Quote:
Originally Posted by kach22i
In what respect is angle iron better than 2x3's?
Weight?
Strength?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kach22i
Angle iron (soft steel) is kind of heavy for it's strength, and it bends or twist quite a bit compared to wood in my opinion.
Rust Vs Rot?
I'm a big fan of aluminum and even composites in certain situations.
I used angle iron daily 40 years ago while helping install garage door operators. We had a special crimp/pinch cutter with lever arm that I loved to use.
I have fond memories of angle iron as a fast material/tool in the right situation.
Lock washers or Loctite?
Or zip-ties?
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Keep in mind that my aero cap is basically a frame with panels that bolt on. The 2x3s have served their purpose over the past 8-9 years. The main 2x3 rails are starting to rot out as well as warping and I need to move on to a more durable material since it's been established that my aero cap build design will fit my needs. The slotted angle iron is readily available and I should be able to easily take the aero cap apart should the need arise. I can build the new frame with the slotted angle and then bolt on my exterior panels to the frame from the inside. The panels will have flat bars with threaded holes embedded into the panels so it will be able to hold the panels in place without any fasteners on the outside of the panels. Currently, the panels are screwed onto the 2x3 wood rails from the outside at multiple points.
I don't think there is a major concern about the frame flexing or twisting in the areas that I will be using it at. I will most likely use other materials like rectangular tubing or gussets to bolster areas needing extra support. The slotted angle I'm looking at is 14 gauge and should be beefy enough fer where I'm using it at. They will be bolted together with 1/4" bolts, flat washers, and Nylok nuts.
The extruded polystyrene (EPS) foam panels will be fastened flat against the slotted angle from the inside. This will allow me to shape the exterior of the foam panels to a compound curve where it needs to be and then use strips of aluminum flashing attached with Glidden Gripper primer to help protect the EPS foam from UV degradation. This should allow me the capability to change out the panels as I need to test various options and configurations or easily disassemble the aero cap fer transport of bigger items. If I need security, I could always bolt on more durable material like aluminum sheet panels in place of the EPS foam panels later on or even have something like Line-X sprayed on top of the aluminum flashing.