How to bend aluminium tubing

[Caladon]

I need to put 3 bends in ali tubing.
It is 5', 2"OD and 1/8 thick, i.e. very sturdy stuff!

How can I bend it without kinking it... and am I still able to do it by using a lever and whilst it is cold? Should I fill it with sand?

Orrrrrrr... can someone recommend a company that does such a thing in the London area?

Thanks
Cal

[Clanad]

Living in the U.S., I can't make any recommendations, obviously. But, considering the size of your material and your proximity to the Thames, I'd at least suggest phoning a pleasure boat repair and maintenance company. Alternately, I'd call an automobile exhaust pipe company (here in the U.S. one would be Midas)... they have several sizes of tubing rollers for such bending jobs.

I've bent 1'' OD 6061-T3 on a jig I made. Basically, it's a wooden device made of plywood with a slot the same size as the OD of the material and in the shape of the bend. Working with a lever in one end (the tighter fitting the better) of the 5' long piece, it was fairly easy to work it into the slot. The tight fitting slot keeps it from buckling the sidewalls.

Filling with sand helps. but it's difficult to get a good, tight seal on each end. Even then, one would need a jig for the shape of bend. The one's I've bent have been about 5:1 ration.

[ACtheTROLL]

you sounds like a bender job - a commercial plumber may have the kit - bul ally isn't copper or steel - I imagine it doesn't bend as easily.

the other option is an engineering firm ... and clanad's suggestion is quite good - there must be marine fitters

althought ally isn't a traditional marine material .... it pits
it's a bu@@er to weld as well - so I imagine fabricators will specialise

[beso]

Most cold forming of aluminium tubing is done by partially collapsing the inside and outside of the bend using special forming dies. This reduces the stretching of the outer radius and increases the inner radius. Quite good structurally but not for use as a conduit.

If you want to maintain the full diameter you can't do a very tight radius. Also aluminium hardens very quickly when deformed so it needs to be done with some heat.

The problem is it melts when red so unlike steel it is very hard to judge the right temperature. One method is to coat the metal in cooking oil. When the oil starts smoking it is the right temperature. However aluminium is so conductive the heat disperses quickly.

Would be very hard for an amateur to do. I expect if done in production it would be heated with induction.

[Whickerman]

most electricians will have a pipe bender, as will plumbers or any local engineering firm.

http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=pipe+bende r&meta=&aq=0&oq=pipe+ben

Just fyi, and with apologies to beso - you will not need to apply heat. I use these regularly. Also, aluminium is quite a soft metal and will bend easily.