September 27, 2021

“Play opens up the imagination, which
then opens up new possibilities.”

— Alfred Carlton Gilbert

Those lines are uttered by actor Jason Alexander playing inventor, magician, and toy maker A.C.Gilbert in the 2008 biographical film The Man Who Saved Christmas. You can preview the film in this trailer:

Visitors to our blog, of a certain age, will probably recall with great nostalgia what is surely Gilbert’s most famous invention and one of the most popular playthings of their childhood, namely, the inimitable Erector Set. Produced by the A.C.Gilbert Company, “Erector Set” was a brand of metal toy construction kits first patented in 1913. Basic Erector Set parts included various sizes of flat beams, made with real steel, with regularly spaced holes for assembly using nuts and bolts, and room for additional parts and accessories, including little electric motors. The only limit was your imagination.

From a 1922 advertisement for Erector Set (Source)

Each kit came with detailed instructions for assembling all manner of fabrications, from bridges and Ferris wheels to robots and rocket ships. Or, if you had a rich imagination and enough parts, you could design and build your own unique constructions.

Early Erector Set in on display in the Museum of the City of New York (Source)

Those familiar with Framing Tech will quickly recognize that our family of extruded aluminum framing products represents a kind of Erector Set for grownups! Let us show you the ways—starting with the individual components.

 

Extruded Aluminum Framing Parts

Inch and Metric Aluminum Profiles

The heart of our product lines comprises a wide variety of structural aluminum extrusions and T-slot framing profiles, of various shapes, lengths, and sizes, to accommodate all manner of fasteners, connectors, bases, and specialty accessories. The profiles are available in both inch and metric measurements.

The advantage of T-slot aluminum over steel is its low cost, lightness, and flexibility, not to mention its versatility. Extruded aluminum stays strong in heat or cold, is corrosion-resistant, and doesn’t need to be welded! Whether you’re working on a full structural or modular aluminum framing project or a more simple task, Framing Tech has the pieces you need to build a complete and economical solution.

Assembling the Extruded Aluminum Frame

With T-Slot aluminum there’s no need to clamp, weld, grind, and finish. All it needs is to be connected together. We carry a full line of various kinds of aluminum framingconnectors and fasteners needed for any project for both our metric- and inch-size profiles.

Add-ons for Extruded Aluminum Framing

Frame to Floor

Where the frame meets the floor, you can choose from a large selection of leveling feet, floor brackets, casters, and base plates.

Doors

If you’re building an enclosure or workstation, you may need doors with hinges, handles, and latches. Our door accessories are universally accepted with both our inch and metric extruded aluminum profiles.

Panel Accessories

If you need to add a panel to your workstation or enclosure, our T-slot reducing and mounting accessories can fit both of our metric and inch profile extruded aluminum. We work with many common panel materials, including Lexan™, Plexiglass™, and more.

Other Accessories

From cup holders and roller wheels to machining jigs and tool hangers, we offer a wide selection of specialty items to add the finishing touches to your extruded aluminum framing structure.

 

Extruded Aluminum Framing Fabrications: Putting It All Together

So with all these available components, what can you actually build with Framing Tech extruded aluminum parts?

The short answer is: it runs the gamut. Whether you are designing for the home, office, or workshop, odds are we already carry easy-to-assemble pre-designed kits, ready for delivery right now. Or we can create something new and original, based on your custom design. Some of our most popular creations include:


Aquarium Stand


Enclosure


Shelf


Table

We even carry a line of workspace sneeze guards and other Covid-19 safety products!

So if you’re waxing nostalgic for the Erector Set days of your youth and have a hankering to build something fun yet practical, sturdy yet light, and of course attractive to look at, our extruded aluminum framing solutions may be just the inspiration you need. Your inner child will thank you!