How do you bend aluminum angle?

mcattell · #1 03-28-2009, 12:33 PM

I'm not having much luck bending the aluminum angles that form the F-777 battery tray supports. With these brackets you cut off one leg of the .125" angle and bend the other leg between 35 to 55 degrees. Unfortunately aluminum this thick wants to fracture or break when bending it that much. I even tried heating once but maybe I didn't heat enough. I'm getting tired of building brackets so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Auburntsts · #2 03-28-2009, 01:00 PM

Have you tried cutting a v-notch into the flange opposite of the bend?

rvbuilder2002 · #3 03-28-2009, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcattell

I'm not having much luck bending the aluminum angles that form the F-777 battery tray supports. With these brackets you cut off one leg of the .125" angle and bend the other leg between 35 to 55 degrees. Unfortunately aluminum this thick wants to fracture or break when bending it that much. I even tried heating once but maybe I didn't heat enough. I'm getting tired of building brackets so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Are you sure it is not .063 angle that you are supposed to be using?

.125 thickness requires a large bend radius to avoid cracking (as you have discovered).
If .125 is the correct thickness, use a hardwood block with a minimum of an 1/8" radius sanded on the corner edge. Clamp it in the vice with the angle and bend it around the radiused corner of the block.

mcattell · #4 03-28-2009, 02:59 PM

Unfortunately the drawing did call for .125" angle for these parts. To complicate it the bends aren't square and the other leg of the angle gets in the way. I tried the recommendation of a shallow v-notch on a scrap and that seems to work. Plus it helps force the bend to that location. The drawing calls for a 1/8" radius which I tried with a rounded piece of aluminum and tapping on it with a wood block and hammer. Except pounding on it seems to generate a fracture. Hopefully the v-notch won't weaken the part too much. On the sample it still seemed pretty strong. Thanks for the suggestions.

scard · #5 03-28-2009, 04:00 PM

I'm curious why you chose not to use the PC-680 setup. It sure does make for a clean firewall battery install without all those parts you are trying to fabricate.

mcattell · #6 03-28-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scard

I'm curious why you chose not to use the PC-680 setup. It sure does make for a clean firewall battery install without all those parts you are trying to fabricate.

What in the world is a PC-680? I'd love not making these brackets. Another attempt failed at a 55 degree bend. This is getting a little old. My next step was to take them to my mechanic with aircraft restoration shop and let him do it.

Bob Brown · #7 03-28-2009, 06:13 PM

What Scott was referring to is the PC-680 Battery and firewall mounted tray kit that Van's sells. You rivet some angles on it, install some nutplates if I recall and you bolt it on the engine side of the firewall. Sure would save you all that fabricating, and it's a great battery.

scard · #8 03-28-2009, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcattell

What in the world is a PC-680? I'd love not making these brackets. Another attempt failed at a 55 degree bend. This is getting a little old. My next step was to take them to my mechanic with aircraft restoration shop and let him do it.

Many of us use the vans part number ES PC680 INSTALL KIT to use an Odyssey 680 battery. This is what they include in the firewall forward kit. Drawing 31A http://rv9a.card-net.org/wp-content/...9/03/pc680.pdf

mcattell · #9 03-28-2009, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scard

Many of us use the vans part number ES PC680 INSTALL KIT to use an Odyssey 680 battery. This is what they include in the firewall forward kit. Drawing 31A http://rv9a.card-net.org/wp-content/...9/03/pc680.pdf

Thanks for the info. That will save some headaches. Fortunately I hadn't drilled any holes in the firewall. I'm just getting ready to order the firewall forward kit. I now see that it's included in the kit. I can't figure out why Van's would ship this crappy battery mount with the finish kit and then ship a better one with the firewall forward kit.

roee · #10 03-28-2009, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcattell

I can't figure out why Van's would ship this crappy battery mount with the finish kit and then ship a better one with the firewall forward kit.

That would be strange, but are you sure about that? My finish kit didn't include any battery mount.