Bending R/angle aluminium

[whippy]

UNfortunately when I removed the old aluminium strip off the corners of the Globetrotter, I damaged it and of course it went to the tip.

I have purchased a slightly wider angle alumium to replace it but every time I try to bend it into shape, it kinks. Quite clearly the aluminium is harder that the original.

Is there any device or technique I can get that will bend the allu without kinking it ??

[Deleted]

Hi Whippy

In a nutshell.. NO.

You can coax J mould around a radius but i dont think anyone supplies the "L" section nowadays in a "softer " form.

Dont get suicidal just yet.... Someone will have the answer. Maybe heating it would work but there is a fine line between heating aluminium and actually melting it.

Ok .. Ok ... Just put down the gun ....and we'll talk this over. ;D

Reddo

[sportsman 1]

Hi Whippy,

there is always a way to do it.

Obviously the smaller the width of the flat you are trying to bend the better, I believe you can still buy ali angle which is wider one side than the other. This may make life easier.

Alternatively use the smallest section angle which will do the job. There is a table edge moulding which is about 3/4" wide on the flat with a vary small return on the angle which I used on the Teardrop.

This worked well but you need to have the roof butting into the sides, not the other way around.

If you have got access to a heat source you should be able to, with a bit of practice, anneal the ali to make it softer. BEWARE, as Reddo said it is easy to go too far. Also bear in mind once the ali is soft it will be forever more soft.

Another method is to use a shrinking machine as used in the vintage car body making field. It will mark the ali as it grips it but it will shrink it around well, just means you have to sand the marks out when you have the shape right.

I would try the heat first. I have a shrinker here at work but it sounds easier and quicker to soften it.

good luck, Leigh.

[JBJ]

Hi Whippy,


I've been told that to anneal ( soften) aluminium, you light an oxy acetylene torch flame with the oxy not turned on, just the acetylene. This gives a very sooty flame. lay a layer of soot over the aluminium, then turn the flame to normal. Then reheat aluminium until soot just burns off. That is supposed to be sufficient heat for annealling.


I havent tried it, but I've also read similar in magazines.

Couldn't you get a J mould to do your job. They are quite soft, & come down the edge around 10mm from memory. They certainly look better than angle aluminium.

JBJ

[humpty2]

Spot on with the heating ali to get it to bend JBJ, I was about to put the same info on.

[whippy]

Thanks guys I will try it at the weekend & let you know.

I want the r/angle ally on there as I don't want stray too far from original.

[Deleted]

Hi Whippy

Its all good info about the soot and heat etc to anneal the L section.... but i dont recall anyone on the forum actually reporting back on how they went when they gave it a try.. we are depending on you to give us some feedback with photos... pass or fail ... it doesnt matter ... just need to knw how it goes.
Good luck

Reddo

[sportsman 1]

Come on Whippy,

waiting, waiting, waiting.

Did it work?

[whippy]

I have had an opportunity to try it, I promise I will do it on Monday on my day off.

[whippy]

Unfortunately we didn't have any accetalene left so I warmed up the aluminium with a LPG torch, got it to almost glowing and cooled it down, yes it is very pliable and the problem is when you bend it, it buckles very easily.

I am now going to find an alumnium dealer as you can by different grades of softness.

[Surf Tragic]

Forgot all about this Roller until I came accross this thread. We used this at work

to roll round, gothic, semicircular windows, all alum use. We made a bigger, more

versatile roller with a chain drive on both bottom rollers, so I took this one home.



I remember making a couple of winscreens for boats using shower screen extrusions using the roller to curve the sections to the camber of the deck, thats why its in my shed now with the boat in mind ;D ;D



This angle is 20 x 12 x 1.6mm, so we found that most extrusion could be rolled successfully when it is supported in a purpose made roller, this one wasnt made specifically for alum angle , so there is a bit of a sideways twist when I tried this today. We never needed to soften the alum or use a softer grade.
There is always some distortion even though not enough to draw attention.

Food for thought.

Surf Tragic

[sportsman 1]

Hi ST,

Lowline in Melbourne have a similar machine for bending up "W" channel for sliding windows in their canopies. We recently had a pair made up to go in a 1930 A Ford Tudor Rod.

I assume the machine and/or owner (you) are available to make up ali strips for all us carryvan owners!

I am sure there are lots of us who would need some done sometime.

cheers, Leigh.

[Surf Tragic]

Hi Sportsman1,

You quoted"I assume the machine and/or owner (you) are available to make up ali strips for all us carryvan owners!

I am sure there are lots of us who would need some done sometime."

You may be a bit tongue in cheek ;D, but let me say, I was hesitant in showing the rollers for a couple of reasons. One is that each section needs rollers machined to suit the particular section being rolled, another is that usually the section to be rolled is long & flimsy, how do you transport?

The reason I posted the rollers is because it had been said, there is no usable device to 'bend' al angle.

I would be delighted if I could help anyone.

It would be worth asking any local window manufacturer if they could roll some whatever, we had all our large commercial sections rolled in Melb at

'Uneek Bending' www.uneek.com.au/

The alum is rolled , in mill finish to radius given, lubricant is used to reduce scratching, we then rubbed it down with W & Dry to take any marks away, then powdercoted.
ST

[junctionbox]

May 13, 2009 10:43:37 GMT 10 whippy said:

I have purchased a slightly wider angle alumium to replace it but every time I try to bend it into shape, it kinks. Quite clearly the aluminium is harder that the original.

I posted a response in another thread but as it's about the same issue I'll also post here.
You need to buy the correct product for the job? I'm also looking for the same malleable ali angle for my viscount roof resto and I found it on page 29 of this catalogue...
www.actionaluminium.com.au/Action_Aluminium_Catalogue_2012.pdf
There's also some other hard to find products in the above catalogue - like table edging, stucco sheet, etc.

Also for anybody in Vic, Carac in Dandenong keep ali angle and other ali products....
www.carac.com.au/pages/caravan.htm

[jamesandbel]

hi All,

you will find that most off the shelf aluminium extrusion will run with a temper of T5, which can be curved, but will be difficult with angle.

Most tubes etc for bullbar manufacturers etc are run in T4 temper which is softer, so the lower the T number the easier to bend, also the alloy will make a difference as well, but most off the shelf products will be 6061,6060,6063 all in T5

although you can get structual alloys run in T5 which is the same temper as the above but the alloy would be something like 6005-A, which is a structual alloy.

I will have the same issues on my van, as the "J" mould will not fit over some of the gaps in the meeting of wall and roof sheet, not at that stage to worry sbout it too much yet, sort it out when i get there.

[junctionbox]

Apr 22, 2012 14:07:48 GMT 10 jamesandbel said:

Most tubes etc for bullbar manufacturers etc are run in T4 temper which is softer, so the lower the T number the easier to bend,

The Action Aluminium catalogue that I linked to in my previous post lists a Caravan Angle 17.5 x 11.1 with a T1 rating - should be able to bend that?

[humpynvan]

I contacted Action Aluminium today.
The soft T1 caravan angle (17x11) is only in stock in the Melbourne Shop.
I spoke to the guy in sydney, as the clown in brisbane wasnt interested in helping me.
I can get it shipped easy enough. BUt if anyone else around the Brisbane area needs some, we could share freight cost, to make it cheaper. I was quoted 2.50 per M + GST without freight.
I will most likely be ordering early next week,
Let me know if you need any of this angle, or anything else out of their catalouge

[sportsman 1]

Hi Dave,

ST has obviously not been on Photobucket for a while, if he logs back on to PB the photos should reappear.

Regards bending the ally, it is pretty easy to bend the ally on an outside radius as long as you have a former or template to follow. The tricky bit is keeping it flat. Go slow and keep flattening it a little at a time is best.

With any size angle it is going to want to buckle on an inside radius. You have to either cut it and have it welded (messy and expensive), shrink it with a hammer as you go and then flatten it and sand as required (requires patience, tools and ability) or use a shinker/stretcher machine (needs the machine and very little ability).

I chose to use the third option because I had access to the machine and I have very little ability! I made up new moulds to go along the bottom of the sides on the Clipper out of 19 x 19 aluminium without any trouble at all, and this meant shaping it to go straight along the bottom of the van, around the wheelarches and then straighten out to the back of the van all in one continuous piece. A quick sand to take out the marks left by the machine and a coat of paint and hey presto.

I made a template to work off (the same one I used to shape the wheelarches on the van) and once I got close to the right shape the last little cleanup was easy.

You will see the end result on Hilda A Clipper at Cowra. Having said all that I am actually going to change them now. All this was done before I fitted the drop axle and now I think the arch is too low over the tyres and if I am going to change it I think I will go back to the correct Clipper shape.

I would love some input to see what people think so come and have a look at Hilda and put your suggestions (and donations) into the box provided. I will also bring along a piece of ally angle with some shapes in it to show what I mean.

If anyone is interested I will try to get some photos of the next attempt.

Leigh.

[junctionbox]

Apr 23, 2012 23:08:42 GMT 10 humpynvan said:

I contacted Action Aluminium today.
The soft T1 caravan angle (17x11) is only in stock in the Melbourne Shop....I was quoted 2.50 per M + GST without freight.

I just bought 6 x 4.8mtr lengths from their Dandenong, Vic, store for a total of $38. That's only $1.32/mtr!

[humpynvan]

I paid a bit more,
I got 6 lentghs, but i have to get them shipped to brisbane.
total of $88.00 bucks delivered.