how to bend aluminum plate??

eric91xj · Jul 3, 2005

hey,

i got a peace of 14"x34"x1/4" 3003 series aluminum plate i wanted to try to use as a skid plate some how. its just a flate sheet except for a slight bend they put at one end of it for some reason, it looks like theres a heat mark from when they bent it so i'm wondering do i have to heat it to bend it back, i'm not sure how this is done i've never worked with aluminum.

thanx

eric

XJ_ranger · Jul 3, 2005

1/4" aluminum?

buy better skid plate material....

if it can be cut on a wood cutting tablesaw - dont trust it to be a skid....

Goatman · Jul 3, 2005

Nope, don't heat it. Use a straight edge, like the edge of your work bench or a board on the floor, and a hammer. Do it slowly, working down from one end to the other, back and forth until you end up with what you want.

BTW, 1/4" aluminum is pretty tough.

XJ_ranger · Jul 3, 2005

Goatman said:
BTW, 1/4" aluminum is pretty tough.

really - In my limited expierence, 1/4" AL has wanted to break before it flexed - in a brittle way, and wouldnt work very well as a skid plate...
on my buddy' and my trailer we used 1/4" al as the floor with good supports, and he tows his zuki and quads all the time...

best of luck with whatever happens!

Eagle · Jul 3, 2005

I'd say you can't straighten it. Aluminum gets "work hardened" much more than steel. As someone posted before me, it'll probably break when you try to straighten it.

And as someone else posted, even 1/4" aluminum is a poor choice for a skid plate. Better than nothing, I concede ... but a poor choice.

Goatman · Jul 3, 2005

The NP231 t-case is aluminum, and much of it less than 1/4" thick. I didn't say it was bullet proof, just pretty tough. I'd try it.....can't be much worse than my 3/16" steel skid plate that always gets bent to hell so I have to take it off and hammer it back out.

CamoXJeep · Jul 3, 2005

I work with aluminum all the time, building helicopters. That 1/4" will break/crack before it gets straight again. It was probably bent on a brake. Even if you used a brake agian like said above it will break/crack. The thicker the material the more it will tend to crack when bent. You can not heat it up either. You will be better off with steel for skid plates. If hit hard enough it will dent and crack. Best of luck. Jeff

Goatman · Jul 3, 2005

Ah....I missed that he wanted to bend it back. Nope, that won't work. However, as far as working for a skid plate, I have a few friends with aluminum skid plates and they work well, a couple with aluminum full belly pans. As with anything, it depends on the design, and the framework would need to be steel.

For this person, probably better to buy a skid plate.

RichP · Jul 3, 2005

Get a second piece and make yourself a set of half door skins. My sons friend just got two for one of his YJ's. His GF got them off of ebay.

BruteXJ · Jul 3, 2005

I've found that it's best to buy aluminum in pre-bent fluid-filled cylinders.

Eagle · Jul 3, 2005

BruteXJ said:
I've found that it's best to buy aluminum in pre-bent fluid-filled cylinders.

Isn't that what our troops were looking for in Iraq?

Now we know where they went! :explosion

Grizzley · Jul 4, 2005

I've got a piece of 1/4 inch x 8 inch x 6 foot aluminum here that I got from a recycle place that I was going to bend into a bracket after i cut a small piece off. PM'd certain older timers than me about it and the consensus was a very large brake might do it. C-clamps, heat and the BFH I could find didn't do it. Cut bracket into two pieces and dropping off at a welder to have it tigged. :laugh3: It'll make nice backing plates for my TJ mirrors and various other things though, as long as I only need it straight and flat.

RichP · Jul 4, 2005

Grizzley said:
I've got a piece of 1/4 inch x 8 inch x 6 foot aluminum here that I got from a recycle place that I was going to bend into a bracket after i cut a small piece off. PM'd certain older timers than me about it and the consensus was a very large brake might do it. C-clamps, heat and the BFH I could find didn't do it. Cut bracket into two pieces and dropping off at a welder to have it tigged. :laugh3: It'll make nice backing plates for my TJ mirrors and various other things though, as long as I only need it straight and flat.

Actually you already have a 1+ ton bender, it's called a JEEP. with the correct rocks, scrap steel and whatnot you can drive over it... Watched a local guy make XJ bumpers that way, got a nice curve out of it. Takes some forethought though. :laugh3:

SteelblueSteve · Jul 4, 2005

You do not want to try to bend aluminum. 1/4 " thick plate? I've operated a Straightening Hyd. press at work for many years and because of alum. flexing properties (read: it has none) it wants to break shortly after bending. Cracks really easy. You want the plate to flex, use steel.

Grizzley · Jul 4, 2005

RichP said:
Actually you already have a 1+ ton bender, it's called a JEEP. with the correct rocks, scrap steel and whatnot you can drive over it... Watched a local guy make XJ bumpers that way, got a nice curve out of it. Takes some forethought though. :laugh3:

:laugh3: Hmmmmm. . .

JEONLYEP · Jul 4, 2005

RichP said:
Actually you already have a 1+ ton bender, it's called a JEEP. Takes some forethought though. :laugh3:

That it does. But it can work good with the afore mentioned forethought.

Daryl

eric91xj · Jul 4, 2005

thanx for all the responses guys, did'nt expect that many. but please don't go telling me about how weak it is and that it was a poor choice on my part cause i'm not braindead, its a $200 chunk of aluminum that was given to me so i figured i'd try to do something with it, if it breaks frankly i don't care because it was free. but yes i do plan on backing the plate with steel strips riveted onto the back for support and making support for the back of the plate up to the floor pan.

eric

5centpen · Jul 4, 2005

Around here you can get $3 a pound for scrap aluminum, and i'm sure even more for large sections of plate. Why not just sell it?

eric91xj · Jul 4, 2005

is it really that worthless to use that i should just sell it? if so who would buy something like this

how to bend aluminum plate??

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