Bending aluminum
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I want to make a new light bar for on top of my roll bar, so it would be about 4 feet long with the ends bent around and down to the base. but I want more than 90 deg, just for looks. I havent bought any stock yet, wondering if it would be possible ?
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Well, I haven't worked with aluminum bar that thick yet. I have recently used the 1/4inch aluminum stock that you can buy at Lowes Home improvement warehouses. It bends ok when cool or at room temperature. It bends even easier in the summer heat. I used a quality hand held tubing bender that can hand multiple sizes. The only problem I ran into was that cold bending weakened my pieces. If I tried to adjust a bend into another direction or straighten it back out my pieces would crack or break completely. The initial bends worked great at all angles, including making a complete circle. Also, there are many types of aluminum alloys. The type you get will dictate how well it responds to bending, heating, etc. Good luck, it sounds like a pretty cool idea!!! 
Last edited by cigarxtc; Mar 15, 2005 at 10:47 PM.
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Readily available aluminum bar will probably be 6061 T-6 Alloy. Depending on your bend radius, It may break if bent cold. To keep this from happening, you will need to anneal it, or soften it before you cold bend it. This would be typically done with an Oxy/acetylene torch in your situation. If you do not have this, a propane torch will work, but take four times as long. Heat up the area to be bent until it will lightly burn a piece of softwood (this is typically done using a heat crayon, but I'm going to assume you don't have one). This will be at about the right temperature to anneal the aluminum. Keep your torch moving in a back and forth motion, heating the area uniformly, and constantly checking the temp with your piece of wood. Once heated, cool the parts off with water. You are now ready to cold bend them.
Hint/Disclaimer:
Try a small scrap piece(s) first to perfect your technique.
Good luck!
Hint/Disclaimer:
Try a small scrap piece(s) first to perfect your technique.
Good luck!
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I hadn't considered tubing because of the degree of the bend. I thought it would end up going flat. I suppose I could try filling it with sand ? if solid doesn't work.
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Originally Posted by RocketScience
Readily available aluminum bar will probably be 6061 T-6 Alloy. Depending on your bend radius, It may break if bent cold. To keep this from happening, you will need to anneal it, or soften it before you cold bend it. This would be typically done with an Oxy/acetylene torch in your situation. If you do not have this, a propane torch will work, but take four times as long. Heat up the area to be bent until it will lightly burn a piece of softwood (this is typically done using a heat crayon, but I'm going to assume you don't have one). This will be at about the right temperature to anneal the aluminum. Keep your torch moving in a back and forth motion, heating the area uniformly, and constantly checking the temp with your piece of wood. Once heated, cool the parts off with water. You are now ready to cold bend them.
Hint/Disclaimer:
Try a small scrap piece(s) first to perfect your techni
Good luck!
Hint/Disclaimer:
Try a small scrap piece(s) first to perfect your techni
Good luck!
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From: The Big, Oregon
You want about 350*, and it shouldn't give any surprises when welding. Just make sure to keep you interpass temp under 350*.
As far as the cooldown, try two scrap pieces first, one cooled in water, and the second air cooled naturally. The water cooled one may become brittle due to being cooled to fast.
Aluminum pipe doesn't like to be sand bent, it tends to split on the outside rather than draw and stretch like steel.
As far as the cooldown, try two scrap pieces first, one cooled in water, and the second air cooled naturally. The water cooled one may become brittle due to being cooled to fast.
Aluminum pipe doesn't like to be sand bent, it tends to split on the outside rather than draw and stretch like steel.
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Originally Posted by mark a.
What degree of crayon would you recomend ?
Originally Posted by mark a.
....and will there be any suprise when I touch the tig to it
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What kind of pipe bender do you have? I use a enerpac at work for pipe and I don't think I could get 120 deg. w/schedule 40 dies. For tube I use a Hossfeld bender with tube dies and can bend >180 deg. You could use 3/4 in. pipe which meas. approx. 1 1/16 OD. I agree 6061 could break. I use alot of Annodized 6063 Alum. doing marine fabrication and never have a problem with it. Good luck with your project.
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