BACKGROUND:
You may well be thinking "What The ...?" about this item ... to many these used panels of extruded metal would be considered as just used lumps of metal but I am "really big" on reusing or repurposing old electronic components and hardware, particularly from the point of view of sustainability.
Sustainability far more than NOT burying waste material back into the earth but consciously recognising the energy expended to create the item through it's various "stages" in life, beginning with the raw materials being extracted from the earth, processed, finished and then fitted into equipment - every single step used energy which is referred to as embodied energy.
To give an approximate representation of how much energy was used in the WHOLE production process of an item, I have created what I refer to as the Ee (Embodied Energy) value, measured in Mj
The Ee value is an approximation only and usually measured in Mj.
Coming up with an Ee value is an attempt to take into account the energy used for extracting and processing of the raw materials, manufacturing of the component, distribution of the component(s) and final assembly of the component. In fact the measurement of Ee can become extremely complicated and technical, many tertiary institutions are involved in this specialised field of science.
I have used various reliable sources online to arrive at approximate Ee values, these are approximations and the sole purpose is to raise awareness of the extraordinary energy consumed in the creation of various electronic components and hardware - it may give you cause to think twice before wasting all that energy and burying it in the ground, with the possible side-effects of poisoning the environment due to leeching.
HERE is a page I have created which gives some tables and more detailed information about specific Ee values for different materials plus a link which you can use as a starting point to investigate Ee for yourself.
These panels were extracted from some vintage audio equipment (Valve based) and if you are "into" the world of homebrewing, panels such as this come in very handy, especially around or above high voltage tubes with "top hats" - nothing worse than accidently touching one of those caps when the equipment is turned on, 600+V DC bites, hard!
I have two distinctly different panels and you can select which one that may suit your purposes best ... take them both then an automatic discount comes into play at the checkout
So let's get on with the description (FINALLY!)
EXTRUDED METAL SHEET PANELS
SHEET 1
Material: Aluminium
Source: Country of origin is unknown but most likely England as this was where the original equipment was made.
Part # Unknown
Possible uses: RFI or Hazard Protection (High Voltages or heat)
330mm x 330mm x 0.75mm thickness
Extrusion type: rows of very small circular holes across the entire sheet. I counted 5 rows across just 10mm, therefore the entire width would have 165 rows of holes.
Flexibility: quite easily malleable which means this sheet be easily formed into whatever shape the user may require.
Weight: 105g
COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
Clean
NO oxidisation observed
NO substantial physical damage, meaning there are no "tin snip" cuts or other damage to the sheet although there are some holes which were originally used for mounting this sheet into the equipment.
This Aluminium sheet is now sitting on a bed of stiff cardboard and within a sealed clear plastic packet, patiently waiting for a new purpose in life.
SHEET 2
Material: Iron based (tests positive as a Ferrous material)
Source: Country of origin is unknown but most likely England as this was where the original equipment was made.
Part # Unknown
Possible uses: Hazard Protection (High Voltages or heat) but due to the Ferrous nature of the material, not so suitable where the magnetic properties may get in the way. If I remember correctly, this was used as a top panel on a valve amplifier from the 1950's ~ 1960's
This panel has some sort of coating on both sides, this gives the sheet a slight Yellowish appearance, like Brass but it is not Brass. I do not know what this coating is but it has managed to ensure the base metal does not oxidise i.e no rust is apparent even though this panel would have to be 60+ years old!
365mm x 245mm x 1.0mm thickness
Extrusion type: circular holes, which although very small, I did manage to get the micrometer into one and it seems they are 1.5mm diameter and completely cover the sheet i.e holes everywhere!
Flexibility: Unlike SHEET 1, this sheet is quite rigid and would need some metal bending tools to do the job properly - far less malleable than the Aluminium sheet..
Weight: 380g
COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
Clean
NO oxidisation observed i.e no dirty Brown blotches anywhere
NO substantial physical damage, meaning there are no "tin snip" cuts or other damage to the sheet although there are some holes around the edges which were originally used for mounting this sheet into the amplifier.
This Iron sheet is now sitting on a bed of stiff cardboard and within a sealed clear plastic packet, patiently waiting for a new purpose in life.
