Can You Bend 6061 T6 Aluminum Tubing in a Roll Bar Bender ?

[@daveb1870]

I know this is well over a year but I just come across your channel. Great vids! Tip for thin wall aluminum in t6 temper. Weld caps on the ends, one cap must be thick enough to screw in a Schrader valve, apply vacuum, then fill with water to about 60-90 psi. You wont crinkle or get flat spots. Plus it kinda stress relieves it somewhat, probably not as much as a autofatage does but its better than nothing. Course you have to cut the ends off so leave stock for that.

[@jenky1044]

That's wicked cool. Thank you Kyle. Have a great weekend.

[@AIRXLLC]

Very nice, you show complete detail on tube, I am working on a project and this will help me. Thanks

[@rsantos0303]

If you anneal the tube with an oxy/ acet torch you can make 90 degree bends

[@mreihing]

This is correct. Works well with 6061 T6. I have demonstrated the oxy/acet method to university students and EAA members who want to build their own aircraft. Way better than using a tubing bender. But you don't use just the torch if you want a really perfect bend.

[@saifcathum3423]

How hot does it really need to be heated to. I just need to make a slight adjustment to a 6061 bike frame and would rather not have to burn through the paint. Would it help at all if I heated it with a heat gun?

[@ThatV12MiataBruh]

I love this build

[@Tony_Gardner]

Why do people come to someone’s video then unlike it? Y’all need something to do.

[@mohdhaq640]

Nice video

[@Adam-b8i]

6061 bends fine as long as it is over a really big radius. Like way bigger than you’d ever want in most applications. Ideally, you’d want 3003 in a tempered state. 3003 is alloyed with manganese, where 6061 is a magnesium and silicon. The T6 heat treat designation means it precipitation hardened in a salt bath (I think). I think the heat treat designation on the 3003 sheet we use so commonly is maybe an H56(?) However... I have never tried to get 3003 in tube. I know it isn’t available in round without buying a mill run. So it may not even be an option.

[@Liveforeever]

Can i flare 51mm OD to 70mm OD for intake trumpets, it's 6061t6 with a 3mm wall. I tried it wouthout heat and it cracked, should I heat to 400f to stretch it that much or am I wasting my time?

[@hugofernandez1773]

You right Adam 👍🏻big radius and a thick wall tube it’s not a problem I’m a tube bender and we usually bend 6061-0 and 6061-t4 and send them to outside process for heat treat so it can be t6 because it’s hard to Bend 6061-t6 I struggle sometimes when I bend a 1 D bend 6061-T4 .028 wall thickness you need to have a baddas wiper and good set up and don't let it stretch because you lose it

[@McGrathMotorsports]

Thanks for this video im trying to design my rear mount rad and was wondering this!

[@markham1109]

Just do a test bend to the same 22 1/2 degrees when it wrinkles and cut through the middle of the bend and see what happened. The inside will have bunched up and the outside will be very thin from stretch, you could probably play a tune on the pipe.

[@michelleblack2677]

What brand is your tube bender?

[@Hoppysjunkyardrally]

I can't... But I know a guy that can...😁👍💪 Thanks for sharing the process!

[@shanewright6958]

If you fill it with sand you can bend it without it putting a kink in it👍👍🇨🇱

[@mreihing]

Cork one end of the 6061 T6. Fill it with dry pool sand or sandblasting sand all the way to the end. Cork the second end. Lightly blacken the area to be reformed or bent with Acetylene. Black but not heavy deposits. Only takes a few seconds. Then heat that same area gently with a soft oxy/acetylene flame until you have burned away the acet. deposits. Don't overdo it. This will anneal the tubing. Then slowly form the tubing to the angle you want. The sand supports the tubing walls so it does not kink. You only have a few minutes and may have to gently reheat to complete a 90 degree+ bend. The tubing will naturally re-harden to it's original temper in a few hours. Remove the corks and empty the sand out. Guys building their own airplane do this all the time. Don't try this with 2024 as this alloy does not like to be bent and may crack.

[@michaelfuchs5034]

I do enjoy watching you work..you should wet the tube with oil in the area you want to bend has it can slide and not stress the tube

[@chansecharrier4834]

I seen 6061-4T thick wall bent at a 90 deg with no distortion..

[@Martuszewski]

Is your table tap with tread holes?

[@windward2818]

The electric water pump flow rate rating may have to be increased for the long distance radiator runs. The Aluminum Pipe may not be the best material due to the flow direction change resulting in tube erosion. 304 Stainless may be a better choice, although it is heavier. If the engine mounted pump is working too hard you can install a second pump in the rear of the vehicle as a return pump to maintain flow. What I can say about the 6061-T6 is it will conduct the heat very effectively if the pipe is not insulated. The long aluminum pipe length themselves will probably be a very good radiator when the engine is up to temperature (relative temperature differential) and the waste heat will be huge given the HP gains with the turbo. You will have an increase in engine efficiency but the waste heat will scale almost linearly at a specific load. Uninsulated aluminum tubing going through the passenger compartment might act like a cabin heater. If you want to put the radiator in the rear with a rigid structure you could make a long heat exchanger as a pipe within a pipe (usually based on an aluminum extrusion profile). The outer flow is the cold return and the inner flow is the hot send. The send and return flow would have to be equal so the cross sectional areas would have to be sized accordingly.

[@CDEaton2000]

I would use schedule 40 to allow more heat dissipation over a longer distance, and it bends easily without wrinkling.

[@ronalexander4955]

T6 will bend but you’ll stress crack it. I’m looking for a tube bender myself to bend 5052 h32. Bending aluminum is always tension and compression and shifting the neutral axis.

[@rickysiciliano7964]

I use i " .083 wall for the ModJust use thicker wall.lites i plumb. no problem bending and easier ti weld if you put an ends on them.

[@floggerSG]

Deep down in the holla, Pick the tallest pine

[@steveh6266]

I have 1.375" 6061 with .125 wall. All I'm wanting to do is compress one open end to match a smaller bar going across the top to form a T. It will be scooter bars for my kid.... What's the best way to just compress it down to say .875"? Thanks for any help.

[@MikeVieira]

Nice!

[@neilfpv]

WOW! I am so jealous with your skills! That is amazing! I have a question. I just learned that the new bike I bought uses aluminum 6061-T6 for the frame. Is this material strong?

[@bbgun4404]

Yup. Annealed you bend it to 90deg. Done this a few times.

[@viartheodor5516]

Hey quick question😁 I have a j.d bender and I'm bending a 48mm pipe with 2.6mm wall. Is there any tricks or so you recommend

[@bryanbrunk1186]

Why did you make the decision to bend instead of cut and weld?

[@daveb1870]

Have you done thicker aluminum tubing say up to .125 wt?

[@chrismiles462]

I’ve bent 1.5 x 0.125 round tube on a Jd2 model 3. Make sure the tube seats tight in the die and use slow constant pressure.

[@icantcomeupwithaname8925]

​@@chrismiles462 Im planning on using the jd2 model 32(they dont make the model 3 anymore) with the same size aluminum tubing 6061 t6, did you have to do anything to the aluminum? such as annealing it, filling it with sand, etc, like ive seen other people do? or did you just put it in and bend. Thanks.

[@chrismiles462]

@@icantcomeupwithaname8925 I’ve done it with and without annealing. If you don’t anneal there’s a chance the tube will break even if you do everything right. I think the tube coming from the mill doesn’t have a consistent temper all the way through the tube which creates problems.

[@kamsharps]

It's also a tempered aluminum you can anneal it and it will bend better

[@gordowg1wg145]

TBH, I'd put that tube asside for a different application and buy some annealed tubing that is still relatively soft.

[@bazookabharath]

you can also fill the entire thing with sand and tape it at the ends and do it

[@ashleighvlasveld801]

Is that a t5 trans 😳 that poor thing

[@dieselguy62]

Annealing makes it possible. Been doing it for years

[@jamesmazeika7428]

i was wondering that, it was hardened and tempered back so in theory you could heat it back up and remove the hardening right?

[@Darmha]

If annealing is not performed, will cracked the tube?

[@dieselguy62]

@@Darmha if it's T6.

[@Darmha]

@@dieselguy62 and if 3003 alloy?

[@dieselguy62]

@@Darmha look it up. I'm not here to teach you

[@Kinnor.Home.Studios]

Yes, it will bend

[@curtisvonepp4335]

Kyle . Your asking for trouble Bending any type heat treated Aluminum that kink in that tube will FAIL 😎😨

[@trailerpark187]

Use a plastic shoe and some wd40. So it slides easier

[@FrequencyOfThought]

Don't they fill the inside with sand first to prevent the crinkle

[@turboflush]

Maybe apply some heat to it just before bending? Never mind... Comments from others below.

[@frnkjones40]

T4 bends all day. T6 on the other hand does not. Mine snaps at 15 degrees

[@redlinepaul410]

You can buy aluminium electric conduit from a electrical supply for a good price.

[@stepheneckart1416]

So whats up with posting the same clip out of the same video you already posted. Alot of KZbinrs do this just to get more views their is no other answer for this.

[@obd1tuner1]

Seems to me like he just wanted to make this segment more of a specific tech video for someone who may be searching for a solution to bending aluminum tubing that may not watch his videos. If you do watch his videos you would know he covered this already, so you wouldn't need to watch. That's just my take on it.

[@Thefabforums]

That's exactly why I reposted it. The other video title is about mods in a fuel cell and not one looking for this info would ever find it

[@MYMAKO181]

KZbin police🙄

[@TheBingo1951]

GARAGE DI CASA ?????

[@OGbullriderSD]

5 percent fab,the rest is all talk.more fab please.less talk