# What should I use for pneumatic lifts?



## MusicMan (Nov 6, 2010)

What should I use for pneumatic lifts. Aluminium or steel. I used 1/4" Aluminium and it started bending. Should I use steel as an alternate?


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## bourno (Jan 21, 2006)

What are you trying to lift for weight? And could you provide a picture of the mechanism as can think of several different versions.

How wide was the 1/4" aluminum. And which grade, big difference between 5052 or 6061/7075 for hardness.


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## MusicMan (Nov 6, 2010)

*Lifts*

I'm trying to build this picture, but it looks too heavy duty for me (I'm going to be lifting roughly 10 LBS) The width of the aluminum was 1/4, length was 1" and height was 16" for 1 bar on a scissor lift, it bent so I changed to steel (same demensions), before I blow $20 on aluminum I was wondering what you'd do to lift a ten pound prop on this mechanism. 
Also Great job on your ground breaker,
Thanks, MusicMan


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## bourno (Jan 21, 2006)

Am kinda surprised a 1/4 x 1 x 16 aluminum bar bent. Most of the stuff I build is with either 3/4" or 1", 14 ga square steel tubing.


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## MusicMan (Nov 6, 2010)

*Lifts*

Sorry man, I screwed up my dimensions. The dimensions are really, Length = 16", Width = 1", and heigth (thickness) = 1/8". It's not a bar peice of Aluminium, it's a flat piece. So from what you wrote back it sounds like I should go for a bar of Aluminium or steel instead of a flat piece? Please, correct me if I'm wrong. (I've only started all this pneumatic stuff since late this september) Also, I run roughly about 90 PSI through the cylinders to the scissor lift.

Thanks again
MusicMan


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

Bourno is correct, Tubular metal (steel or aluminum) is always much stronger than flat stock. Most of us prefer to use square tubing for these applications. Steel is generally prefferred only because it will handle the higher stress of the lift point better (unless you are able to gusset or re-enforce the points of the most stress). Steel is also easier for a backyard welder to fabricate parts with using a simple arc welder. Unless you have extreme needs for low inertial mass (Weight) I'd always use square steel tubing. It is unlikely that you'll run into that circumstance with backyard or even professional haunting.


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## MusicMan (Nov 6, 2010)

*Much appreciated*

Thanks for both of your help, I'll keep this stuff in mind for build more pneumatic lifts. 
MusicMan


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