Posts

Material required

• Aluminum rectangular rod 1”x 0.5”; each post will be approximately 112mm long.

Tools & equipment required

• Circular saw (Velox)
• Drill press or milling machine
• Table tap driver for threading
• Center punch, center drill, 1/8" drill
• M8 tap drill (6.75mm or 17/64")
• M8 x 1.25mm tap (plug chamfer)
• Vernier calipers
• Deburring tools (edge and hole)

Procedure

• Take aluminum rod and cut to length on the circular saw. It is best to clamp another piece at the end of the rod to the table to prevent the cut piece to fly off, as well as to maintain the same length for each rod that will be cut.

  NOTE: The length of each post does not need to be exactly the same; however it is crucial to have the exact same height from the base of the post to the center of the through hole on each post (97.5 mm).

• Deburr the edges of the pieces that have been cut, so that it is not rough to touch
• Using Vernier Calipers, mark off the center for the through hole. It should be 97.5 mm from the base and in the center of the rod (12.7 mm from the edge). Make sure the scratch marks are visible and make a tap mark with a center tap.
• Mark off the center on the base of the post, where the threaded M8 hole will be made and make a tap mark.
• Before centering the base hole using the centre finder, make sure that the table is low enough to allow for the M8 drill bit to be used.
• On the milling machine or drill press, use a small center drill to start the through hole. Switch to the 1/8-inch drill and drill all the way through. The hole diameter should be large enough so that a bamboo skewer can pass through with ease, but not loosely.
• Using the center drill, start a hole in the center of the base of the post.
• Use the M8 tap drill (not an 8mm drill) to make a hole approximately 30 mm deep (long enough for M8 bolts of 25mm length).
• Use the hand-twist chuck on the table in the workshop to make the M8 threads. Setup the post in a vice, then mount the M8 tap in the chuck. Place some oil in the hole and on the tap. Slowly rotate clockwise, until resistance is felt. If it is stuck (and you are not near the bottom of the hole), rotate back by half a turn or so and then continue clockwise.
• Deburr the holes.

Post dimensions