branded extrusions. It was excellent quality, and all the accessories were great.
I'd usually order about 4000 feet in a shipment, in 20' lengths. I was always surprised how straight the extrusions were.

Not to be a smart ***, but no wonder they are having trouble building cars. Machines are built from weldments, guarding is built from extrusions.

Having built and deployed a few hundred million dollars worth of assembly and process equipment, I have come to the above conclusion. Extrusion for a quick and dirty machine frame with a short life expectancy is fine, anything more is wishful thinking in terms of repeatability, accuracy, cycles, etc.

We used to buy 80/20 by the semi load, sometimes mutiple semi's. We used it exclusively for guarding and "light" machine structures that are not subject to repeated cycling. Over time, the stresses involved will cause fasteners to loosen, frames to rack, etc.

OTH, for home use that stuff is the nuts. I used it and Lexan to enclose my CNC mill and it worked wonderfully.

 

[rmsg0040]

We made TV repair carts and few other things at work using 80/20, pieces were cut to size by some company, we assembled. Tough stuff but scratches so easily

 

[Daedalus]

How about a 8020 motorcycle?

 

[Mr. T]

I've always thought 80/20 was for guys who didn't know how to weld, and for prototypes where things may change a lot. I'd rather just weld a tube frame.

Honestly, it’s not a quick or easy thing to use for building machines or guarding. You need to be a decent fabricator to make something that looks good and functions well. I wouldn’t want to build anything with it if I didn’t have at least a knee mill handy.

Its big selling point is that it is extremely versatile. There are a million and one extrusion profiles, fasteners, and accessories.

 

[fasteddie]

I clicked on the OP's link for Unistrut. http://www.unistrut.us/ , I found it interesting that the sidebar "Unistrut News" shows a series of price increases about 10% each for the past 3 months.

 

[toolchaser]

I've used it to build laydowns for the book binding industry. I agree its ok for light machinery but for heavy industrial something with more solid attachment points would be better. The routers & such I've seen made from it look awesome.

 

[Jayman17]

Ichabod and velocipede,
Those are both real nice setups, especially when it's made from scraps.

Jay

 

[velillen01]

They have started using it at work for shelving and storage. Dont think its the 80/20 brand.

But really works quite nice for the use. The shelving gets adjusted up and down quite a bit based on what they are staging parts wise for jobs. Also holds a good amount of weight.

 

[steel 35]

I bought a paint both frame made with Bosch Rexroth from a retiring scraper, still thinking about the perfect project, and moving the stuff occasionally I am watching for Ideas

 

[garageguy1]

Item(-northamerica.com)is another commercial brand on the market ...they have some nice workbench style setups,with all the CAD files and a decent 3D Printer one could prototype all the different kinds of brackets !

Vention(.io) is a startup in this space that lets you make your design in your browser for free and they then sell you the parts/hardware cut and ready to assemble/you can buy what others have designed ...the EvanAndKatelyn
youtube channel has 3D printer cart build video using this site

I'm thinking of making a standing desk/workbench thats height adjustable and on wheels...