1mm box

[scotto75]

I'm planning on making a battery box for my bike build that is welded to the frame. I want it as light as possible ideally, so have thought about making it in 1mm. I have no tools to bend or form, only a welder angle grinder and a big hammer. My initial thought is to cut the base and fur sides and very carefully weld them.

The main consideration is that top of the box will be open and will need to be the exact shape of the aperture in the frame, so that it can slot in and marry up to the frame in order to be welded. The base will be the exact shape of this aperture. I'm not sure if welding the sides to the base will mean by the end the top will fit?

Is it possible to weld a box with a base and four sides out of 1mm without it warping or is there a better way to make this without involving any specialist equipment?

Thanks!

 

[BrokenBiker]

i use a wooden former to clamp down tight to, stitch weld and let it completely cool before releasing any of the clamps, should stay straight enough if the wooden block is the exact right size for the box. i would do a few practice runs first though

 

[zx9]

You can add regidity / strength to your battery box by pressing in beads or louvers, cutting out panels and goggle the edges would make it stronger and lighter, adding lightness is good to miss quote Colin Chapman.

 

[pedrobedro]

I'd make a box to fit your battery then bracket it to the frame. If you make the box bigger you will have to wedge the battery in and clamp it.

 

[Chris Stevens]

Maybe make battery box out of GRP? You can use the battery itself as male mould, and will end up with something strong and light, and very easily made. If you wanted it to look trick, you could use black resin so it looked a bit like reverse moulded carbon.

 

[BrokenBiker]

I'd make a box to fit your battery then bracket it to the frame. If you make the box bigger you will have to wedge the battery in and clamp it.

i would also line the box with high density foam or rubber...but then again i work for a battery factory so i get to see how the high end batteries are shipped. any battery that we make that goes into a steel jacket has a rubber lined box, except the ones for fighter planes

 

[scotto75]

Thanks for the replies.

My initial thoughts were to make a big box that could fit the flasher relay, ignition and battery. But I think pedrobedro's point is a good one.

Cheers for the suggestion Chris. I did contemplate using something lighter than steel as zx9 misquoted, adding lightness is good! I do have a friend who makes stuff for TV sets and has a big vacuum forming machine and did thought about asking him his advice, but it would be shame not to get to weld a box Been looking forward to welding some more stuff!

Thanks for tips broken biker. I like the idea of making a wooden former to clamp to, and had considered lining it with some foam or rubber to give it some padding.

I've spent a couple of hours playing around in the workshop and knocked up a mockup....

(The extra flappy bit of cardboard coming out of it I've added as a bracket to mount the mudguard to as that would save me another job!).