Cast Aluminum Motor Mounts

by smit6089 | April 2, 2013 | (14) Posted in Projects

Lets face it, the paper thin motor mounts that come with your NTM Series motor are just... well.... trash. So my friend and I set out to make a stronger motor mount that still had some give on impact. Although I don't go into any detail for making these motor mounts I just quickly show the process.

 

 

 

Foam form packed in sand. Couldn't glue on a sprue due to a hot glue gun issue. (Couldn't find it)

 

"Prepping" a couple of old hard-drive trays for the crucible.

 

And in she goes!

 

Getting nice and melty!

 

 The finished product. It could use some milling but no one will really see it.

 

 Installed and ready to fly!

 

 

As always questions are more then welcome and happy flying!

COMMENTS

jamboree1 on April 2, 2013
That is just....awesome
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smit6089 on April 2, 2013
Thank you! It was a fun little project.
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jhitesma on April 2, 2013
Nice!
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smit6089 on April 2, 2013
Thanks!
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Microguy on April 2, 2013
And when you destroy the mount, you can smelt it again.
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smit6089 on April 2, 2013
Indeed.
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PandaFish on April 2, 2013
That is awesome fabrication!!!

Some tips: You can CAREFULLY machine it perfectly flat with a belt sander or bench grinder (hold it with pliers, not your paws!).

If you sand it down with progressively finer grits of sandpaper, you can eventually polish it to shine like justice with a buffing wheel!

Cheap rolls of tinfoil are AWESOME for casting small things - large surface area helps it melt quick!

Bonus points if you anodize it next - little dye, little acid, little car battery charger =D

Well done!


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smit6089 on April 2, 2013
Thank you. A friend has a milling machine so I'll probably give that a go next time. This was more of a test. I've never anodized anything before but would love to try sometime.
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PandaFish on April 3, 2013
Compared to the awesomeness required to cast your own aluminum like that, anything else is really child's play! And really, your mount is excellent, anything else is just for extra pretty.

A milling machine is like cheating - you can't help but have beauty come out of that! If you can use something as precise as milling machine, you can actually mill thrust angles - just a couple degrees - into the mount itself. No product does this and I wish upon a star for it. No more silly washers under one side for you!!!
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KrashKing405 on April 2, 2013
Wonder if we have made a market for these yet?
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smit6089 on April 4, 2013
Eh, too much overhead and the real things too cheap.
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Zatoichi on April 4, 2013
Nice piece of fabrication m8!
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smit6089 on April 7, 2013
Thanks. I appreciate it!

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sailorJohn on April 11, 2013
I think I'll stick with cutting a small square of 1/8 carbon fiber using a good mount as templet .drill and counter sinkholes for a mount that is stronger than the case of the motor
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smit6089 on April 16, 2013
That would work for sure...

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Cast Aluminum Motor Mounts