you say BILLET I say______? TECH!!!!

[Antibilly]

I had a customer walk in and ask hey whats Billet....and upon explaining it in my terms...I relized what is the true defintion of billet?
and what does it mean to you

[Petejoe]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Definition: \Bil"let\, n. [F. billet, dim. of an OF. bille bill. See
{Bill} a writing.]
1. A small paper; a note; a short letter. ``I got your
melancholy billet.'' --Sterne.

2. A ticket from a public officer directing soldiers at what
house to lodge; as, a billet of residence.


\Bil"let\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Billeted}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Billeting}.] [From {Billet} a ticket.] (Mil.)
To direct, by a ticket or note, where to lodge. Hence: To
quarter, or place in lodgings, as soldiers in private houses.

Billeted in so antiquated a mansion. --W. Irving.


\Bil"let\, n. [F. billette, bille, log; of unknown
origin; a different word from bille ball. Cf. {Billiards},
{Billot}.]
1. A small stick of wood, as for firewood.

They shall beat out my brains with billets. --Shak.

2. (Metal.) A short bar of metal, as of gold or iron.

3. (Arch.) An ornament in Norman work, resembling a billet of
wood either square or round.

4. (Saddlery)
(a) A strap which enters a buckle.
(b) A loop which receives the end of a buckled strap.
--Knight.

5. (Her.) A bearing in the form of an oblong rectangle.


\Bil"let\, n.
Quarters or place to which one is assigned, as by a billet or
ticket; berth; position. Also used fig. [Colloq.]

The men who cling to easy billets ashore. --Harper's
Mag.

His shafts of satire fly straight to their billet, and
there they rankle. --Pall Mall
Mag.


Boy some should be able to elaborate on this one http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[ QUOTE ]
His shafts of satire fly straight to their billet, and
there they rankle. --Pall Mall
Mag.

[/ QUOTE ]

[McGrath]

I think it means that a given item was formed by machining from a solid block of material, basically.

[McGrath]

Speaking of Billet, I just got some "Billet" Titanium parts a few weeks ago myself....

Thats the lowest three Vertebrae in my neck all screwed together. I guess I'll have a permanent Stiffie http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[kustumizer]

billet is the type of material they used called billet aluminum. nate

[Antibilly]

Nice Rods!
Im gonna print this and put it on the wall when its all said and done

So when you say No Billet!! what is it that your saying no to??? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[McGrath]

I think they are referring to the "Style" of Billet Parts. Everything CNC Machined absolutely perfect. I know the Street Rods around here are loaded with Billet. Everything from Air Cleaner Lids to Steering Wheels and Door handles. Most of it with Ball Milled Flames, Grooves, etc....

[PFF]

Billet = Taiwanese made junk http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Antibilly]

BTT http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[porknbeaner]

[ QUOTE ]
Speaking of Billet, I just got some "Billet" Titanium parts a few weeks ago myself....

Thats the lowest three Vertebrae in my neck all screwed together. I guess I'll have a permanent Stiffie http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Man bro it makes my neck hurt just to think about it. They want to do my neck that way. BBBBBBBBBBBBBLAW!!!

I think most people term a billet piece as one machined from a piece of aluminum billet.

I don't think that all hoops/billet wheels are machined just finished up on the machine.

So, in part its just a name that got hung on bling pieces.

When I was real little the ol' man called what we would call a piece of aluminum billet a pig. He used to carve pieces for race cars out of it all the time. Mostly to save weight, and because you couldn't always buy the exact correct piece. I guess those would be HAM parts, or perhaps HAWG pieces.

I don't have any problem machining a piece for my ride (when I have the opportunity) out of a piece of aluminum. I'd use titanium if I could get my hands on it.

I don't think I would go to the extreme of garbaging one up with a whole lot of bits n pieces. Perhaps that's why I won't ever win a pro class at a big show. OH, gee whiz http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Anyway, gettin back to it. a friend told me a couple of years ago that if you paint it when your done it don't count as billet. I don't understand. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[macs55]

Man Bfwcs I guess you can't go to any Billitproof shows anymore. HAHAHA http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Man that hurts just looking at it. Must hurt in the cold weather.

[Paul]

it's a soul-less chunk of machined metal.

[Nads]

I've billet in my hip too, ha!

[drgnwgn289]

Actually, its French and its pronounced "bill-ay"....I don't see a problem with home made billet stuff, as a matter of fact, I'm gonna have a bunch of billet steel brackets and stuff on my T. My dad has a mill and lathe, and I have some steel, why not put the two together and gets some decent looking parts.

[JimC]

It is my belief that Billet is amachinist term to define the charistic and form of the material used in the machining process to develop a finished part(at least finished to the next step)
As in a block of material, this case aluminum.

As is with other terms, its meaning changes by popular usage.
Ex. Kleenex, Coke Cola(Coke) You ask for a Kleenex, and someone hands you a Puffs tissue or some other brand.
Someone asks you to go for a Coke, then buys a root beer or Dr.Pepper.

Lots of members of this board refer to billet in deragatory terms, when several of the revered old time parts were machined from billet.

This came to be the desired process, so the after market people developed it into a mass marketing ploy to give us the current products developed.
As in most of the products availble to us, the hot rodders and to "Them", the street rodders, were developed by us, the hot rodders.BACK "IN THE DAY", from when I and the other dinosaurs came,we did not have billet parts, so we had to make our own.
So those cars did not get far from home(with out breaking down)
Now you just call 1 800 buy part and build your reliable, safe car.

My defination of Traditional, comes from the way cars were built, and not necessarily from a style.

Just one opinion, mine are cheap. I give them away regularly.

JIm

[LUKESTER]

Billet sucks if you don't have access to a mill. If you do..... billet is cool..... LUKESTER

[NealinCA]

[ QUOTE ]
Billet sucks if you don't have access to a mill. If you do..... billet is cool..... LUKESTER

[/ QUOTE ]

Egg Zackly http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Neal

[DrJ]

There's nothin wrong with taking a billet of metal and carving a part out of it on a mill or lathe.
C9 does it regularly and the results are beautiful, and traditional.

The "billet" that get's Poo-pooed is the mass advertized, mass produced, every car in line at the cruise night has the exact same parts, bubble packed "schlock" that because of it's comonality, isn't any more impressive or distinctive than a stock part that's deservingly getting a bad rap.
Some of it isn't even billet.
It's die-cast to look like billet!

But then, I get the same feeling about cars that have every imaginable piece of polished cast aluminum finned aftermarket stuff on it too.

I think the first "Cruise" I went on was a poker run from Hobby Town in Stanton to a Parking lot up the street from C.W. Moss and I won one of them Billet waterpump pulleys with the round holes drilled in it around the hat part.
I opened the box and mumbled, I thought to myself, "What the fuck is this?"
At which some excited guy says, "That's a [blank} billet waterpump pulley! Those are worth a lot of money!"
At which I replied, "Oh yea? I think it's an infection.
Ya see, if I put this on the waterpump then it doesn't match the painted pulleys on the alternator or crank so I have to buy thoes too.
Then I have to buy the matching billet alternator fan and the matching billet air cleaner and valve covers because my cheap Pep Boys chrome ones won't look right with those billet parts...
See, It's just an infection and I'm going to make a lamp base out of it."

And I am some day, going to make a lamp out of it.
I got a fared exhaust tip from Pep Boys and a13" hubcap from the Mooneyes yard sale that got stamped with the polished side on the inside by mistake and all I need now is a bulb and a cord and one of them "round-to-it" things.
You know I'll do it when I get a round to it!

(it's been sittin on the shelf in the garage for over a decade now. The aluminum is turning white from oxidation and the cheap chrome exhaust tip is starting to rust) http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[slazzen]

i have seen some rocken traditional billet parts and agree with lukester

[ray]

a 'billet" is actually the unworked slab or material. aluminum would more typically come in billets, particularly when extruded or cast. when extruded, they throw a billet in the machine, and shove it thru a tiny hole, extruded aluminum, it ain't billet no mo. and once you put a mill to a billet of material, i suppose its not really a billet anymore.

the ONLY people that use the term BILLET ALUMINUM are car people, or chopper fags too.

[dixiedog]

[ QUOTE ]
a 'billet" is actually the unworked slab or material. aluminum would more typically come in billets, particularly when extruded or cast. when extruded, they throw a billet in the machine, and shove it thru a tiny hole, extruded aluminum, it ain't billet no mo. and once you put a mill to a billet of material, i suppose its not really a billet anymore.

the ONLY people that use the term BILLET ALUMINUM are car people, or chopper fags too.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've bought billet Teflon before (mega$$$) to have an injection tube machined to inject sulfuric acid into the finish water at a water plant - that was the only material that could stand the temp & acidity.

So billet isnt just for metals - the billet that gets a bad rap is the BILLET=MULLET folks that have a car look like a catalog model.

[fuel pump]

Billet is like black paint. Used on a super smooth featureless ride with air, tilt, cruise, 18" radials etc etc it sucks. But used on a traditional ride with louvers, door handles etc it can be cool as hell.

[Antibilly]

This should be rated 10 stars!! best thread EVA!!!! it even beats all the traditional threads

billet is like chrome smoothies in Orlando!! thought they looked great at first then they were popping up on every car in town...and now its like a sore peter! you can beat it.....unless your hard up http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[4t64rd]

My Dad was tool & die maker at a gov't supplier and has some bronze impregnated teflon "billets" that I plan on machining and using everywhere there is a pivot point outside of the engine on my Ford. This stuff is hard & slippery.

[ QUOTE ]
Actually, its French and its pronounced "bill-ay"....

[/ QUOTE ]

Does that mean some of us like "Rockabillet?"

Go ahead, make your hard & slippery jokes.

[Jester]

billet is a process that any metal can undergo. made from one chunk of metal be it alluminum or other.

[Morrisman]

A 'billet' is just a slab of raw material, steel, aluminium, whatever. The name (or expression more like)Billet had been used and abused by people so often now that it has become a fashion accessory, like new Harleys, tattoos and leather jackets. They used to be, original, cool and different, now everybody and their fucken dog has it http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[Antibilly]

In that case Im taking my ink back!!!

[Nads]

Billet is kin to "Bill it" as in "Bill it to my credit card."

[Antibilly]

Nads I like yours the best so far

[stolenmojo]

while billet does indeed imply bolt on parts and cookie cutter hot rods, we have to be careful because flames are headed right down the same alley. in my own little world it takes a cool car to have a paint (or primer) job with flames on it, and acura has never produced one worthy.

3 years ago, how cool was it to have a maltese cross on a motorcycle, now how cool is it? every minivan in NC seems to have one....

[porknbeaner]

DrJ Here ya go bro.

[PEDDRO]

So where's the TECH?! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I wanna make me some BILLET something now........ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Jethro]

Ok here's some handmade "Billet" Only machine tools are woodworking ones.Tablesaw, drillpress with holesaw, router and beltsander and loose buff with red compound.
I wanted to replace the ugly rubber seal on my 60 Brookwood wagon. I had a chunk of 5/8ths aluminum that I found at the recyclers.I copied the shape , drilled and counterdrilled the bolt holes and tapped them for 1/4 in socket head bolts.Then I split the halves on the tablesaw and then bolted the two halves back together. Centerpunched and holesawed where the column goes through.Once it was the basic shape then I sanded the edges and faces till they were smooth and the part line was gone. Then I used a 3/8 in radius roundover carbide router bit to radius the edge. A little more sanding with some 220, then 400 then the red compound on the buff wheel.

[Jethro]

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Jethro]

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Morrisman]

Cool job Jethro. I made a brake lever for my motorcycle the same way. Jigsaw, hacksaw, hand files, emery paper and sweat.
And now everybody asks me where I bought it!!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[burndup]

Steel can be billet, and BILLET, also...

I had a leaky thermostat gasket... bolts were a tad too long... as I dug my hand into my bag full of fender washers, I thought... these will look like ass on top of my engine.

So I got a bunch of 3/8th washers together on a 3/8 bolt and snugged em down with a nut, Added a second nut, and bam-o, I had a lathe mandrel.

chucked it in my Halbol Flate mini-rathe, turned those washers down to slightly larger than the 9/16th head on the bolt... now the washers on my thermo-housing look all blingy and billet, cause they're shiny as hell and they have sharp 90 degree edges, but the cool thing about em...

They'll rust soon!