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bending cast aluminium

5.1K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  JarkkoT  
#1 ·
bending cast aluminium rear brake lever (as a track spare only)

I've heard heating then quenching with water can weaken? Is it best to let cool naturally, let hardening return naturally?

Work while hot or cold?

Not too much on google I can see short of a masters in metallurgy!
 
#2 ·
get a heating torch ,

clamp one end in vice

rub the item with a bar of soap.

warm the bent region with the torch till the soap chars. this is the temp limit.

using a suitable pair of pliers bend the lever straight while applying the heat. it should bend smoothly, take your time, heat and bend ,

put pressure on it and you will feel it get easier as it gets to a good temp. watch the colour of the soap as u go . dont quench it afterwards, most ali age hardens over a short period of time.
 
#3 ·
another method for annealing aluminum,using a pure acetylene flame cover the area to be bent with soot...then with a slightly carburising oxy/acetylene flame gently heat until the soot is burned off,this should soften(anneal) the piece...let it cool ,then bend,never bend against a sharp corner always bend with something round behind
 
#5 ·
Cheers chaps. Who needs google anyway?

Rufer, when finally breaks, that wil be my "cheap" "cheapskate" option. :)

the tiawainese ebay folding tips ones look a cheap good option too.
 
G
#6 ·
i've heard that they used to bend aluminium aeroplane propellors back using system where they first bend it a little bit back, then heat it up to over 200decrees celcius for hour or more and let it cool slowly. the idea is that bending causes tensions in the metal, and by heating it for a long time and letting it cool, those tensions are released and new bend can be made, so they bend it little more and repeate the heating.

i think the heating can be done faster for such a small thing, but it has to be throughout heating and letting it cool slowly.