Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

Got a need to bend some aluminum bar stock into some circles. The stock is
1/2x1 and I need to bend the hard way into a diameter of about 14". Talked
to a guy at the blacksmithing shop where I'd expect that they'd be able to
do this in steel and the guy said good luck! He can do smaller stuff into
wagon wheels or hot bend to any desired shape but not in aluminum.
I'd figured that he'd have a 3 roll setup to do and diameter that he wanted
to do but apparently, he never did such. He did mention that he's tried
doing some smaller diameter work with his wagon wheel roller but it quickly
became impossible as the metal wouldn't feed in the roll.
Am I trying something impossible or is it just that blacksmithes don't
really do such work as they have other ways to do so in steel?
I'm also going to have to do another ring of 1"x3" the easy way. Both rings
will be welded into a continous circle.
Would it be better to grab a big chunck of plate and mill out the excess?

--
Why do penguins walk so far to get to their nesting grounds?

Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:39:40 -0800, "Bob May"
wrote:

Got a need to bend some aluminum bar stock into some circles. The stock is
1/2x1 and I need to bend the hard way into a diameter of about 14". Talked
to a guy at the blacksmithing shop where I'd expect that they'd be able to
do this in steel and the guy said good luck! He can do smaller stuff into
wagon wheels or hot bend to any desired shape but not in aluminum.
I'd figured that he'd have a 3 roll setup to do and diameter that he wanted
to do but apparently, he never did such. He did mention that he's tried
doing some smaller diameter work with his wagon wheel roller but it quickly
became impossible as the metal wouldn't feed in the roll.
Am I trying something impossible or is it just that blacksmithes don't
really do such work as they have other ways to do so in steel?
I'm also going to have to do another ring of 1"x3" the easy way. Both rings
will be welded into a continous circle.
Would it be better to grab a big chunck of plate and mill out the excess?


Where are you located Bob?

Errol Groff

Instructor, Manufacturing Technology
H.H. Ellis Technical High School
613 Upper Maple Street
Danielson, CT 06239

New England Model Engineering Society
www.neme-s.org

Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

Bob May wrote:
Got a need to bend some aluminum bar stock into some circles. The stock is
1/2x1 and I need to bend the hard way into a diameter of about 14". Talked
to a guy at the blacksmithing shop where I'd expect that they'd be able to
do this in steel and the guy said good luck! He can do smaller stuff into
wagon wheels or hot bend to any desired shape but not in aluminum.
I'd figured that he'd have a 3 roll setup to do and diameter that he wanted
to do but apparently, he never did such. He did mention that he's tried
doing some smaller diameter work with his wagon wheel roller but it quickly
became impossible as the metal wouldn't feed in the roll.
Am I trying something impossible or is it just that blacksmithes don't
really do such work as they have other ways to do so in steel?
I'm also going to have to do another ring of 1"x3" the easy way. Both rings
will be welded into a continous circle.
Would it be better to grab a big chunck of plate and mill out the excess?
No. Depending on the alloy, of course, this should be doable.
If it was 1/8 x 1" you might need some special rollers with flanges to
prevent the bar from trying to roll over and bend the "easy" way.
I think you may be able to do the 1/2 x 1" bar without flanges,
but it will become slightly twisted in the process. 3003 is very
amenable to bending, and 2024-T6 will probably show a lot of fine
cracking on the outer side of the bend. Other alloys would probably
be in between.

it will still take a pretty stout roller to bend 1" bar the hard way.
You will need to make the ring a bit long, as the last couple inches
won't get bent by the rollers. Put in just a little bend each pass
through the rollers, and keep running it through. When the ring
closes, it will be difficult to get one end in the roller when the
overlapping far end is in the way. I'm not sure how to deal with
this except by making the thing a helix. Then, you can cut the ends
and flatten it to a ring.

The rollers that Harbor Freight and other hobby-level tool sellers have
will definitely not handle the 1 x 3" bar, even the easy way. You
need a serious roller, or a press brake to do material like that.

Machining that out of a 3" thick aluminum plate will not only be a
major machining job, the stock will cost a fortune.

Jon

Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

Why do penguins walk so far to get to their nesting grounds?



Can't answer your aluminum question but the penguin one is easy. Why
do penguins walk so far to their nesting grounds? Because penguins
can't fly!!

Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

Sorry, but I'm in San Diego which is a bit far from you.

--
Why do penguins walk so far to get to their nesting grounds?

Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

Hon, thanks for the affirmation of where I was wanting to go.
I think that I'm just going to have to build the 3 roll roller for the job.
I've used them before so I know what they look like and how they operate.
It has just been that I've talked to several people and they all had
negative words to say on the subject so I thought that I'd hear from the
collected wistom of the NG.

--
Why do penguins walk so far to get to their nesting grounds?

Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

"Bob May" wrote in message
...
Hon, thanks for the affirmation of where I was wanting to go.
I think that I'm just going to have to build the 3 roll roller for the
job.

What roller are you going to build? I've just gotten the material for
Ernie's roller
(http://www.stagesmith.com/gallery/sh...ler/index.html),
but I'm interested in what others are doing and why.

Peter

Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

it looks great ,have any pics of some of your finished projects

Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

As I say, I haven't put this together yet, just bought the materials. I'd
be happy to post a report when I get it done.

Peter

"badaztek" wrote in message
...
it looks great ,have any pics of some of your finished projects

Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

Bob May wrote:
Hon, thanks for the affirmation of where I was wanting to go.
I think that I'm just going to have to build the 3 roll roller for the job.
I've used them before so I know what they look like and how they operate.
Just build it WAY more stout than you really think necessary. I'd use
something like 2" diameter rollers just a couple inches long, with at
least 1" ID bearings. I don't know whether you will have trouble
feeding the stock into the rollers. You might make strips of kraft
paper to feed with the stock, so the rollers grip it better.

Jon

Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

Ernie's roller bender is a lightweight version of what I'll be doing.
Probably 3/8" steel plate for the top and bottom plates and 3/4" ID roller
bearings for the rollers.

--
Why do penguins walk so far to get to their nesting grounds?

Bending aluminum bar stock.
 

I do this all the time on my hossfeld bender.
You can use the fixed radius dies for angle iron, and bend flat bar the
hard way.

I also use my real 3 roll bender- and it will do this quite easily too-
but mine is powered, and cost real money.
http://www.eaglebendingmachines.com/

1/2" x 1" is thick enough that it works pretty well, although its
harder to hammer back flat if it does get crooked.

Most handcranked rolls dont have the oomph to bend flat bar the hard
way, even aluminum. My power rolls are 3 hp....