An alternative for Z Bars


 

TonyS T-Bone

TVWBB Super Fan
As a winter project, I ordered 6' aluminum z-bar from M-M. Plan to cut down to size and paint. Will replace some rusty z-bars in my fleet. RC quoted me a pretty high number, so...

Has anyone tried this and are there any problems to watch out for when painting aluminum? Plan is to make clean cuts, maybe round the ends, pre-drill holes for slats, degrease, prime and paint? Sounds simple enough....

McMaster Carr: part 7062T13; 6061 Aluminum Z-Bar, 1/16" Wall Thickness, 3/4" High, 1" Outside Width, 6' lengths run $16 each.

(Sorry for size of this spec sheet!)

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Tony,

That does look like an interesting option. Anything to get away from painted regular steel! I am not an expert, but I would think that if you prime it with the right stuff that painting aluminum would be no big deal.

I also look forward to hearing how it works for you. I am wanting to order some more connectors from McMaster, so it would be a good plan to do it at the same time to save on shipping.
 
Nice. I need to check my numbers at home, but that's not much more than I have
been paying for the sheets I have to cut and bend myself.
 
I would leave them bare IMO. My experience has been very spotty getting paint of any kind to adhere to extruded aluminum
 
That is a great idea. I was wondering where to get these. I also like to know how they get shipped. Hopefully in some kind of sturdy cardboard tube so that they don't get bend. Please share your experience once you get them.

I ordered a few z bars and a 6' SS "axle" rod and they shipped to my office in a very heavy duty cardboard tube. No damage whatsoever.
 
I would leave them bare IMO. My experience has been very spotty getting paint of any kind to adhere to extruded aluminum

What is the difference between these brackets and the aluminum fire boxes in your opinion?

I’m really curious. It would be great to fab up a second set of tables for my 2000.
 
Just thinking out loud: I guess one could also use the 1/2 high z-bars to replace the rusted out grease tray sliders. Some seem to be made out of steel and tend to look really bad...
 
WOW, awesome thread here. I love the idea of these stock pieces for making Z bars. I never thought to see if something like this existed. I agree that the ones from RCPlanebuyer are a bit expensive for doing flip grills. If and when someone orders and receives the stock and fabs up some Z brackets, I would love to see them.

I also love the idea of using this stuff for the drip pan slide brackets. Seems like the majority of my latest grill acquisitions have had trashed slide brakets. The originals are galvanized steel and only last so long when exposed to heat. New sets are available, but will run about $15 to $20.

As long as these don't have any special coating on them, I would think regular Rustoleum 2X would be fine. A first coat of primer would probably be good as well.
 
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I don't know anything about painting aluminium but it might look fine to leave them unpainted as Larry suggested.

You have a great idea here.
 
Yah, I had bought a set of Stainless Steel ones from RCPlainebuyer last year for a grill I was rehabbing. I didn't bother to paint them since they were stainless and nice and shiny. While aluminum isn't going to rust, it isn't as "pretty" as stainless and it does tend to oxidize after a while. But, then, they could always be painted later if necessary or if you decided you didn't like the bare metal look on a grill that was mostly otherwise painted black.
 
I have painted aluminum before I did use a etching primer but that rusto I posted above looks interesting. To me it would not look right to leave them unpainted you have nothing to lose by priming them and spraying them.

Stefan what a great idea on using them for the sliding tray rails taking a few off on a 13 bar tomorrow will measure what the are in depth. What would be easy if they work is you could take the old ones and line up the screw holes perfectly.

This might solve a problem I have stretching a 1100 frame to a 3000 the z bars on the bottom would be a problem since weber used 2 so with these just use one piece cut to length.

Tony thank you it never ceases to amaze me with what everyone comes up with for fixes.
 
Yep, I have learned so much from this forum and it's members. You guys amaze me sometimes.

I am thinking this might be the best stock for the Z-bracket for tables: https://www.mcmaster.com/7062t12

Those would have the 5/8" drop to fit the width of the regular boards and still have 3/4" for the lip on top of the frame and under the boards.
 
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What is the difference between these brackets and the aluminum fire boxes in your opinion?

I’m really curious. It would be great to fab up a second set of tables for my 2000.

The fire box is a casting and therefore porous. So paint can actually "sink in". But overall without very powerful and caustic chemical etching paint really will not stick to aluminum extrusions in a consumer environment because there is no way you would ever get your hands on the chemicals needed to properly etch the metal for paint adhesion. I recall my dad telling me how much more they had to quote to finish aluminum parts because of the extreme processes they had to use to adhere paint to the end product.
Perhaps someone may find these products (Z bar material) in an anodized product. Think how cool that would look
 
It looks way to thin and small to me. The thickness of the material is only 6/100ths of an inch. Which is about 1/17th of an inch. The drop on the bracket is less than 1/2". That would result in the boards being well above flush when mounted.

The other material would be preferable to me.

While anodized aluminum would certainly be preferential, I think that naturally corrosion resistance aluminum with a good primer and paint would would out fine.
 
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It looks way to thin and small to me. The thickness of the material is only 6/100ths of an inch. Which is about 1/17th of an inch. The drop on the bracket is less than 1/2". That would result in the boards being well above flush when mounted.

Yes you are correct... once I really looked at the dimensions, I realized that too.
 

 

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