Aluminium is such a versatile, useful metal, it can be found in an immeasurable amount of everyday items. From building frames to railways, many of these are either kept out of plain sight or are often missed entirely, yet when you understand just a little bit about the low density, corrosion resistant properties of aluminium angles, it isn't that surprising why it's the metal of choice. But what about all the everyday examples that we don't usually pick up on? In this entry of the Austen Knapman blog, we list 5 places you'll find aluminium angles that may actually surprise you...
Computer Cases
Also known as the computer chassis or tower, the hard shell that encloses all the components of your computer needs just the right sized metal to ensure everything runs optimally (granted, you can also get
computer cases made from Lego...). Alloying aluminium markedly improves its mechanical properties, particularly when its tempered, making it the ideal metal for this particular PC purpose. The ever massive modding community
often like to build their own computer cases, and for this task cut to size aluminium angles do the job like few of the other choices.
Shelving
When trying to get the most out of your living space, a corner shelf is one of the simplest ways to turn an otherwise useless area of your home into a handy place to keep or display a small item, like a plant. Whilst wood is perfectly sufficient, using aluminium angles as support battens is a better choice for the sake of longevity and resistance to moisture. There are plenty of
great online guides for attaching aluminium angle corner shelving, and which shapes work best.
Flush Floor Hatches and Displays
Cellars and basements are often seen as an extravagance, and are becoming less prominent in modern housing. In our opinion, it's not just a waste of some great potential space, but with the right floor hatch, it can quickly become the safest place in the house. A modern flush aluminium floor hatch provides a reliable and secure point of access, regardless of whether it's a wine cellar or panic room. In fact this level of security also made alumimum angle flushes the window of choice for a recently announced outdoor gallery to be installed in our neighbouring city of Plymouth!
Water Walls
Whilst we can't really argue the fact that this use of aluminium angles is an extravagance, there's an
industrial beauty to water walls that can really only be accomplished with the right piece of cut-to-size metal. A real highlight to consider for your outdoor entertainment area, aluminium angles allow you to create a flowing water wall in a method that's both inexpensive and without much hassle.
Boat Frames
To anyone completely alien to boatbuilding, the idea of using metal must seem kind of strange, but even to those marginally knowledgeable, aluminium isn't always the first choice of material. However, whether you're designing an entirely new boat or converting an existing plan, aluminium is one of the most straightforward materials to build with. Modern building techniques and their emphasis on longitudinal stiffeners and more widely-spaced transverse frames allows the boat-builder to choose variations that best suit them, and
for amateur boat builders it's the easiest way to create a vessel that looks like it just came off a factory line.
