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-   -   Curved "U" channel. How? (https://allmetalshaping.com/showthread.php?t=7418)

Kerry Pinkerton 11-24-2012 07:14 PM

Curved "U" channel. How?
 
3 Attachment(s)
I recently bought an antique motor home (77 GMC) and have been spending most my time working on the interior.

The previous owner installed skinny mini blinds and made these really horrid wooden frames to keep the mini blinds close to the body. Problem is that the body is curved and the wood frames, in addition to being tacky, are straight.

So I made a set of blind retainers out of some aluminum angle I bent up. This is one HALF of the side.

Attachment 19150

you can see the curve. Because I don't know another way, I just made a mirror image (one shrunk one stretched, and tacked welded them together.

Attachment 19151

It's going to be covered with upholstery so the welds won't show.

Attachment 19153

This shot shows the bow in the side of the coach as well as how the mini blinds will fit in the opening of the "U".

However, I have 6 more windows to do and would prefer to just bend up a "U" channel and find a way to bend it. Obviously one side has to shrink and the other stretch. If I had beak dies for the Eckold I could do it but I don't

I was wondering if I might be able to do something with the Pullmax. Make a male/female U shape and bend it to the side by brute force as I feed it through.

Has anyone done anything like this before? I'm open to suggestions.

Joe Hartson 11-24-2012 07:47 PM

Kerry, I have done it in the bead roller using the stackable dies on thinner channel for the grill bars in stainless. I would think you could do it in the pullmax with the right dies. Getting the exact curve would be the hardest part.

What is the length of the legs and back of the channel. I assume you are using 3003 H 14 .063.

Desoto 11-24-2012 08:10 PM

Hi Kerry,
If this job landed in my lap I would knock up a form block with MDF and piece of flat steel as a clamp. Of course there is a bit of tooling time but they all come out identical.
Cheers,
Ash.

Steve Hamilton 11-24-2012 08:11 PM

making a curved channel
 
Kerry
If you lay out a blank that is wide enough for all three legs & the length that you need, use your sweeps to match up to the curved wall. Then make the long sides of your blank to match the sweep.

also use the sweep to mark the bend lines.
Use the tipping wheel to bend up to 45*
Or use pullmax if you have dies to crease the metal
clamp the backbone to a table & finish to 90* with a slapper.


Steve

fordguyfordman 11-24-2012 08:30 PM

Kerry,
I form parts like that a fair amount of the time at work. We use a rolling machine similar in style to a ring roller. The dies are stackable depending on the width of the part. I can get a few pics of it if it will help you.

Tom H

route56wingnut 11-24-2012 08:44 PM

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Attachment 19154

Attachment 19155

Attachment 19156I guess now is as good of time as any to make that ewheel anvil we were going to make .

Jim Stabe 11-24-2012 09:01 PM

4 Attachment(s)
I had to bend aluminum U channel to make the windshield frame for my project car and it had to curve in both directions. I was using 3/4" x 3/4" x 1/8" wall channel since I needed a 1/2" inside measurement for the rubber U channel that holds the glass. I cut long strips of 1/4" hardboard 5/8" wide and pushed 2 of them into the channed to keep it from collapsing. I have a ring roller I made and it put flat wheels in it to make the part. Gradual rollong in both directions gave me the curvature I needed in both directions in about an hour. Prying the spacers out was a little difficult but it left me with a groove that was just slightly under 1/2".

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gerry miller 11-24-2012 09:17 PM

Jim that worked out really nice. I like that big effin wheel.:lol:

metalman sweden 11-25-2012 12:11 AM

Kerry, I guess your wasy is the fastest for just a few of them..othervice take a look in Cass book about the porsche trims, bend a solid sqarebar of the right size to the radi you want and then wheel the package in your wheel, the alu will shape pretty easy...

Take care and have fun!
// Per

Jim Stabe 11-25-2012 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerry miller (Post 63631)
Jim that worked out really nice. I like that big effin wheel.:lol:

That was the first project with the ring roller. I had to turn it with a crescent wrench


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