Don't you love drilling aluminum?

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  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20920
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    Don't you love drilling aluminum?




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    Fixed a 60 year old Aluminum 8 ft ladder today
    It was my dad's I figure he got it in like 1959 to 1962 time frame.
    Leaving it outside for the last 30 years it suffered some damage and wear and my last repair was falling apart.

    The good leg:
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    The bad leg:
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    The repair:

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    I hated to throw the ladder away. So I spent 3 hours and 10 bucks for aluminum.

    3/16" aluminum plate. I don't think its going anywhere. I considered 1/8" but then decided since I'd be climbing on this...
    Cut the aluminum with the miter saw. and the original 40T blade that came with it, not my fine wood crosscut blade. Cuts like butter.
    Had to make a compound miter cut for the block of wood and that took a while. Had to dig out the manual to make all the adjustments and then got stymied by the tilt locking lever which turned out to be left hand thread, I backed it out to far and then could not get it back in for the life of me, for getting it was left-handed. Wasted a lot of time and frustration on that.

    Bunch of 1/4" bolts and nuts and a handful of 6 mm metric bolts and nuts I had laying around. Lot of drilling all the sandwiched pieces.

    Maybe good for another couple of decades.
    Last edited by LCHIEN; 05-03-2021, 02:26 AM.
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions
  • ballard770
    Established Member
    • Jan 2016
    • 140
    • Washington State
    • Ryobi BT3000

    #2
    Good repair job. I should take a look at my ladder, about 20’ when extended. I’m mostly concerned with the rungs and the spring loaded hooks for holding the ladder in its extended position and the effect salt air would have on dissimilar metals, steel and aluminum. Perhaps I should just inspect it to determine if is safe and then put it on craigslist so I’m not tempted to do anything rash like painting the facia trim on the roof.

    You could take the aluminum cuttings and cast them in epoxy and make jewelry or Christmas ornaments. V
    Last edited by ballard770; 05-04-2021, 10:40 AM.

    Comment

    • LCHIEN
      Internet Fact Checker
      • Dec 2002
      • 20920
      • Katy, TX, USA.
      • BT3000 vintage 1999

      #3
      Originally posted by ballard770
      Good repair job. I should take a look at my ladder, about 20” when extended.

      20 - inch ladder, extended. is that one step or 2?
      Loring in Katy, TX USA
      If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
      BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

      Comment

      • ballard770
        Established Member
        • Jan 2016
        • 140
        • Washington State
        • Ryobi BT3000

        #4
        20 - inch ladder, extended. is that one step or 2?

        OOPS, fat fingers or tired eyes! However, I do have a small kitchen 2 step folding ladder that is about 20” (actually it is 18.5” ).

        Comment

        • LCHIEN
          Internet Fact Checker
          • Dec 2002
          • 20920
          • Katy, TX, USA.
          • BT3000 vintage 1999

          #5
          I think there was a Consumer Reports article a few years back I am reminded of. The ladder makers put a safety warning on their ladders - DO NOT STAND ON THE TOP TWO STEPS OF THIS LADDER. Of course it was one like yours that had... 2 steps. In other words there was no safe usable step on the ladder.

          The article went on to say that the legal department probably had them put it in without out thinking about the number of steps it actually had. And went on to say that if you fell off and got injured suing the ladder company was not out of the question because of implied warranty of usability. in other words you sell ladders for getting higher and you could not get higher with a ladder unless you used the steps.
          Last edited by LCHIEN; 05-04-2021, 03:50 PM.
          Loring in Katy, TX USA
          If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
          BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

          Comment

          • capncarl
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2007
            • 3564
            • Leesburg Georgia USA
            • SawStop CTS

            #6
            Drilling aluminum, use Tap Magic for aluminum, works for tapping aluminum as well.

            Comment

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