Bending aluminum? - Toyota Yaris Forums

Sodium Duck · 07-12-2009, 09:33 AM

I have two of these antenna mounts. They're aluminum - not sure what type. How would I go about bending it further?

Do I have to take a blow torch to it and bend it slowly - or would that fatigue and weaken the metal too much? I kind of feel like if I just stuck it in a vice and just bend it that it would snap.

CTScott · 07-12-2009, 11:09 AM

Can you post a pic of the bracket?

Generally aluminum is tricky to bend without cracking, unless you use a form to ensure that you don't bend it past the minimum bend radius (which is about equal to the thickness of the aluminum). Also bends tend to crack less when they are made perpendicular to instead of parallel to the grain.

Sodium Duck · 07-12-2009, 01:29 PM

Doh, I forgot to post the ones I took.

Grain appears to go on the path of the arrow. I don't think I have a shot at bending these. I may as well just go fab something up out of steel.

cali yaris · 07-12-2009, 01:40 PM

If it's anodized, you won't be able to bend it for sure. Heating it won't help unless you have acetylene or oxy-acetylene -- a home/hobby torch won't get hot enough to make a difference.

Brian · 07-12-2009, 03:20 PM

Don't try to bend it. It will probably break. It was probably bent like that and the heat treated. If you try to heat it and bend it the aluminium will actually become weaker from the heat. It would be better to cut and weld or make one out of mild steel. Looking at that bracket more closely, it doesn't appear to be formed due to not having an inside or outside radius. Could have been machined out of a solid block.

jdinrc · 07-12-2009, 04:28 PM

I agree with Brian, that's a machined part. Depending on the alloy and temper, if you're careful and go slowly you could cold bend the flat slightly without losing too much strength (I wouldn't recommend trying to bend at the corner), however, like Garms says, if it's anodized you will destroy the coating. If you hot bend it you will probably lose the temper completely.

Yaris Hilton · 07-12-2009, 05:34 PM

Heating aluminum with a torch is tricky. Get it hot enough to soften it for bending and you're close to the melting point, which happens very suddenly.

rob323 · 07-14-2009, 06:55 PM

I'd say it's cut from an extrusion is which case the alloy will not like being bent at all. And yes it will fracture the anodised coating, only a problem if appearance is a concern though.

07-12-2009, 09:33 AM	#1
Sodium Duck ╚══════════RN Drives: 2008 Liftback Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Western Mass. Posts: 999	Bending aluminum? I have two of these antenna mounts. They're aluminum - not sure what type. How would I go about bending it further? Do I have to take a blow torch to it and bend it slowly - or would that fatigue and weaken the metal too much? I kind of feel like if I just stuck it in a vice and just bend it that it would snap. __________________ 42.88

07-12-2009, 01:40 PM	#4
cali yaris ULTIMATE View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris Turbo Join Date: May 2007 Location: Canoga Park, CA Posts: 14,859	If it's anodized, you won't be able to bend it for sure. Heating it won't help unless you have acetylene or oxy-acetylene -- a home/hobby torch won't get hot enough to make a difference. __________________ Micro Image forums, online store and shop are now closed. It was a great eight year run, but it was time to focus on other things. I'm still selling parts on eBay under micro*image seller ID and customers can still make requests for anything specific.

07-12-2009, 03:20 PM	#5
Brian Drives: '07 Yaris turbo, '11 Juke Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 849	Don't try to bend it. It will probably break. It was probably bent like that and the heat treated. If you try to heat it and bend it the aluminium will actually become weaker from the heat. It would be better to cut and weld or make one out of mild steel. Looking at that bracket more closely, it doesn't appear to be formed due to not having an inside or outside radius. Could have been machined out of a solid block. __________________ http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3875996

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07-12-2009, 11:09 AM	#2
CTScott ULTIMATE View User's Garage Drives: 09 5dr LB, 2x 08 3dr LB Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: USA, CT Posts: 13,460	Can you post a pic of the bracket? Generally aluminum is tricky to bend without cracking, unless you use a form to ensure that you don't bend it past the minimum bend radius (which is about equal to the thickness of the aluminum). Also bends tend to crack less when they are made perpendicular to instead of parallel to the grain.

07-12-2009, 04:28 PM	#6
jdinrc View User's Garage Drives: 2009 Yaris Blazing Blue 3dr Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Southern California Posts: 466	I agree with Brian, that's a machined part. Depending on the alloy and temper, if you're careful and go slowly you could cold bend the flat slightly without losing too much strength (I wouldn't recommend trying to bend at the corner), however, like Garms says, if it's anodized you will destroy the coating. If you hot bend it you will probably lose the temper completely.

07-12-2009, 05:34 PM	#7
Yaris Hilton Half a Bubble Off Plumb Drives: 2009 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bristol, Tennessee, USA Posts: 1,593	Heating aluminum with a torch is tricky. Get it hot enough to soften it for bending and you're close to the melting point, which happens very suddenly.

07-14-2009, 06:55 PM	#8
rob323 Don't drive it, RALLY it! Drives: 1999 echo PRC rally car Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Joyner, Brisbane Posts: 321	I'd say it's cut from an extrusion is which case the alloy will not like being bent at all. And yes it will fracture the anodised coating, only a problem if appearance is a concern though.