Alloy Legs for pedal steel?

dana Murphy · From: clarksburg wv usa

Does no one make alloy legs for pedal steel?

Ian Worley · From: Sacramento, CA

The one guy who used to make alloy legs, Alan Ray, said that he was no longer able to get the necessary materials. There was also a rumor here recently that he had passed away, I don't know if that's accurate, but in any case his website is gone and he is no longer a source. Wayne Brown was talking about setting up to produce them but I don't know where that stands. There have been several discussions about this recently, here is one: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=3185789&sid=baffb71cdd16cbfbd5d0a5cc8024c02c
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Wayne Brown · From: Bassano, Alberta, Canada

Hi Ian and dana
We are still looking into it. we are now in the testing phase and are about half way through that. So far everything is looking good. The test pieces have passed with flying colors. Finding the raw material is proving to be a challenge however we may have found a stable supplier up here in Canada. Also The Chrome over alloy is a defendant NO NO. That process is so toxic the Canadian government as well as the USA government has made that extremely expensive to do. So on that front... Ours if we do them will be polished aluminum just like end plates or key heads etc. As well in order to do these type of legs we will need a bigger lathe and a few other machines. Those are inline to be bought if the rest of the tests work out. The next text is trying to manufacture a stable clutch that just plainly works all the time. I will update you when I know more
And PS; Thanks Ian, all those specs were extremely valuable
thanks
wayne
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Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

Wayne, you may want to talk with Chuck Back at Desert Rose guitars, I have an S10 he built for the late great Stu Schulman that has polished aluminum legs with a machined leg pocket on the front legs and a nifty clutch mechanism on the back ones. Avoids the issues of cutting threads on the outside of the tubing necessary for the mic stand style clutches.

John Larson · From: Pennsyltucky, USA

Don't the new Sierras use carbon fiber legs? Would that work as a solution assuming the goal is lighter legs.
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Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

Dave those Desert Rose legs look like they may have been built by the same firm that builds GFI's legs. They have the same step on front leg for pedal bar, And back leg adjustment, GFI's legs I have are chromed tubing, The tubing being used may be coming from off shore chromed.
Here is what a tuner clamp with a bad jaw can do to a GFI leg. 1 leg had these scratches when I bought the guitar.

Chris Templeton · From: The Green Mountain State

The carbon fiber that Sierra used, and gave to Sierra owners, were replacement knobs/ screws for the plates that tighten the pedal rack to the legs.
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Ross Shafer · From: Petaluma, California

Chris Templeton · From: The Green Mountain State

Nice, Ross.
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John Hyland · From: South Australia

Ross just wondering what the diameter you use for your carbon fibre legs? Regards John

Wayne Brown · From: Bassano, Alberta, Canada

Well we have been continuing our testing to check out the viability of alloy/ aluminum legs and it was all going well....until...we hit a brick wall. We finally figured out why the sun coast legs were chromed over aluminum. The reason we found is that aluminum does NOT like to be tightened and un tightened (at the clutch). It tends to Gaul the threads. So without a coating on both parts IE Chrome or some form of lubrication it would be unfeasible to built these legs to any degree of consistency. Unless someone else knows another viable solution. Sorry folks we did try.
Thanks
wayne
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Owner Out West Music,Seats,Parts and accessories
www.outwestcountry.ca

Ian Worley · From: Sacramento, CA

What thread pitch did you use Wayne? The Suncoast legs used a much coarser thread pitch than a standard steel mic stand clutch. Suncoast are 7/8-14, mic stand are 7/8-27. I assume he did this for the reason you describe.

Other options to consider - Type I anodizing of the threads, this provides a hard coating that can include an embedded teflon lubricant. You could also use a stainless steel thread insert in the clutch nut to reduce the aluminum-on-aluminum galling
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All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest - Paul Simon

Wayne Brown · From: Bassano, Alberta, Canada

Hi Ian thanks for the suggestions. I did take your advice and am using a 7/8x14 thread.

I will also look into those other suggestions as well.
Thanks
Wayne
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www.outwestcountry.ca

Wayne Brown · From: Bassano, Alberta, Canada

OK Thanks Ian . With Ian's suggestions we are back in the running for now. We are looking into Heli coils and anodizing. There is a great company up here that we have used a lot in our hot caustic bluing service. (smoke poles) and they have some good ideas on the anodizing as well. I will keep you folks updated
thanks
wayne
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Owner Out West Music,Seats,Parts and accessories
www.outwestcountry.ca

Ross Shafer · From: Petaluma, California

I spoke with Ray years ago about his legs. If I recall correctly he got the tubing from an outfit called Founderland in Taiwan. A company I was familiar with from my years in the bicycle industry. Not sure if he got the tubing from them and processed it using other vendors. You might reach out to them and ask. If indeed they supplied Ray with complete legs (machined, plated and all) your best bet would be to get the legs from them.

Wayne Brown · From: Bassano, Alberta, Canada

Thanks Ross however the shear quantity that I would need to purchase from them to make it viable would not work. The raw tubes are not an issue as I have a mill that is on board with this project just 4 hrs from my shop. I just have to keep muddling through the engineering problems until i find a solution that fits. Here is a summery of problems I am working on. Ian has helped a lot.
1 tube spiraling: this has been rectified with the use of a rigid power vice Very Happy

2 galling of the threads: I am currently checking into Heli coils and anodizing to separate or put a coating on to keep the aluminum threads working correctly...other than that at this point we are still a go
Thanks
wayne
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Owner Out West Music,Seats,Parts and accessories
www.outwestcountry.ca

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