Bending aluminium

[TheBeastie]

Sorry this is such a dumb question unless don't know the answer - like me!

I need to make a holder for the front part of a transceiver to sit on the dash. I am going to mount the body on the bulkhead behind my seat. I have some aluminium sheet about 2mm or so thick and I had thought of bending a sort of Z shape so that I could screw a horizontal bit into the top of the dash, fix the transceiver mounting plate onto the vertical and then have a horizontal top to act as a shade - would ideally like side bits too but suspect that is beyond me.

I have hacksaw, vice, angle grinder, hammer and drill but that is about it.

How do I best go about making something that is reasonably neat and ship shape?

Is it just a case of bending or do I have to try and heat, or score the inside of the bend etc.

Any hints and tips would be most gratefully received

Thanks

Malcy

[smo]

2mm should bend easily, use the vice and perhaps some angle iron or similar as a guide edge.

[Milemarker Type S]

As has been said 2mm should bend fairly easily- to guarantee a perfect bend the a sheet metal folder is obviously the way forward... But if not a vice, some steel angle and a hammer will do the job- a small groove cut along the line would help to make the bends tight but will obviously weaken the finished result- I some times run a cold chisel or bolster along the line on what will be on the inside of bend while the sheet is still flat and give it a bit of a belt with a hammer- the metal then usually folds better along the desired line neatly.

[Petergg]

Don't scribe a line or it will crack.

[steve_d]

Unless your design requires it, I would avoid a sharp bend as this is where it will crack.

If a nice radiused bend is possible then file/sand a radius on the edge of a piece of wood and use that to clamp it in the vice and bend it over the rounded edge of the wood.

Steve

[Night Train]

I have folded 1/8" aluminium sheet up to 4' long by clamping it between two lengths of 60x10mm steel angle and gently starting the fold first by hand and then with a wooden drift before flattening and squaring the fold with a mallet and block. The angle needs to be in line with each other and lined up with the inside line of the fold.

You can fold the 2mm you need in the same way.

[HoSS]

It also depends on which Alu type you have. I forget the designations, but we have 3 types here at work, basically machinable, medium & bendable. Try to bend the hard stuff and it cracks (try to machine the soft & its like chocolate)

Try a scrap first.

[landroversforever]

why not add a small amount of heat? rub a bar of soap on it, stop as it goes brown so you dont melt it completely

[FridgeFreezer]

^^^ what Ross said, I did this when folding the edge of my tub and was amazed how soft the ali goes with a bit of heat.

[TheBeastie]

Thanks for the responses

Will see what I can come up with at the weekend. Doubt it will be pretty but hopefully it will function!