Silver Dust

I just finished heat sink #3 for the HB2, which is the forth one I have machined counting the initial test block. I wondered how much aluminum I was removing from each 4x4x1 block.

I don’t have a full size un-machined block left but I do have the scrap end which is nearly a full block. It measures 4 x 3 11/16 x 1 which is 4 x 3.6875 x 1 or 15.75 cubic inches.

I have a postage scale that measures to 0.1 ounce. That is going to determine my overall accuracy. The undersized solid block weighed 23.2 ounces. Doing the math to figure what a cubic inch of aluminum weighs and bringing it back up to the 16 cubic inch start block ( 4 x 4 x 1), my figures say the start block should weigh 25.2 ounces.

The fully machined heat sink weighs 14.4 ounces, a 10.8 ounce loss. That is 43% machined away!

Pushing the fun with math a bit further, when I finish my 5th block, I will have made 54 ounces or 3.375 pounds of aluminum flakes.

I bet Gloria thinks about half of that has already tracked into the house, Oops!