Aluminum hatch runners

[dave]

I just got an inquiry from a fellow 7.9er about my switch to aluminum a few years back and he wondered where I got it. I got it locally but this is WAY less than I paid! http://www.speedymetals.com/ps-2529-13- ... ruded.aspx

[Tim Bosma]

We fabricated our own from plastic stock at very small expense. Less than the shipping cost for the aluminum.

[Tom Line]

Here is another option:

Mcmaster car can ship you U-channel that will fit in both aluminum and plastic. The aluminum is around $16-25 for 8 feet (not including shipping). If you really don't like shiny aluminum, it can be anodized and the cost is still in the same range.

The plastic is around $17 for 8 feet.

Double check the dimensions - everyone sets their up differently. I used the plastic on mine. I drilled a through hole on the top that allowed the head of the fastener to pass through, then drilled the actual fastening hole on the bottom leg just bigger than the thread size and added a counter sink to it.

I've seen some that have the groove machined out of a solid 1"x1" piece of stock, but then leave enough stock unmachined (perhaps 1/2") so they can drill and put the fastener through the unmachined portion rather than just the bottom leg of the U-channel. This works, but I prefer to avoid machining when nessary.

A good table saw is perfectly capable of cutting the high density weather resistant white polyethylene you can get off mcmaster to easily make these same tracks for a slightly lower price.

Anyways, that's how I did it.

[dave]

Plastic breaks (again) and the shipping cost is non existent with some searching in ones local area.

It's a free country and folks are free to do as they please, but why do anything over (again, and again) when you can just do it right?