# Where to get Al unistrut for log rails?



## gemniii (Mar 9, 2010)

I've been trying to find Al unistrut for rails in the Northern Virginia area or on the web.
I've struck out in the NVA area, but found 1 supplier on the web, http://www.mcmaster.com/#struts/=65dfuq that sells 1-5/8" x 1-5/8" by 10' sections for about $40 plus about $33 shipping. /edit thus about $7.50 per foot delivered.

I managed to get some free 1-5/8" x 1-5/8" by 10' sections of steel, but they are 3 times the mass of Al. Ok for home use, but I'm not wanting to carry them into the woods.

Does any one have other sources or suggestions? I'm figuring I'm going to want 4 sections, of 10' each, and I wanted to focus on unistrut because it should be easy to make crossmembers.


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## coyotencuttin (Mar 9, 2010)

go to your local electrical supplier for what your looking for. rexell has it but usually special order.same with hagemeyer.i can't say i use it all the time but when we install in car washes we use alot of it. good luck, harold


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## gr8scott72 (Mar 9, 2010)

I found it here locally at a bolt store. It was about the same price you listed minus the shipping.


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## jczv (Mar 10, 2010)

*Craigslist*

If you don't need it right away keep an eye on craigslist. I've found some for sale several times (just to far away to pick up so far). If you use craigslook you can find anything within a couple hundred miles. Prices I've seen are about 1/2 what you posted.


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## boostnut (Mar 10, 2010)

I think my employer uses Fastenal and Springfield Electric for this material. I believe they both have websites with their product.


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## gemniii (Mar 10, 2010)

Thanks guy's I'll check out the electrical shops!


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## rick_saws (Mar 10, 2010)

Have you thought about how you're going to carry it into the woods along with your saw and fuel? Won't you need to drag a cart through the woods anyway? If so, the weight difference isn't going to be huge. Steel is probably a little bit cheaper, but I would think it would be a whole lot stiffer. (but I haven't used Alum, so I might be off base) The Alum might be fine bolted to the ceiling, but I wouldn't trust it to stay true under the weight of a saw. I bought the heaviest gauge steel unistrut I could find (from HD) and I just throw it on top of the equipment cart. Better yet - tow it with an ATV and you won't even notice the weight!

- Rick


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## gr8scott72 (Mar 10, 2010)

rick_saws said:


> Have you thought about how you're going to carry it into the woods along with your saw and fuel? Won't you need to drag a cart through the woods anyway? If so, the weight difference isn't going to be huge. Steel is probably a little bit cheaper, but I would think it would be a whole lot stiffer. (but I haven't used Alum, so I might be off base) The Alum might be fine bolted to the ceiling, but I wouldn't trust it to stay true under the weight of a saw. I bought the heaviest gauge steel unistrut I could find (from HD) and I just throw it on top of the equipment cart. Better yet - tow it with an ATV and you won't even notice the weight!
> 
> - Rick



The Al strut is very rigid. No worries there.


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## gemniii (Mar 10, 2010)

rick_saws said:


> Have you thought about how you're going to carry it into the woods along with your saw and fuel? Won't you need to drag a cart through the woods anyway? If so, the weight difference isn't going to be huge. Steel is probably a little bit cheaper, but I would think it would be a whole lot stiffer. (but I haven't used Alum, so I might be off base) The Alum might be fine bolted to the ceiling, but I wouldn't trust it to stay true under the weight of a saw. I bought the heaviest gauge steel unistrut I could find (from HD) and I just throw it on top of the equipment cart. Better yet - tow it with an ATV and you won't even notice the weight!
> 
> - Rick


2 pieces of steel 10' unistrut weigh about 40lbs, 4 will weigh about 80lbs, Al should be about 1/3 the weight. There are several threads on here about milling rails, many people use Al. The woods I have I won't be dragging a cart thru.
Also my local HD didn't carry anything as strong as the 1-5/8 unistrut.


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## BobL (Mar 11, 2010)

I have steel log rails but if I had thought about it before hand I would have bought ally rail. 
It doesn't matter whether its steel or ally - it still has to be supported on the first cut anyway so maybe a few extra supports would be needed with the first cut. 
I use my rails for every cut so most of the time I'm lumping those steel suckers back up onto the long - ally would certainly be better in this application.


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## mtngun (Mar 11, 2010)

Perhaps the aluminum unistrut uses thicker gauge material than the steel unistrut, otherwise, I can't imagine aluminum unistrut being stiff enough for a guide rail. Even the steel unistrut twists quite easily.


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## M.R. (Mar 11, 2010)

mtngun said:


> Perhaps the aluminum unistrut uses thicker gauge material than the steel unistrut, otherwise, I can't imagine aluminum unistrut being stiff enough for a guide rail. Even the steel unistrut twists quite easily.



Here a link, that might be worth digging/researching around in.

http://equipmentss.com/Unistrut.html

_____________________________________________________


IIRC on alum to get the same strength as steel, its only a third lighter.
It also work hardens quicker when bent or flexed.
Kind of a balancing act in the weight savings to the pocket book. ie: In market peaks steel has run me $.80 cents a pound, where alum has been as high as $3.50 a pound.

Working with it handing, welding, grinding, etc.. although it looks nice.. 
Its one of the dirtest, gummy, greasey metals out there.
Being softer one might want to keep a flat file handy to take off the high spots of the dents & dings of mishandling. Alum sliding againist Alum is likly going to gall, might be wanting to use a paraffin [Parowax - canning, candle making] or incorperate a nylon [UHMWPE or polyethylene] type of wear plates into the design on the mill head.


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## 820wards (Mar 11, 2010)

gemniii said:


> I've been trying to find Al unistrut for rails in the Northern Virginia area or on the web.
> I've struck out in the NVA area, but found 1 supplier on the web, http://www.mcmaster.com/#struts/=65dfuq that sells 1-5/8" x 1-5/8" by 10' sections for about $40 plus about $33 shipping. /edit thus about $7.50 per foot delivered.
> 
> I managed to get some free 1-5/8" x 1-5/8" by 10' sections of steel, but they are 3 times the mass of Al. Ok for home use, but I'm not wanting to carry them into the woods.
> ...




Found this stuff today.

http://cgi.ebay.com/8020-T-Slot-Alu...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item563a7817c4

jerry-


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## gemniii (Mar 11, 2010)

Yes, 8020 was posted in another thread, But I didn't see anything on their ebay store that offered simple slotted strut.


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## BobL (Mar 12, 2010)

M.R. said:


> Here a link, that might be worth digging/researching around in.
> 
> http://equipmentss.com/Unistrut.html
> _____________________________________________________
> ...



Well, I love it.

UHMWPE sorts out the contact problem like these skids, I have them on all my alaskan rails.






The problem with regular Unistrut is that it is C or H or E channel etc so when two pieces of unistrut are connected like this




The all thread rods cannot be tightened all that hard without crushing the unistrut - if they are not tightened hard they easily loose with CS vibe.
One alternative is to put a spacer inside the unistrut as shown on the left of this picture but that is right royal PITA and I have lost most of my spacers usually in amongst the sawdust.




But a full box T-track material like the section on the right does not need a spacer and in my neck of the planet this ally unistrut is actually cheaper than standard 12 gauge unistrut. If there is a next time I'm just going to get this stuff. It's 0.82 lb/ft compared to 1.9 lb/ft for 1 5/8 12 gauge unistrut, so 43% of the weight and a much better construction.

There will be the odd occasion where having the strength of steel will be really handy, like this





and this





But once an operator reaches this




Then the ally has to be a winner.

The answer is obvious - get both


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