WMD Part I by G-gnome

The End Sections

Rather than just one long cylinder, I opted to design a case with three sections, joined by flanges/bolts. The extra sections would make it easier to work on the insides of the case, and provide some visual interest, not to mention more space to put stuff! W00t!



The end sections basically consist of a 2mm stainless steel sheet metal strip...



...and two laser cut flanges per section, made from 5mm stainless steel.



The end sections were rolled in the sheet metal roller and fitted/welded in exactly the same way as the main cylinder.

It was at this point that I ran into a slight problem. When welding these pieces, I hadn't made sure the holes in the flanges were lined up exactly. They were out by a few mm, which normally wouldn't be a problem if I wasn't a fussy perfectionist. It meant I'd have to re-drill the pilot holes in one of the flanges on each end piece to make sure all my fasteners would visually line up exactly when the case was assembled.



I used a plumb line and set square to mark exactly where the holes shouldbe, in order to line up exactly with the holes on the opposite flange. Using one of the laser cut end covers as a template, I clamped it in place and used a centre punch to both mark the spot, and stop the drill bit from slipping.



After drilling a new set of pilot holes, I drilled them out to 8mm.



This is the drilling compound I used. This sort of product is essential when drilling or tapping high-tensile material. The heat from the drilling melts it and causes it to flow to the cutting edge, helping to prevent wear and excessive heat build-up. Once I'd re-drilled the flanges, and drilled out the other pilot holes, everything lined up nicely.



The fasteners I used to join the sections together are a story unto themselves...