Graphite Dave
Dave Orton
One method of building structures inside a Sprinter is to use 80/20 (www.8020.net) or Futura Industries (www.tslots.com) or other brands of aluminum extrusions. The extrusions are cut to length and then bolted together. Welding or woodworking skills are not required. Hand tools, a wood cutting (3450 rpm) chop saw and a drill press are the only shop tools required. The extrusions can be purchased 1" square, 1 1/2" square or in metric dimensions. I used 1 1/2" square from Futura Industries. The extrusions are available as one slot, two slot, three slot or slotted on all 4 sides. The slots are designed to accept a 5/16-18NC carriage bolt head. The slot is designed to provide a vibration proof bolted connection. While extrusions are not cheap, their ease of use makes up for the cost.
I used a non-ferrous 10" saw blade from Skarpaz part # NF1080N. It has 80 teeth, .095 plate, .125 kerf, and a bore of 5/8". The tooth style is N5TCG. The blade is expensive @ $128.50 but gives machined like cuts. Aluminum cuts like wood. 80/20 has many choices for connectors. I did not use any of their fancy connectors that require the end of the extrusion to be machined. I bought 1 1/2" x 3/16" aluminum angle, 2" x 3/16" aluminum angle and 1 1/2" x 3/16" flat for the connectors. Just cut them to the length required in chop saw and drilled the bolt holes. I did use a lot of the 80/20 "90 deg. inside corner connector" part # 3368 to get a rigid corner connection in some places. The open area between the extrusions was filled with 3/8" (5/16" actual) plywood. The plywood is inset 1/8" from the face of the extrusion. I glued the plywood to 3/4" x 1 1/16" x 10" wood blocks bolted to side of extrusion. Finished panel can still be removed if you have access to back side. Where I wanted easily removed panels I made up 1 1/2" square x 3/16" thick aluminum plates that bolt to the 1/4-20NC tapped holes in the 80/20 corner connector. 9/32" hole countersunk for flat head machine screw to bolt plate to corner connector and a 5/16-18NC tapped hole to bolt the plywood to the plate. The 1/4" tapped hole in corner connector is too close to the plywood edge and caused plywood to delaminate at edge so I added 5/16" hole further from the plywood edge. I used button head SS screws to bolt plywood to structure.
All structures were designed using a CAD program before fabrication was started. Bolting the structures to the Sprinter interior sides and ceiling was a bit tricky since nothing is square with the floor. I finally worked out a solution using angle connectors that compensated for the out of square surfaces. Details of what I built will be posted as they are completed under posts titled Orton DIY - ???. I have now completed the floor and some of the structures and most of the design. Thought this fabrication method would be of interest to other DIY's.
I used a non-ferrous 10" saw blade from Skarpaz part # NF1080N. It has 80 teeth, .095 plate, .125 kerf, and a bore of 5/8". The tooth style is N5TCG. The blade is expensive @ $128.50 but gives machined like cuts. Aluminum cuts like wood. 80/20 has many choices for connectors. I did not use any of their fancy connectors that require the end of the extrusion to be machined. I bought 1 1/2" x 3/16" aluminum angle, 2" x 3/16" aluminum angle and 1 1/2" x 3/16" flat for the connectors. Just cut them to the length required in chop saw and drilled the bolt holes. I did use a lot of the 80/20 "90 deg. inside corner connector" part # 3368 to get a rigid corner connection in some places. The open area between the extrusions was filled with 3/8" (5/16" actual) plywood. The plywood is inset 1/8" from the face of the extrusion. I glued the plywood to 3/4" x 1 1/16" x 10" wood blocks bolted to side of extrusion. Finished panel can still be removed if you have access to back side. Where I wanted easily removed panels I made up 1 1/2" square x 3/16" thick aluminum plates that bolt to the 1/4-20NC tapped holes in the 80/20 corner connector. 9/32" hole countersunk for flat head machine screw to bolt plate to corner connector and a 5/16-18NC tapped hole to bolt the plywood to the plate. The 1/4" tapped hole in corner connector is too close to the plywood edge and caused plywood to delaminate at edge so I added 5/16" hole further from the plywood edge. I used button head SS screws to bolt plywood to structure.
All structures were designed using a CAD program before fabrication was started. Bolting the structures to the Sprinter interior sides and ceiling was a bit tricky since nothing is square with the floor. I finally worked out a solution using angle connectors that compensated for the out of square surfaces. Details of what I built will be posted as they are completed under posts titled Orton DIY - ???. I have now completed the floor and some of the structures and most of the design. Thought this fabrication method would be of interest to other DIY's.