From CAD to Kart: Machining a Custom 7075-T6 Part for a Friend's Race Team

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Technical drawing and 7075-T6 aluminium stock for custom go-kart bearing carrier.

This one is personal.

As an designer, my job is to solve problems. But when the problem belongs to a friend, "good enough" is out of the question, and "waiting" isn't an option.

The Problem: When Bad Supply chains and poor quality Threaten a Race Season

My friends are a local father-son go-kart team. They are all heart and hustle the kind of people you can't help but root for. But for the last year, they’ve been fighting a battle they can't win. Not on the track, but with their suppliers.

Racing is a game of millimetres and milliseconds. When you’re a small, self-funded team, you’re already on a razor’s edge. They were being crippled by their supply chain:

  • 12-week lead times for "simple" components.

  • Parts showing up dead-on-arrival, completely out-of-spec.

  • Critical failures during a race because the quality just wasn't there.

For a team struggling to find funding, these failures aren't just frustrating, they're a potential season-ender. They needed a solution they could trust, and they needed it now.

The Engineering Solution: A Custom 7075-T6 Bearing Carrier

They came to me looking for a new design for their rear axle bearing carrier. I told them I could do one better.


We scrapped the old design and re-engineered this part from the ground up. We specified 7075-T6 aluminium for its incredible strength-to-weight ratio and added a Type III Hard coat Anodize finish for maximum wear resistance. The design holds a critical R40 H7 bearing fit tolerance—precision that leaves zero room for error.

But a great design is only half the solution.



Why I’m Machining This Myself: The "Garage Shop" Advantage

I don't normally fire up my garage shop for just anyone. It's my space for R&D and prototyping.

But this was special.

Instead of sending this new design out , I’m walking into my garage, clearing my mill, and machining it myself.

This is what my custom engineering services are all about. It’s not just about delivering a file; it’s about delivering a solution. When I machine this part myself, I'm not just a "vendor"—I'm the craftsman.

  • I control the toolpaths.

  • I control the fixturing.

  • I control the in-process inspection and quality.

From Toolpath to Track: The Work Starts Now


There are no supply chains to break. Just a problem, a design, and a direct line of accountability.

This part isn't just a piece of 7075-T6 aluminium; it's a promise to my friends that they'll have the reliability they deserve. It's a guarantee that one small part won't be the reason their season ends early.


The first toolpath starts this week.

I can't wait to hand-deliver this to them and see it cross the finish line.

Have you own Problem you want solving drop me a line bellow

 

Location: United Kingdom

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