Global Moderator sorkyah Posted April 23, 2017 Global Moderator Share Posted April 23, 2017 So anyway I wanna update everyone. But I'm working on this still. I ordered some from from the local dealer and come to find out there's different types of aluminum. The first one i tried to make started out fine but as soon as I started bending into shape it broke. Come to find out there's different grades of aluminum. 6061 does not bend for crap it snaps I even tried the English wheel to work it and as soon as I got to the smaller wheels it snapped it clean offYeah, 6061 is meant for milling, not great for bending. 6063, and 5052 sheet are best for forming at the cost of losing a bit of strength ove the 6061 ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiddum Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 Yeah I ordered some 5052H32 at .090 thick the guy said that's what he'd suggest they have it at .125 but he said that might be a bit excessive and the .090 would be allot easier to shape and work so I've got 2 pieces coming to me. He gave me a discount to so I saved 20 bucks cause the guy I spoke with before just said the 6061 is what they'd normally suggest. He also said that the 3003 might be a good one for me as well but it looses allot of the strength that the 5052 has. And since it's going to be some what long I figured the 5052 would suit our needs better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted April 23, 2017 Global Moderator Share Posted April 23, 2017 Yeah I ordered some 5052H32 at .090 thick the guy said that's what he'd suggest they have it at .125 but he said that might be a bit excessive and the .090 would be allot easier to shape and work so I've got 2 pieces coming to me. He gave me a discount to so I saved 20 bucks cause the guy I spoke with before just said the 6061 is what they'd normally suggest. He also said that the 3003 might be a good one for me as well but it looses allot of the strength that the 5052 has. And since it's going to be some what long I figured the 5052 would suit our needs better Yeah, 5052 will be your best bet... the 3003 doesnt have the corrosion resistance unless it's coated and at about half the strength of the 5k series, theres the possibility that it could buckle under longer spans Cant wait to see what your fender turns out like Im starting to get into fabrication/making myself... looking forward to the inspiration i get from your project ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiddum Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 Yeah I ordered some 5052H32 at .090 thick the guy said that's what he'd suggest they have it at .125 but he said that might be a bit excessive and the .090 would be allot easier to shape and work so I've got 2 pieces coming to me. He gave me a discount to so I saved 20 bucks cause the guy I spoke with before just said the 6061 is what they'd normally suggest. He also said that the 3003 might be a good one for me as well but it looses allot of the strength that the 5052 has. And since it's going to be some what long I figured the 5052 would suit our needs better Yeah, 5052 will be your best bet... the 3003 doesnt have the corrosion resistance unless it's coated and at about half the strength of the 5k series, theres the possibility that it could buckle under longer spans Cant wait to see what your fender turns out like Im starting to get into fabrication/making myself... looking forward to the inspiration i get from your project Thanks I've been trying to do my best. I've gotten my powder coating equipment and this stuff is awesome. I can't wait to start. I'm thinking this cool candy red on top and powder coated flat black on bottom I'll do 3 layers on it cause powder coating has extremely strong resistance to abrasion and being struck. I watched one guy powder coat a little metal plate they use for covering light fixtures. And he beat the cap out of it with a hammer the paint stayed just fine but the metal piece was bent to cap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted April 23, 2017 Global Moderator Share Posted April 23, 2017 Yeah, 5052 will be your best bet... the 3003 doesnt have the corrosion resistance unless it's coated and at about half the strength of the 5k series, theres the possibility that it could buckle under longer spans Cant wait to see what your fender turns out like Im starting to get into fabrication/making myself... looking forward to the inspiration i get from your project Thanks I've been trying to do my best. I've gotten my powder coating equipment and this stuff is awesome. I can't wait to start. I'm thinking this cool candy red on top and powder coated flat black on bottom I'll do 3 layers on it cause powder coating has extremely strong resistance to abrasion and being struck. I watched one guy powder coat a little metal plate they use for covering light fixtures. And he beat the cap out of it with a hammer the paint stayed just fine but the metal piece was bent to cap Certain coatings, yes can take a bestung... if theyre thick enough and cured properly... If it is too thin, thennit will chip and flake ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstertt Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 5052 H32 is quarter hard and will also work harden, the 3003 is what most fabricators make fuel tanks out of (.080"- .090" typically) and it too will work harden and should be annealed as you go. I watched a show where Jesse James fabbed up an alloy chopper tank with nice swooping compound curves (that guy has real skills) and stopped several times to anneal the alloy. He set his oxy torch to a rich smoky soft flame and blackened the alloy and when good and black, he leaned the flame out to a nice big blue cone and played it across the blackened piece until all the black was cooked off, there you go, soft again. If you're serious about working in aluminum, you should look into picking up copies of Ron Fournier's Sheet Metal Handbook and Richard Finch's welding handbooks, excellent resources and will definitely open your eyes to what you can do in aluminum...humbling actually. Good luck and have fun...you will destroy some nice flat sheets until you get the hang of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted April 23, 2017 Global Moderator Share Posted April 23, 2017 5052 H32 is quarter hard and will also work harden, the 3003 is what most fabricators make fuel tanks out of (.080"- .090" typically) and it too will work harden and should be annealed as you go. I watched a show where Jesse James fabbed up an alloy chopper tank with nice swooping compound curves (that guy has real skills) and stopped several times to anneal the alloy. He set his oxy torch to a rich smoky soft flame and blackened the alloy and when good and black, he leaned the flame out to a nice big blue cone and played it across the blackened piece until all the black was cooked off, there you go, soft again. If you're serious about working in aluminum, you should look into picking up copies of Ron Fournier's Sheet Metal Handbook and Richard Finch's welding handbooks, excellent resources and will definitely open your eyes to what you can do in aluminum...humbling actually. Good luck and have fun...you will destroy some nice flat sheets until you get the hang of it. Any tips on milling? ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstertt Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 If you mean any tips on milling in the handbooks, then the answer is no, just everything else you'd every want to know about forming, welding sheet metals for fabricators of race cars, airplanes etc. Really good paperback handbooks packed with info on the common alloys, what they are good for and how to work them, many pictures...but no milling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member blackout Posted April 24, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted April 24, 2017 The bar soap method works good when annealing aluminum to remove temper so that it to bends without cracking. Rub bar soap on the area that needs to bend. Heat with a propane torch. When the bar soap turns brown the aluminum has been heated enough. Let cool and you have 24 hours before temper starts to slowly come back. 6061 normally comes in a T6 temper which is too high to bend. But if you anneal, 6061 will bend fine. With that being said, like others have explained above, 5052 is a better sheet aluminum for forming. image processing service Craig Mapstone Upstate New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstertt Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 blackout, I've spent many years bending 6061-T6 and have never annealed it, just keep an appropriate radius for the thickness being used and bend across the grain. 6061-T6 also welds very nicely and was once considered the strongest of the weldable alloys. Of course, looking at your picture, if that's how you bend aluminum in a vise than, yes it will crack. If I have to do it this way, I radius the outside corner of a pc. of angle iron and with the alloy sandwiched between the angle iron and another pc. of alloy or hardwood on the other side bend away. Although 6061 is less notch sensitive than say 2024 T3, if bent over a sharp ragged edge like a vise you will have problems. I like that soap idea, must give it a try someday and I'm sure when I was working that method could have saved me some grief...live and learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member blackout Posted April 24, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted April 24, 2017 blackout, I've spent many years bending 6061-T6 and have never annealed it, just keep an appropriate radius for the thickness being used and bend across the grain. 6061-T6 also welds very nicely and was once considered the strongest of the weldable alloys. Of course, looking at your picture, if that's how you bend aluminum in a vise than, yes it will crack. If I have to do it this way, I radius the outside corner of a pc. of angle iron and with the alloy sandwiched between the angle iron and another pc. of alloy or hardwood on the other side bend away. Although 6061 is less notch sensitive than say 2024 T3, if bent over a sharp ragged edge like a vise you will have problems. I like that soap idea, must give it a try someday and I'm sure when I was working that method could have saved me some grief...live and learn. Well, it has cracked for me and I usually want a tight bend. The annealing makes it work for me. Craig Mapstone Upstate New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstertt Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 blackout, I'm on your side, if it works for you then we're good. I was hoping to come off as more informative and not critical, I spent 30+ yrs. in fixed wing and helicopter maintenance which included heavy structural repair where a higher standard is required which included field repairs in the mountains of Alaska where expediency replaced doing it the 'approved way' in a few cases. I know some mechanic later on removed a certain helicopter component to find the shims behind it had Coors written across them. Sometimes it's whatever works. I try to learn something new every day, just one thing and I'm happy, so if I can share info with you or someone else and you learn something than I hope you are happy for it. The soap trick was my 'yesterdays' tidbit to store away and I thank you for that. I may need that sharper radius someday and now have an idea to fall back on...and if any A&P's are reading this I'm retired so don't worry, I'm not thinking of annealing any aircraft heat treated alloys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiddum Posted April 25, 2017 Author Share Posted April 25, 2017 5052 H32 is quarter hard and will also work harden, the 3003 is what most fabricators make fuel tanks out of (.080"- .090" typically) and it too will work harden and should be annealed as you go. I watched a show where Jesse James fabbed up an alloy chopper tank with nice swooping compound curves (that guy has real skills) and stopped several times to anneal the alloy. He set his oxy torch to a rich smoky soft flame and blackened the alloy and when good and black, he leaned the flame out to a nice big blue cone and played it across the blackened piece until all the black was cooked off, there you go, soft again. If you're serious about working in aluminum, you should look into picking up copies of Ron Fournier's Sheet Metal Handbook and Richard Finch's welding handbooks, excellent resources and will definitely open your eyes to what you can do in aluminum...humbling actually. Good luck and have fun...you will destroy some nice flat sheets until you get the hang of it. Thanks I'll do that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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