I have a length of 10mm diam aluminium bar that I'd like to bend into
a hook shape. Is this feasible using heat from a gas brazing torch or
is it a No No??
VT

"Vet Tech" wrote in message
...
I have a length of 10mm diam aluminium bar that I'd like to bend into
a hook shape. Is this feasible using heat from a gas brazing torch or
is it a No No??

Yep.

Old trick we used at school was to wipe ordinary soap along the bar.
Heat until the soap *just* starts to smoke and bend as required.

On 18 June, 20:28, "R" wrote:
"Vet Tech" wrote in message

...

I have a length of 10mm diam aluminium bar that I'd like to bend into
a hook shape. Is this feasible using heat from a gas brazing torch or
is it a No No??

Yep.

Old trick we used at school was to wipe ordinary soap along the bar.
Heat until the soap *just* starts to smoke and bend as required.

Ok, sounds good but 2 questions arise:-

1. Would that be bar soap or liquid detergent?

2. Should I quench with water when the required shape is achieved?

VT

"Vet Tech" wrote in message
...
On 18 June, 20:28, "R" wrote:
"Vet Tech" wrote in message

...

I have a length of 10mm diam aluminium bar that I'd like to bend into
a hook shape. Is this feasible using heat from a gas brazing torch or
is it a No No??

Yep.

Old trick we used at school was to wipe ordinary soap along the bar.
Heat until the soap *just* starts to smoke and bend as required.

Ok, sounds good but 2 questions arise:-

1. Would that be bar soap or liquid detergent?

2. Should I quench with water when the required shape is achieved?

Bar soap.
DON'T quench as it may crack.

On 18 June, 20:48, "R" wrote:
"Vet Tech" wrote in message

...



On 18 June, 20:28, "R" wrote:
"Vet Tech" wrote in message

...

I have a length of 10mm diam aluminium bar that I'd like to bend into
a hook shape. Is this feasible using heat from a gas brazing torch or
is it a No No??

Yep.

Old trick we used at school was to wipe ordinary soap along the bar.
Heat until the soap *just* starts to smoke and bend as required.

Ok, sounds good but 2 questions arise:-

1. Would that be bar soap or liquid detergent?

2. Should I quench with water when the required shape is achieved?

Bar soap.
DON'T quench as it may crack.

Umm - I would suggest you google for annealing aluminium to clarify if
quenching is correct or not. I use the bar soap technique fairly
regularly and once the soap has gone well black, which is the marker I
was told to use, I drop the item into cold water - and then it bends
easily. Copper similarly is annealed when quenched from red heat,
steel not so, Aluminium goes on fire before red heat, hence the soap
temperature marker !! One does wonder how these things were
discovered.

I haven't used it on something as thick as 10mm - normally sheet or
rod around 4mm - so it may well be that my rapid cooling is
inadvisable for larger sections.

Rob

On 18 June, 19:22, Vet Tech wrote:
I have a length of 10mm diam aluminium bar that I'd like to bend into
a hook shape.

Bend it cold, but use heat to anneal it if it's work hardened.

If it's already stiff (i.e. work hardened) then anneal it first.
Otherwise bend it _until_ it feels stiff, then anneal it. Don't
anneal it at the end, leave it hard.

To anneal it, wipe it with liquid soap and cook it with a gas torch
until the soap blackens. Then air cool or water quench, your call. It
won't crack.

In article ,
R wrote:

Old trick we used at school was to wipe ordinary soap along the bar.
Heat until the soap *just* starts to smoke and bend as required.

IIRC, the soap turns black on the ally.

--
*I have a degree in liberal arts -- do you want fries with that

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.