Aluminum flat bar forming

[Mr Ron]

I would like to form 1/2" wd x 3/8" thk aluminum bar into a circle 9" OD. There are no machines, other that giant plate rolling machines that can handle that. I used to work in a shipyard and they had the machines that could do that, but in the real world of the amateur metal worker, nothing exists. I have seen some machines at Harbor Freight that do that kind of forming, but nothing that could handle a bar of that size. The diameter of 9" does not have to be a perfect circle. If I can get a bar bent, I will get the ends welded together. I can finish it in the lathe. Any ideas on how this can be done? I thought about slicing 1/2" wide rings from tubing, but the tubing is expensive and not readily available in the diameters I want. I also thought about cutting it out of 1/2" plate, but again aluminum plate is expensive and there would be much waste.

[redneckalbertan]

If it doesn't need to be precise what about wrapping it around a piece of 8" pipe or something similar. It will spring back a bit. and you if you are welding the ends together after it has been rolled a person could measure the correct circumference on the aluminum bar cut there then either squeeze the ring to make the ends meet or spread it a bit.

If that is not precise enough for you there are small rolling machines out there that are outside of most hobby machinists budget but a person may be able to find a small fab shop that has one and get them to roll it for you.

[ken572]

Mr Ron

I agree with Al.

If you can't get a piece of pipe, you could go to

a auto brake shop and ask them if you could have

a old worn out brake rotor that has a approx 8"

bolt hub land on it, and roll it around the hub land.

Ken.

[hammermill]

You could segment bend it in a press divide the circumference by 360 each step gets a 1deg bend

Do it 360 times a circle now exists

[f350ca]

A slip roll should handle that. Here's one I made from scrap. The rollers are 3 1/2 shed 80 pipe, the two bottom ones are tied together with a roller chain. Ive rolled 5/16 steel plate 12 inch wide with no problems.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_YPl ... G_0883.jpg
Greg

[redneckalbertan]

A slip roll should handle that. Here's one I made from scrap. The rollers are 3 1/2 shed 80 pipe, the two bottom ones are tied together with a roller chain. Ive rolled 5/16 steel plate 12 inch wide with no problems.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_YPl ... G_0883.jpg
Greg

That is a nice little slip roll!

Another thought would be a blacksmith shop that makes their own wagon wheels. They will have a narrow rolls for rolling the rim that should be a able to handle that size aluminum.

[hammermill]

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=rin ... dIndex=446


Look at this approach it would be a quick fab

[LIALLEGHENY]

Mr. Ron,

What alloy aluminum are you planning on rolling? 6061-T6 which is the most common alloy does not like to bend too easily....if you try to put too much of a bend in it , it will crack. Better alloy for tight radius would be 6063. You could also anneal the 6061-t6 and then roll or bend it. In the annealed state with a long enough length you could probably wrap it around a form by hand and skip the roller.

Nyle

[earlgo]

A shop with a CNC brake can do this similar to how hammermill suggested. They might make it in 2 semi-circular segments, but that is something you'd have to discuss with them.

Here is a company that most likely can do this. He did a lot of brake work for me in my former life.

Creative Mold and Machine Inc
10385 Kinsman Rd, Newbury, OH 44065
Ray Lyons
(440) 338-5146

I am not affiliated with this company whatsoever. They just do good work and since no-one else suggested a source, here it is.

--earlgo
(If I am breaking any rules by identifying specific vendors, please let me know.)

[oldvan]

How many of these do you need to make? One-off or ongoing?

[Mr Ron]

On going. various outside diameters; around 16, two different sizes 8, each size. I wish to make them myself; no farm-out.

[oldvan]

Perhaps you could connect with someone who is making something that produces round drops of plate an appropriate size?