Need Help on bending aluminum tubing for arch

[skiffhunter]

I was thinking of bending one of these for my new Achilles:

Atlantic Towers Inflatable Boat Products

Can anbody speak with experience about using a conduit bender to do this? Can you point me to a local source for the tubing? I know I can have it shipped in of the net but looking for a SD place

Thanks

[dewers@race505.]

will not work, you will needa mandrel bender to bend the tubing properly. A conduit bender will leave kinks in the tubing. Also how eell do you knowto tig weld

[Dirtguy]

Originally Posted by dewers@race505.

will not work, you will needa mandrel bender to bend the tubing properly. A conduit bender will leave kinks in the tubing. Also how eell do you knowto tig weld

Standard draw type bender will do I.E. Hossfeld, Pro-Tools, Van Sant, Low Buck Tools etc. Heavy conduit bender might bend it. Mandrel bender? Sheeesh....

BUT before all of this, the usual 6061 T6 will NOT bend! I know, I have tried it before. The only stuff that WILL bend is T651(1).
I use a Pro-Tools model 3 and it bends fine.

Do have to TIG or Spool gun it though.

DG

[kktick]

6063-T54 is the industy standard...

[riverplayer]

Here we go again..6061 aluminum does not form or bend well regardless of its temper. If your going to bend, form or otherwise try to move the material from its drawn or extruded shape your better off using a 5000 series material. It does not matter if its T6, T651 or T6511....Its all the same...The numbers following the "T" have nothing to do with its formability its all post solution treatment specifications. Unless 6061 is in an "0" or wrought condition, which you can readily form, your not going to see any difference from number to number in its ability to be bent formed or otherwise moved without risking cracks and fractures. You may get away with T4 but my suggestion is use 5000 series for your project.
http://www.alcoa.com/adip/catalog/pd...Alloy_6061.pdf

[skiffhunter]

Thanks guys- From reading around the web it seems 6061 is the standard for marine applications - do the 5000 series have decent corrosion reistance in the salt water environment?

I'd do stainless if anybody thought it could be formed easy, I doubt a tubing bender from harbor frieght costs tht much

[kktick]

A bender from Harbor Freight will not work. You will waste your money on the bender and also on the 100' of tube you practice with. If you know a good exhaust shop, they might have the right dies and will bend it for you for small change.

As for using 5xxx series, call any tuna tower fabricator from here to Miami and 99% of them will tell you they use only 6000 series Al. Pacific Yacht Towers in San Marcos uses 6061, which surprises me, but that's what Tom told me last time we spoke.

What he says about the formability of 6000 vs. 5000 is true, but if you know what you are doing, 6063 is the way to go. It comes with the nice, bright anodized finish.

B.S. Metallurgy from Montana Tech
M.S. Metallurgy from Rensellaer
M.S. Welding from Ohio State
Ph.D. Materials Science from Rensellaer

[sixty]

The only tubing bender that harbor freight sells is for 1/2"/ 7/8" light gauge tubing. Too light for a tower. They do sell the pipe bender but they do not work very well (I have one). You are far better off getting a draw type bender. This guy has the best deal on them ,but he builds them himself in his own shop so he is pretty slow to ship from what I hear. Tube Tek Tubing Benders

I'd go stainless 304 since it welds well (not nearly apretty as tig, no matter how well you can weld) with standard mig & you do not need to learn Tig or get a spool gun. If you have an AC tig machine already then its a toss up.

Here is a link to some pipe I bent for my 4x using an HF pipe bender. I would have been much better off if I had ponied up for a draw type bender; Been busy! - IH8MUD.com Forum

looks like kktick beat me with the HF bender info.

[jarrettolson]

Most Exhaust shop benders will kink the shit out of the tubing. The HF bender is made for pipe, not tube so it will also deform the tube when bending it. I have seen people modify their HF benders to work with tubing but it always seems like more work than its worth. Are you close to LA? If not, are there any offroad fab places or road race fab shops around your area? Something like that with only 6 bends in it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to bend. If your close to LA you can use my JD2 bender.

[MacAttack]

Damn, glad I stayed out of this one - I'd just go with heavy-walled P.V.C.

[Az.monkey]

Originally Posted by skiffhunter

I was thinking of bending one of these for my new Achilles:

Atlantic Towers Inflatable Boat Products

Can anbody speak with experience about using a conduit bender to do this? Can you point me to a local source for the tubing? I know I can have it shipped in of the net but looking for a SD place

Thanks

Can't help with the bending part Tom but there's a place off 78 that deals in all sorts of tube and pipe, cant remember the name off hand.....but can give directions...
15 N, 78 w. Exit Nordhal and hook a left over the freeway. hook another left on Mission ? ( the street with an Arco/ AmPm on the right corner and a bodyshop on the left corner ) just before the train tracks. go down a block or 3 and it's on the left hand side. If you pass the recycling place you went to far. Good place for what you're looking for tube wise and close to you.

[Punkfish]

A Harbor Frieght bender will actually work, not the bender of choice, but it will work for the money. Cap the ends of the tubing with rubber plugs and fill with sand before you bend, it will help lessen the kinking. My .02


Jas............................................... .................................................. .