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PostPosted: December 11, 2013, 10:43 am 
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How do i go about bending aluminum around a radius? trying to make the attached.


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PostPosted: December 11, 2013, 10:50 am 
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Bend it around a steel tube of desired OD.


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PostPosted: December 11, 2013, 12:04 pm 
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A simple tool I make to fit the occasion is very simple and fast from 3 bits of tube as per the picture. Weld 2 tubes at each end with enough space to slide your sheet through and add a handle as shown.

Just slide your sheet in and lift the bar and it grips and rolls the sheet around the upper tube evenly. The diameter of the top tube of course determines your radius.


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PostPosted: December 11, 2013, 12:41 pm 
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cheapracer wrote:
A simple tool I make to fit the occasion is very simple and fast from 3 bits of tube as per the picture. Weld 2 tubes at each end with enough space to slide your sheet through and add a handle as shown.

Just slide your sheet in and lift the bar and it grips and rolls the sheet around the upper tube evenly. The diameter of the top tube of course determines your radius.



Yeah i was hoping to try to figure out a way to bend it in the car to get an exact match. Your idea is awesome though. If I cannot get it done in the car i will definitely be fabricating what you show.


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PostPosted: December 11, 2013, 1:13 pm 
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anneal the aluminum to be bent if it is not soft already.

mark the center axis on the aluminum.

clamp the aluminum to the top of the tubes with a suitable block on top.

now push the sides down.

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PostPosted: December 11, 2013, 1:56 pm 
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Generally speaking, if you want the radii to match and you are hand-forming the part, the formed panel should be formed around a smaller dia tube. The panel will spiring back to some larger radius. Trial and error my man, trial and error. Cheapracer's former is good. The closer you can contain the metal at the tangent, the less springback you will have. But you will almost always have some without a press. Or you can have it formed to your specs.

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PostPosted: December 11, 2013, 2:01 pm 
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What I did was bend in place then remove to the bench and using a smaller diameter rod finish the bend to remove the spring back.

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PostPosted: December 11, 2013, 2:09 pm 
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If the aluminum is half hard (H14) or softer, I wouldn't anneal it due to risk of warping or making it lumpy. Half hard will accommodate the bends that you are planning.


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PostPosted: December 11, 2013, 3:11 pm 
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Cheapracer,

Ever try that method using square tubing? Any problems with the tubes spreading under load?

Nice idea. I like it. Thanks for sharing it.

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PostPosted: December 12, 2013, 10:36 am 
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benny_toe wrote:
Cheapracer,

Ever try that method using square tubing? Any problems with the tubes spreading under load?

Nice idea. I like it. Thanks for sharing it.


Box tubing won't work in the sense that most people want 90 degrees and you need to bend to 95 or even 100 to allow for springback. Much better would be 2 pieces of angle iron as such ... note that I would think the clearance would be more critical too, as in tighter.

Attachment:
bender 2.jpg


Attachment:
bender 3.jpg


Note you do this work on the floor and stand on the tool or hook an end under something.


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