Hi, Some hints or 'helps' re bending aluminum. Aluminum is easily annealed if you have an oxy-acetylene torch set. I would not recommend that you do this in the home or garage workshop. The reason will be evident! Set the torch so it gives off copious quantities of dense black smoke. Try to cover the rectangular tube, solid, etc. with a dense even black soot coating. 'Then set the torch to a gentle flame, and evenly heat the tube till the black soot disappears. Use some scraps to get the technique down. If you are using 1" x 2" x 1/8" rectangular tubing and making small radius bends, fill the tube with dry sand and plug the ends of the tube with sponge or soft black packing material. Tie a piece of heavy string, etc to the sponge so you can easily get it out after bending. I used to bend a "U" of 1x2x1/8 in a tight enough radius so that a standard size mail box would just fit inside with about a half inch clearance on each side. A sponge with a long string was inserted from one end to within 6" of where the bend was to begin. Then sand was poured into the tube so that it filled to tube to 6" beyond where the bend ended. Another string/sponge was inserted. The annealed tube was then hand bent around a mandrel, sponges pulled out, sand removed and the process repeated another 50 times - I only took orders for a minimum of 50 each. For 10' or 11' radius bends, make a jig with pieces of steel angle secured The annealed tube was then attached at one end of the jig, and gently forced to follow the curve along the inside radius of the bend. While still in the jig, we would weld the cross pieces in place. Occasionally there would be some helical warp, but this was easily corrected with opposing pike bars used to bend it back to flat. At this time, I have not built a mechanically joined curved frame set, but it should not be too difficult to do! For sure there would be less warp due to localized heat of welding the 10" radial spacers in place. Keep your steam up! Walt, Mr. Lunkenheimer's associate. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Terry Griner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Robert M. Blackson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Small-scale live steam discussions" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 7:36 AM Subject: Re: [SSLiveSteam] Raised Track
> If you are talking about L-Channel, just cut out little wedges along one > of the legs, so that the metal can be flexed. If you are going to use > square or rectangular channel, use a conduit bender. I know that Lowes > here in Columbus Ohio, will rent one to anybody, then it's just like > bending aluminum rail. > > Terry Griner > Who worked in home (re)construction in a 'previous life'. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Robert M. > Blackson > Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2006 10:24 PM > To: ssls-small-scale live steam > Subject: [SSLiveSteam] Raised Track > > Regarding Chris Scott's endorsement of aluminum channel, how do you go > about bending the channel for curve sections? Using, say, one inch > channel, would it not be too rigid to bend? > Bob Blackson > > > _______________________________________________ > SSLiveSteam mailing list > Send messages: [email protected] Cancel subscription: > http://postfix.45mm.com/mailman/listinfo/sslivesteam > Rules: http://www.45mm.com/sslivesteam_guide.html > > > "This e-mail is intended for the sole use of the intended recipient and > may > contain privileged, sensitive, or protected health information. If you are > not the intended recipient, be advised that the unauthorized use, > disclosure, > copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of this > communication is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, > please notify the sender via telephone or return e-mail and immediately > delete this e-mail." > > _______________________________________________ > SSLiveSteam mailing list > Send messages: [email protected] > Cancel subscription: http://postfix.45mm.com/mailman/listinfo/sslivesteam > Rules: http://www.45mm.com/sslivesteam_guide.html > > _______________________________________________ SSLiveSteam mailing list Send messages: [email protected] Cancel subscription: http://postfix.45mm.com/mailman/listinfo/sslivesteam Rules: http://www.45mm.com/sslivesteam_guide.html
