Can you use a plumbing torch to rebend aluminum?
10-28-2008, 04:11 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Can you use a plumbing torch to rebend aluminum?
I've heat bent various metals but never aluminum. I'm thinking of cutting in half and rebending the landing gear from a deceased fourstar 120 for my new Fourstar 120 and mounting the halves to hardwood mounts out on the wings. Will the aluminum retain it's strength well enough?
10-28-2008, 05:06 PM
#2
Senior Member
RE: Can you use a plumbing torch to rebend aluminum?
My guess is that no need to heat bend aluminum it is not that hard compared to steel. Of course there is soft as well as hard aluminum but not that hard that heat is necassary. Probably you will get replies from others with more knowledge of metals than I but anyhow just my opinion.
10-28-2008, 08:26 PM
#5
RE: Can you use a plumbing torch to rebend aluminum?
ORIGINAL: dhal22
isn't heating part of tempering metals?
david
isn't heating part of tempering metals?
david
Just heating it and letting it cool (Or quenching) will ruin the existing temper.
10-28-2008, 09:19 PM
#6
Senior Member
RE: Can you use a plumbing torch to rebend aluminum?
The aluminum we usually have in modeling is bent cold. It loses it's temper with the bending, but self-restores over a short time. It won't stand a lot of bending and adjusting all at once. Try to get it right with one bend, and it'll harden up within a day. work it and it might break and might not harden back.
10-30-2008, 10:10 AM
#7
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Shenfield, UNITED KINGDOM
Posts: 685
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Can you use a plumbing torch to rebend aluminum?
The material normally used for U/C is not aluminium but Duralumin (Dural ) which is 95 percent aluminium with 4 percent copper and half percent manganese half percent magnesium. Dural can be annealed and then bent when cold and left to harden.
I seem to remember that you can smear ordinary soap onto it before annealing so that when heated the soap turns brown when sufficient temperature has been reached.
The working time for dural after annealing is about 1 hour, then it becomes fully age hardened at room temperatures in about 4 or 5 days.
You can tell Dural from other types of aluminium by the 'ring' if you strike it with something hard.
I seem to remember that you can smear ordinary soap onto it before annealing so that when heated the soap turns brown when sufficient temperature has been reached.
The working time for dural after annealing is about 1 hour, then it becomes fully age hardened at room temperatures in about 4 or 5 days.
You can tell Dural from other types of aluminium by the 'ring' if you strike it with something hard.
10-30-2008, 12:54 PM
#8
Thread Starter
RE: Can you use a plumbing torch to rebend aluminum?
Good call Ted and Minn. I was able to rebend it cold without seeming to stress the metal in the bends too much. I'll post some pics tomorrow. The plan is to attach fake gear doors to the landing gear out on the wings, which will be a bit easier with the wide flat original gear than with wire.
Thanks,
Rich
Kdc I may try to use heat with the new gear that came with the new fourstar kit if this set doesn't hold up. If so I'll repost here.
Thanks,
Rich
Thanks,
Rich
Kdc I may try to use heat with the new gear that came with the new fourstar kit if this set doesn't hold up. If so I'll repost here.
Thanks,
Rich
11-01-2008, 06:00 PM
#9
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: springfield,
NJ
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Can you use a plumbing torch to rebend aluminum?
ORIGINAL: kdc
The material normally used for U/C is not aluminium but Duralumin (Dural ) which is 95 percent aluminium with 4 percent copper and half percent manganese half percent magnesium. Dural can be annealed and then bent when cold and left to harden.
I seem to remember that you can smear ordinary soap onto it before annealing so that when heated the soap turns brown when sufficient temperature has been reached.
The working time for dural after annealing is about 1 hour, then it becomes fully age hardened at room temperatures in about 4 or 5 days.
You can tell Dural from other types of aluminium by the 'ring' if you strike it with something hard.
The material normally used for U/C is not aluminium but Duralumin (Dural ) which is 95 percent aluminium with 4 percent copper and half percent manganese half percent magnesium. Dural can be annealed and then bent when cold and left to harden.
I seem to remember that you can smear ordinary soap onto it before annealing so that when heated the soap turns brown when sufficient temperature has been reached.
The working time for dural after annealing is about 1 hour, then it becomes fully age hardened at room temperatures in about 4 or 5 days.
You can tell Dural from other types of aluminium by the 'ring' if you strike it with something hard.
that is the correct answer.
Actually it applies to most aluminum
if you try to bend unannealed aluminum in a sharp turn like landing gear, you will more often stress crack it due to the tempering
11-11-2008, 07:23 AM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: proserpineQueensland, AUSTRALIA
Posts: 991
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Can you use a plumbing torch to rebend aluminum?
I found the best way to bend alloy is to bend it over a radius rather than a sharp edge. I use a piece of hardwood with a 1/2 radius on the corner I use for bending. I've never had a problem. using a sharp edge I have cracked alloy before
11-12-2008, 12:41 PM
#12
RE: Can you use a plumbing torch to rebend aluminum?
ORIGINAL: kdc
The material normally used for U/C is not aluminium but Duralumin (Dural ) which is 95 percent aluminium with 4 percent copper and half percent manganese half percent magnesium. Dural can be annealed and then bent when cold and left to harden.
I seem to remember that you can smear ordinary soap onto it before annealing so that when heated the soap turns brown when sufficient temperature has been reached.
The working time for dural after annealing is about 1 hour, then it becomes fully age hardened at room temperatures in about 4 or 5 days.
You can tell Dural from other types of aluminium by the 'ring' if you strike it with something hard.
The material normally used for U/C is not aluminium but Duralumin (Dural ) which is 95 percent aluminium with 4 percent copper and half percent manganese half percent magnesium. Dural can be annealed and then bent when cold and left to harden.
I seem to remember that you can smear ordinary soap onto it before annealing so that when heated the soap turns brown when sufficient temperature has been reached.
The working time for dural after annealing is about 1 hour, then it becomes fully age hardened at room temperatures in about 4 or 5 days.
You can tell Dural from other types of aluminium by the 'ring' if you strike it with something hard.
11-14-2008, 04:18 PM
#13
Senior Member
RE: Can you use a plumbing torch to rebend aluminum?
No you cannot use torch with aluminum.
tempering with heat in 2xxx Aluminum will lead to aging of aluminum.
yes its aluminum from 2xxx series and its "T" kind means heat treated.
Aluminum melting point is 660 C deg, heat treatment of aluminum starts at about 150 C which is very low.
if you heat it will cause the alloy to become brittle.
Alex
tempering with heat in 2xxx Aluminum will lead to aging of aluminum.
yes its aluminum from 2xxx series and its "T" kind means heat treated.
Aluminum melting point is 660 C deg, heat treatment of aluminum starts at about 150 C which is very low.
if you heat it will cause the alloy to become brittle.
Alex
