5 ms·

If 80/20 is new to you, then you might also be unfamiliar with its steel channeled cousin, Unistrut. https://www.unistrut.us/ https://www.unistrut.us/ Unistrut

If 80/20 is new to you, then you might also be unfamiliar with its steel channeled cousin, Unistrut. https://www.unistrut.us/ https://www.unistrut.us/ Unistrut is used extensively in the US to build support structures for electrical switchgear and process equipment. You can get grades suitable for outdoor and corrosives exposure. Unistrut is the Kleenex term, there are a number of work-alike / fit-alike systems. Then for round tube, there is Kee Klamp: https://keesystems.com/ https://keesystems.com/

zeroping 4y ago
Good to keep alternatives in mind. I have found unistrut significantly cheaper when you want to build larger scale or stronger stuff. It's not super versatile, but can still do a lot.
- phasetransition 4y ago
  I've used Unistrut and adjacent (flex-craft) more than 80/20. They all have good use cases.
rambambram 4y ago
I love the Kee Klamp system (or just 'steigerbuis' as we call it here in NL). I built furniture with it in the past, and also a bicycle caravan (https://www.theredpanther.org https://www.theredpanther.org).
- sitkack 4y ago
  If you have a hood welding hood with forced air, EMT is fairly easy to weld with a gas shielded MIG welder. Makes very rigid structures.
alanbernstein 4y ago
For lighter duty, there is maker pipe: https://makerpipe.com/ https://makerpipe.com/. it's nice because the bulk of the system is electrical conduit, which I think is one of the cheapest type of beam/tube available.
- cwillu 4y ago
  Hmm, especially handy given how simple emt is to bend (hand tool available from any hardware store that sells emt)
  - idiotsecant 4y ago
    There is definitely an art to making accurate bends, especially in more than one plane! I have never had more respect for the conduit work electricians do every day with EMT than when I tried to learn how to do it myself.
    - saalweachter 4y ago
      DIY is a great way to learn what you're willing pay someone else to do a job faster and better.
      - jchw 4y ago
        Not sure why this is getting downvoted, it's true. I have been going down DIY rabbit holes and learning about a lot of stuff that I wouldn't want to DIY. I always thought that list included "AC/electrical work" but, actually, not really, except maybe the service panel itself. If anything, the work I've done is significantly more likely to be up to (current) code than what was already here...
      - AYBABTME 4y ago
        Once upon a time DIYed a large tube structure (solar arch for a sailboat) and quickly realized why software is so cost effective. I'm so used to creating big structures with a few keystrokes. In the real world doing metal work, I would try to do stuff as quickly as I could but you can't escape the fact that sanding or polishing, etc... it all takes soooo much time! Just cutting the fish-mouths in the tubes to have them fit into each other took an eternity, and drilling holes in stainless steel is no fun.
        saalweachter 4y ago
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
Blackthorn 4y ago
I knew about 80/20 but this is the first I've heard of unistrut. Thanks.
- lazide 4y ago
  FYI, most hardware stores will have a selection in their electrical aisle, along with basic threaded connections for 1/2”, 3/8”, and 1/4” bolts, angle connectors, etc.
jameshart 4y ago
Another extremely flexible lighter-weight structural tube fitting standard that’s widely available is the 1.5” tubing used for drum racks. Not sure if there’s a broader standard that the musical instrument industry is building off there. Was pleasantly surprised recently to find that the same diameter of fittings was used in an adjustable monitor stand, so if you wanted to mount a cowbell above your dual screen mount the fittings are easily combined.
FatActor 4y ago
Depends on the job. Cutting unistrut is far more challenging than 80/20, it weighs a lot, and the connectors are expensive because they are engineered to bear significant loads. 80/20 is a little pricier per foot but it is much, much easier to work with for applications that don't need to withstand a nuclear strike.
- peteradio 4y ago
  Not sure if the throat is large enough but a portable electric bandsaw would be able to chew through the unistrut steel and in the jobs I've used them on they are precise enough.
  - lazide 4y ago
    An angle grinder with a cutoff wheel similarly has no issues. It can be a fire/noise/dust hazard, you wouldn’t want to do it in a grassy field or server room, but for any construction site it’s easy peasy.
  - samtho 4y ago
    Portable electric bandsaw is the tool of choice for most electricians who use Unistrut.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
samtho 4y ago
I used to work in construction and the electrical trade. I’ve shown so many people the power of this seemingly esoteric item in the electrical aisle at Home Depot. It’s so flexible and you disassemble it with one or two tools depending on which fasteners you use.
nimajneb 4y ago
I just put the metal strut in my Honda Ridgeline truck as rails to attach tie down stuff to. Hopefully it works well for me.
- thecrumb 4y ago
  Got details? I have a ridgeline as well and was curious about doing something like this with a track.
  - nimajneb 4y ago
    I bought a 10ft long piece of the strut from Lowes. I bought the slotted type, but I should have gotten the one without slots, the springs on the strut washers get stuck on the slots when sliding them. I cut the strut to length, I think it was 4ft. I bought longer bolts too, I think they are M6 and I bought 1 or 1.25 inches. I bought 1/4 inner diameter 1.5 inch outer diameter washers to attach with the strut nuts. I attached some D rings to those. I can answer more questions if you have them. I drive a 2022 Ridgeline for reference.
thetinguy 4y ago
Also open builds v-slot is excellent https://openbuildspartstore.com/v-slot-linear-rail-1/ https://openbuildspartstore.com/v-slot-linear-rail-1/
mturmon 4y ago
Unistrut (“strut”) also has trolleys that roll in the track (1). Very useful for overhead roller systems in a workshop. Be very mindful of fastener clearances if installing one. I don’t have the handheld, portable bandsaw (“portaband”) that tradespeople usually use to cut strut, so I use a grinder with a cutoff wheel (noisy) or a sawzall with a metal cutting blade (more civilized). (1) https://unistrutstore.com/1-58-metal-framing/unistrut-p2750.html https://unistrutstore.com/1-58-metal-framing/unistrut-p2750....
c_o_n_v_e_x 4y ago
>Unistrut is the Kleenex term, there are a number of work-alike / fit-alike systems. This triggered a 20 year old memory. A former colleague used to refer to unistrut as kindorf. He was the only person I've ever met in 15+ years of engineering and construction to call it something besides Unistrut. It still bothers me.

zeroping 4y ago

Good to keep alternatives in mind. I have found unistrut significantly cheaper when you want to build larger scale or stronger stuff. It's not super versatile, but can still do a lot.

phasetransition 4y ago
I've used Unistrut and adjacent (flex-craft) more than 80/20. They all have good use cases.

rambambram 4y ago

I love the Kee Klamp system (or just 'steigerbuis' as we call it here in NL). I built furniture with it in the past, and also a bicycle caravan (https://www.theredpanther.org https://www.theredpanther.org).

sitkack 4y ago
If you have a hood welding hood with forced air, EMT is fairly easy to weld with a gas shielded MIG welder. Makes very rigid structures.

alanbernstein 4y ago

For lighter duty, there is maker pipe: https://makerpipe.com/ https://makerpipe.com/. it's nice because the bulk of the system is electrical conduit, which I think is one of the cheapest type of beam/tube available.

cwillu 4y ago
Hmm, especially handy given how simple emt is to bend (hand tool available from any hardware store that sells emt)
- idiotsecant 4y ago
  There is definitely an art to making accurate bends, especially in more than one plane! I have never had more respect for the conduit work electricians do every day with EMT than when I tried to learn how to do it myself.
  - saalweachter 4y ago
    DIY is a great way to learn what you're willing pay someone else to do a job faster and better.
    - jchw 4y ago
      Not sure why this is getting downvoted, it's true. I have been going down DIY rabbit holes and learning about a lot of stuff that I wouldn't want to DIY. I always thought that list included "AC/electrical work" but, actually, not really, except maybe the service panel itself. If anything, the work I've done is significantly more likely to be up to (current) code than what was already here...
    - AYBABTME 4y ago
      Once upon a time DIYed a large tube structure (solar arch for a sailboat) and quickly realized why software is so cost effective. I'm so used to creating big structures with a few keystrokes. In the real world doing metal work, I would try to do stuff as quickly as I could but you can't escape the fact that sanding or polishing, etc... it all takes soooo much time! Just cutting the fish-mouths in the tubes to have them fit into each other took an eternity, and drilling holes in stainless steel is no fun.
      - saalweachter 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

Blackthorn 4y ago

I knew about 80/20 but this is the first I've heard of unistrut. Thanks.

lazide 4y ago
FYI, most hardware stores will have a selection in their electrical aisle, along with basic threaded connections for 1/2”, 3/8”, and 1/4” bolts, angle connectors, etc.

jameshart 4y ago

Another extremely flexible lighter-weight structural tube fitting standard that’s widely available is the 1.5” tubing used for drum racks. Not sure if there’s a broader standard that the musical instrument industry is building off there. Was pleasantly surprised recently to find that the same diameter of fittings was used in an adjustable monitor stand, so if you wanted to mount a cowbell above your dual screen mount the fittings are easily combined.

FatActor 4y ago

Depends on the job. Cutting unistrut is far more challenging than 80/20, it weighs a lot, and the connectors are expensive because they are engineered to bear significant loads. 80/20 is a little pricier per foot but it is much, much easier to work with for applications that don't need to withstand a nuclear strike.

peteradio 4y ago
Not sure if the throat is large enough but a portable electric bandsaw would be able to chew through the unistrut steel and in the jobs I've used them on they are precise enough.
- lazide 4y ago
  An angle grinder with a cutoff wheel similarly has no issues. It can be a fire/noise/dust hazard, you wouldn’t want to do it in a grassy field or server room, but for any construction site it’s easy peasy.
- samtho 4y ago
  Portable electric bandsaw is the tool of choice for most electricians who use Unistrut.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

samtho 4y ago

I used to work in construction and the electrical trade. I’ve shown so many people the power of this seemingly esoteric item in the electrical aisle at Home Depot. It’s so flexible and you disassemble it with one or two tools depending on which fasteners you use.

nimajneb 4y ago

I just put the metal strut in my Honda Ridgeline truck as rails to attach tie down stuff to. Hopefully it works well for me.

thecrumb 4y ago
Got details? I have a ridgeline as well and was curious about doing something like this with a track.
- nimajneb 4y ago
  I bought a 10ft long piece of the strut from Lowes. I bought the slotted type, but I should have gotten the one without slots, the springs on the strut washers get stuck on the slots when sliding them. I cut the strut to length, I think it was 4ft. I bought longer bolts too, I think they are M6 and I bought 1 or 1.25 inches. I bought 1/4 inner diameter 1.5 inch outer diameter washers to attach with the strut nuts. I attached some D rings to those. I can answer more questions if you have them. I drive a 2022 Ridgeline for reference.

thetinguy 4y ago

Also open builds v-slot is excellent https://openbuildspartstore.com/v-slot-linear-rail-1/ https://openbuildspartstore.com/v-slot-linear-rail-1/

mturmon 4y ago

Unistrut (“strut”) also has trolleys that roll in the track (1). Very useful for overhead roller systems in a workshop. Be very mindful of fastener clearances if installing one. I don’t have the handheld, portable bandsaw (“portaband”) that tradespeople usually use to cut strut, so I use a grinder with a cutoff wheel (noisy) or a sawzall with a metal cutting blade (more civilized). (1) https://unistrutstore.com/1-58-metal-framing/unistrut-p2750.html https://unistrutstore.com/1-58-metal-framing/unistrut-p2750....

c_o_n_v_e_x 4y ago

>Unistrut is the Kleenex term, there are a number of work-alike / fit-alike systems. This triggered a 20 year old memory. A former colleague used to refer to unistrut as kindorf. He was the only person I've ever met in 15+ years of engineering and construction to call it something besides Unistrut. It still bothers me.