Message text written by "David Templeton"
>I want to heat up the AL to make bending easier
without melting, what would be better a propane torch, a micro torch or
something else? I am making diagrams if anyone wants the plans. Also,
will
JB Weld or adhesive hold together aluminum? There will no stress on the
bracket. Will "roughing" the contact surfaces help?
<
Although this technique works well with iron and steel, I have had no luck
trying this with aluminum. I'm told that it goes from "just as ridgid as
cold" to "melting blob" in just a few degrees. And different alloys of
aluminum bend better than others. Page 3360 of the McMaster Carr catalog
has a pretty good primer on different alloys but if you don't know what you
have, the best thing to do is bend a sample and see what happens.
One technique I have used (most frequently with steel) is to make a saw cut
about half way through the material on what will be the OD part of the
bend. This will allow you to bend it where you want it (and the cut) and
in a tighter radius. Once the desired shape is achieved, have the OD
welded to restore the original strength. The last time I attempted this
with aluminum it broke right off. That may have been because I had a not
very malable piece of aluminum, or maybe it just don't work on aluminum.
Good luck
Dave
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