aluminum cross shafts?

[Ben Jones]

Hello everyone,

I am making some knee levers for a fender 800 and was wondering if it is okay to use aluminum for the cross shafts, and lever assemblies? or do I need to use steel?


These will (hopefully) be modern style fold down levers but will be pulling cable and pulley assemblies typical of fender cable pedal steels. I am modeling them after the levers on my Nash LTD. I intend to make four knee levers and have access to an excellent machine shop. Thanks for the help.
-Ben

[Storm Rosson]

Lotsa folks use Al cross shafts incl Marty Weenick, with decent support and bearings u shouldn't have any major probs....Stormy .....I think Martin told me he uses 6061 alloy, 3/8" square stock for his.

[Bent]

Ben, I use 3/8" Al cross shafts, as do many builders. Usually they are supported in the middle by a small round piece of plastic.

[azureskys]

Aluminum is fine for a cross shaft ive used 1/2 inch dia on one build it works fine. Russ

[Ben Jones]

Thanks for the answers everyone. Bent, really beautiful work there!

[Bent]

Ben, Thanks so much. Really appreciate it.