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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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#1
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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? |
#2
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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 |
#3
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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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 |
#4
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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!! |
#5
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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? |
#6
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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? |
#7
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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 |
#8
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Bending aluminum bar stock.
it looks great ,have any pics of some of your finished projects
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#9
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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 |
#10
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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 |
#11
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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? |
#12
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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.... |
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