DIY Hydroforming Tutorial

[@randalrobinson3424]

Great idea. You mentioned minimizing trapped air, but it would be good to emphasize how this reduces the chance of a dangerous explosive weld failure

[@ConnorHolland]

Yes, see my latest video for a demonstration of what happens when there's trapped air

[@drd1924]

Did you ever play with those little rockets as a kid, where you filled the rocket half with water, then pumped it up with something like a bicycle pump?

[@timferguson1526]

Wow something I never thought of! I like how you calmly do the impossible!

[@triggeredwelder]

Using the ground clamp as a clamp, I luv it

[@johncichon9499]

Thanks for an informative and well put together video. About 4 years ago I was quoting a similar type of job where 2 pieces of 1.5mm thick sheets were seam welded and a valve welded in on one of the edges. This was used as an expandable pillow that, in the flat, was slid into a sawn section of quarry rock. It was inflated under high pressure causing the cut to expand and separate the rock into a manageable size to handle. I'd love to see more of the shapes you have made👍

[@ConnorHolland]

Very interesting, it is impressive how much lifting/splitting force can be generated by inflating relatively thin sheet metal. I'll continue to share my experiments with new shapes on here

[@Interdiction]

I will be making some Hydroformed fuel tanks for my boat . It seems easy enough . Thanks for the informative vid

[@aleks_zink_works]

You are such an artist Connor. There`s something very satisfying in decorative hydroforming. Thank you for your videos and persistence. I always wonder what you gonna come up with next. :) Bless you.

[@ConnorHolland]

Thank you very much!

[@1972Ray]

I worked at a place that made pressure tanks. You had to certify the welders for pressure, because it's much harder to have zero leaks under pressures much greater than a pressure washer can generate. Amazing video.

[@somaday2595]

The pressure washer I use to wash the house and vehicles is 3800 psi.

[@johnathon007]

@@somaday2595 Some pressure tanks are rated over 20k. Hydraulic systems can be crazy.

[@moodlemech]

Wow niiice. So now all we need is a CAD/FEA program that can predict the stretch and then produce the templates, then pump them up for a perfect part.

[@exploringgodscountry]

My Corvette's frame was hydroformed. Super cool!

[@NIHILWR]

Idk why but you were in my recommendations today. Very cool video, never heard of this before.

[@AndrewJohnClive]

Me too!❤

[@charlesgraham9954]

i learned to Tig weld on aluminum with a thumb trigger. but i have Tig welded with a foot feed. i don't care for it. man thank you for your time making this video, i truly appreciate it, i know how long they take to film and edit. u gave me an idea how to make my own fenders and door panels for my 33 Ford Tuck. again, thank you..!

[@quartfeira]

Please keep up your awesome work mate! I'm impressed how cool this technique is and how many things you can virtually do! Actually you inspired me a lot, I make furniture with wood and metal but I'm always been intrigued by stainless steel... I was just thinking these days what can I do (since I'm a novice tig welder too) and you have been the inspiration, that little spark that i needed. I thought that for the hydroforming procedure was required a much higher pressure, and apparently is easier then I thought... at least in terms of tools that are needed. I'm happy! Please, keep it up. 😊🤙🏼✌️

[@ConnorHolland]

Thanks very much, I'm pleased to hear that!

[@joshm3342]

He ACTUALLY does things, not virtually.

[@sicks6six]

noticed the motorcycle helmets behind you, hydroforming exhaust systems for bikes, moto-x & trials is a very lucrative business to be in, the plans for exhaust systems are free PDF online if you search for them, £1000 isn't a lot for an exhaust nowadays, worth thinking about if you wondering where this hobby could go in the future, good video and good work, excellent welding skills for self-taught using cheap equipment,

[@maurilgboukrou9130]

Wow this is pure art.

[@qnner]

05:40 you could place a small tube up the hole to speed up the draining significantly. No need for a blowtorch for draining. Not too expensive for you to try it. 👍

[@ConnorHolland]

Yes a straw also works, it helps get air back inside to let the water flow out

[@davelowe1977]

Good demo!

[@mark6302]

thats some fine metalwork

[@michelguerrerostudios]

THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO BUILD A GAS TANK.

[@robertweekley5926]

Adding a Wooden Mold Frame to Expand into might be one of the ways to expand the possibilities of Shapes to squeeze into!

[@ConnorHolland]

I'll like to try mold making using steel, as wood could break due to the huge force involved

[@dinacaldwell7522]

Well this is quite groovy I must say. Impressive creativity

[@TheAussiePirate]

Thank you, that was a very good run through.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Cool. The first time I heard about hydroforming metal was when the C5 Corvette debuted. Its frame rails were hydroformed and I always wondered how the process worked.

[@IS-uh5yj]

Great VIDEO!! SEE YOU IN THE FUTURE

[@DanteYewToob]

Great video! Perfect timing too, since I recently showed your videos to a friend and he wanted to try it out and I told him you’d probably release a tutorial sometime soon… haha That was a great welding tip too… I struggle with perfectly straight lines and I’m still learning, so that angle iron guide trick looks like a great way to rest your hand/wrist. I’m definitely going to try that out!

[@ConnorHolland]

Happy I could help, you can have some of the credit for being the first to ask for a tutorial

[@toroddlnning6806]

@@ConnorHolland can you use this method to round the shape of a bouthull of a 19 foot aluminim construction with lets say 4mm thick sheeting?

[@dodge7560]

Thank you for doing this tutorial,,subscribed.

[@herzogsbuick]

this is amazing! i've done some fab work and love Ron Covell, for instance, but i've just never seen anything like this ever. wow. subscribed.

[@laynekobain]

Very awesome tutorial, I agree the possibilities for this technique are immense. definitely going to dedicate some time to this eventually, keep it up!

[@kalleklp7291]

Collin Furze did this some years ago when he made a jet. Your TIG welding looks quite good. One can also use MIG for that but turn down the wire to an absolute minimum. Everything else would just be a waste of wire and make the result look bad.

[@ConnorHolland]

Nothing beats TIG in my opinion, except maybe robots and lasers, but I cant afford those yet

[@chrissartain4430]

Very good video, this opened my understanding to a whole new idea of art.

[@endurojimmy3109]

What a fantastic video. Thanks for making this.

[@717Fang]

Super brilliant idea.

[@kennethjanczak4900]

Nice job Thanks for taking the time to make the video and share it.

[@ConnorHolland]

You're welcome

[@motosill_garage]

Very useful tutorial video! Thanks. I need to try it in my projects too...

[@wolframschweier3307]

Fascinating process. I just found a new use for my PW. Excellent tutorial.

[@miguelr1490]

Interesting, liked to see how you made the round balls 🤔

[@fibranijevidra]

I thought you were going to use some kind of mold and specialised forming compressor. Not very precise, but still very usefull. BTW. that edge welding was very satisfiying to watch.

[@psjasker]

Talented young man

[@brettmoore3194]

When i saw that before you cut the tube off i thought that could be a mini boiler tank,. Have you tried making a lasgana style. Like to sealed tanks right beside each other. It could be a apparatus for electrochemical expirements. Oh jolly

[@Vlow52]

Great idea! You should try welding some Platonic solids and try to inflate them to see how spherical it gets

[@elitearbor]

Lovely! You really are bringing this technique to "the common man" so to speak. It's dangerous, yes, but all metalworking is.

[@johnnydennett4248]

It’s hardly dangerous when you use water. That’s why pressure testing of vessels is done with liquids that cannot compress. If you pumped it up with air that is compressible,then it would be dangerous. Generally what happens is you get a tiny leak on the weld seam and you can no longer build pressure . It ends with a whimper ,no bang…

[@CableWrestler]

Colin Furze already done this

[@nothanks7285]

Very cool video, what a nice skill to have. I'd love to try & make fenders and/or gas tanks for motorcycles with this method. Someday!

[@alineharam]

You taught me something. Thanks.

[@freeman7788]

Try soldering steel with silver based solder faster to seal and recovery and low cost...

[@jpsimon206]

I was surprised by your statement suggesting those concerned about rust could use stainless. Have you tried this? I have messed around with DIY hydroforming, both pressure washer and grease gun techniques. I have never had a successful expansion in stainless, I have tried several different grades and thicknesses. I think it is because it work hardens so quickly. May I ask, what stainless have you tried? Did you find some trick to negate the work hardening?

[@ConnorHolland]

Here's me using stainless: kzbin.info/www/bejne/laO5ZX2qatJgsNU It is 0.9mm thick, grade 304, and I treat it exactly the same as mild steel, which fortunately has worked well for me

[@DanielSMatthews]

Can you draw annealed lines on the sheet metal with a blowtorch to guide crease formation in situations where the geometry allows for more than one outcome and you don't want it to be random?

[@ConnorHolland]

That could work, it may be more effective to get the lines red hot and use compressed air (under 100 psi) to inflate

[@DanielSMatthews]

@@ConnorHolland Ah yes get them started then finish with the hydro.

[@manxman8008]

very good idea and demo

[@norfolkflyingboyz2404]

Beautiful ingenuity.😎very cool

[@joelaroche7667]

Would have been nice to also talk about the plug you insert to test the piece.

[@howacarworks]

I love your presenting style and your explanations. Absolutely perfect explanation and demonstration. Subscribed!

[@ConnorHolland]

Thank you so much!

[@Alan_Hans__]

Very nice. I wonder if the wire fed laser welders would do any sort of a reasonable job at welding for hydroforming.

[@ConnorHolland]

I think they would work well, as the sheet metal I use is so thin (

[@deanharris7149]

Awesome vid! More would be appreciated.

[@ArcOfTheCovenant]

Test your welds under water and look for bubbles or use soapy water in a spray bottle it will also produce bubbles if leaks are present

[@ConnorHolland]

Good idea, it's frustrating having to stop hydroforming because you missed a tiny hole in the weld

[@juliewren2443]

Great video well done!xx

[@PizzaCat1732]

Nice welding!

[@ovalwingnut]

C.H. You R the "Cost Effective Hydroforming Wisperer"... Just saying. Thank you for this video. I shall will use this new skill to save hundred$ on a Dry Sump Oil Tank. Who needs a 6-axis mill? Cheers.

[@JonMurray]

Brilliant video mate. New subscriber ✌🏻

[@jiribunata5273]

Nice work! I watched your videos with enthusiasm. May I ask you what is the sheet thickness you use and what is the material specification? Is that standard DC01 sheet or some deep-drawing material ?? Last question.. I am thinking about copper or brass sheet with soldered joints instead of welded . Did you happen to try as well ? thx

[@ConnorHolland]

Thank you, I use standard 1mm mild steel sheet. Brass with brazed edges should work just as well as steel, copper and solder could work if the joints are able to cope with the movement and pressure. I haven't tried them yet, but they would look great polished up

[@X3msnake]

Awsome video Master. Thanks for sharing What are the safety concerns with hydroforming that one should be aware besides using eye protection gear?

[@ConnorHolland]

It's basically the same precautions you would take when cleaning using a pressure washer (avoid touching the jet), and make sure to expel any air trapped inside the workpiece, which can cause more energetic ruptures

[@brighambaker3381]

Awesome video! Thank you for the instruction!

[@firstdayonline]

Excellent! Thank you!

[@alan_wood]

Very useful, thank you.

[@j.g.9524]

Awesome work:) Your TIG weld looks great! Would you like to share your settings for your welding machine? Especially the plus frequency and range is something I unfortunately never worked with:( Greetings from Germany and thanks a lot.

[@ConnorHolland]

Thank you, my typical weld settings can be seen at 1:55 I'm not sure of the exact numbers as the machine's display doesn't show them. I found my preferred settings by welding lots of scraps and comparing, then putting pencil marks next to the dials.

[@C2welder]

Can you do it with a circular piece so you can create two shallow domes?

[@ConnorHolland]

For circles you would need to use thick steel mold, as the edges pull towards the centre, usually making a large dent. To make 2 domes I would make a sphere and cut it in half: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHXZiHd5oseDrtU

[@DrakeVideos]

haha what a great video, It's interesting to know how easy this can be and your explanations throughout were clear and to the point it was awesome you just let it break as i really wanted to see that when you mentioned it, not as powerful as expected. Loved the little warp out!

[@ConnorHolland]

Thank you!

[@ogreunderbridge5204]

Nice tutorial. Mighty fine batttle meat axe/sledgehammer, its important to be prepared :)

[@marcosmacli1061]

Hola que gran trabajo, muchas Gracias por compartir, saludos

[@GWAYGWAY1]

I built an expansion chamber like this to save doing loads of pie cuts . It leaked like a sprinkler showing my faulty welds in the seams.

[@fsj197811]

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing.

[@2150dalek]

Incredible.

[@christophermoody50]

That is really interesting. Call it a failure of imagination, but i can't yhink of anything i could use it for right now.

[@balloney2175]

I wish you demonstrated more.

[@johndoe1765]

And thank you great work it's very interesting.

[@ChrisLee-qo9zl]

Your videos are really enlightening. Have you ever worked with aluminum sheet? Specifically 6061-T6 about 1.5mm thickness? Or is aluminum just too brittle? I have a project wih aluminum tubing that requires a minimal amount of expansion.

[@ConnorHolland]

Thanks, a aluminium test piece I made did have brittle welds that cracked, but annealing could help with flexibility. Tube may be difficult to inflate as it already has a circular cross section, but may be possible with strong welds and enough pressure. I know its common to form tube in industry with complex molds and high pressure.

[@ChrisLee-qo9zl]

Thanks for your input. I'll do a test piece up.

[@TRechs]

Great video!!

[@mikex691]

Talent!!!!

[@Eatcrow]

I have a Zero electric motorcycle whose chassis is made this way and it’s very light !

[@WarwickMalone]

We did a dome 3600 diameter 5mm steel, when the weld failed at about 250 PSI a jet of water blew out the wall of a nearby portacom office, smashed the windows and flipped the furniture inside upside down. There was no air, this was a result of the small amount of spring in the steel. If a person had been standing in front of it I think it would be worse than getting hit with a sledge hammer.

[@DiedrawingChinaFactory]

Great idea

[@RixtronixLAB]

Well done, keep it up, thanks for sharing it with us :)

[@rZERO_game]

If you use hydrolic pressure generator and create pressure with air instead of water .what will be result?

[@ConnorHolland]

You can still inflate metal with air (I call it Aeroforming), it is just more dangerous with potentially explosive pressure releases, I only use a limited pressure under 100psi

[@finnmcrae]

Any idea what pressure roughly stainless steel takes to hydroform completely?

[@ConnorHolland]

I don't have a gauge, but the pieces I've done have ruptured before reaching 90 Bar. I also inflate some pieces with air pressure using 100 psi or less. I use 1mm thick steel, so going thicker may need more pressure

[@nob5000]

Great awesome good job i always wanted to do that

[@gnemois]

Thank you very much! Did you use galvanised sheet metal for the project? Cheers from Indonesia

[@ConnorHolland]

I used mild steel, galvanised sheet is not good for welding. You could always get the piece galvanised afterwards

[@gnemois]

@@ConnorHolland Thank you for your reply! Is it possible to use 1,2 mm? Or is it going to be too thick?

[@ConnorHolland]

​@@gnemois Yes, a small pressure washer can do up to 2mm or possibly more, and you can go as thick as you want with enough pressure

[@gnemois]

@@ConnorHolland many thanks!

[@zigwil153]

pretty cool stuff....

[@runcycleskixc]

Does this work with aluminum, and how does the pressure scale with the vol of the part (linear?)

[@ConnorHolland]

Yes it works with aluminium, and parts get easier to hydroform the larger they are. Because of its small volume, my hydroformed slingshot was able to take the full 90 bar of my pressure washer

[@Leonelvasquezaraujo]

Saludos amigo que material usas y cuál es el calibre adecuado muchas gracias

[@droner4300]

the channel is great

[@imperialmilkstout3499]

Hey ! Super vidéo merci à toi !

[@babbapappa1]

Hey there, great video ❤, question can you determine the shape you create by scribing a pattern onto the flat sheet?

[@ConnorHolland]

The finished shape depends most on the shape of the outer edges. Welding, clamping or using a steel mold can affect how a shape inflates, if they are strong enough to resist the large force acting on them.

[@MrBCRC]

That's pretty cool

[@BetterlookingthanuMr]

How come you don’t need a separate valve to allow the air to go? A lot of research I have done say that it’s dangerous.

[@ConnorHolland]

I loosen the screw fitting connecting the hose to the pressure washer to let the small amount of air inside escape. Larger pieces are filled completely with water, to remove the air before adding more pressure.

[@christoffermartensson7978]

How did you let out the air? By filling without preassure and a not tight fitting?

[@ConnorHolland]

That's right, at 4:38 I'm pointing at the air bubbles escaping

[@martinsaunders7925]

Interesting. 58 years ago at school I put a waxed plaster of Paris mold with an aluminum sheet stuck to the wax in a 5 gallon bucket of water. Several inches away suspended a glass fuse with powdered explosive in it. Filming with a high speed 16mm camera( on loan),detonated the fuse. Five gallons of water vapor covered an entire football field for a fraction of a second. A flattened 5 gallon bucket landed a hundred yards away and a small aluminum ashtray was mostly formed. The science teacher determined although explosive forming with skock waves in water was interesting it was too dangerous to continue. This is the first time since that I've seen something similar.

[@ConnorHolland]

Interesting, sounds like most of the energy escaped through the weak sides of the bucket, the path of least resistance. A cheap improvement to the setup would be burying the bucket into the ground, so that only the top is exposed

[@martinsaunders7925]

@@ConnorHolland the bucket was galvanized steel. I wouldn't have even suggested to the coach digging a hole in the football field, he didn't think much of the nerd equivalent of those times. Transmission of a shockwave in water is approximately 2000 times more powerful than in air. I needed a lot less force to get a good result. Also,giving up on dangerous experiments and keeping as fit as possible has led to a long life.

[@flack3]

Great video thanks!

[@nandingpanelo]

Thanks

[@jonasedholm2614]

Great video. You should make a rocket. Think Starship and SpaceX

[@chainda066]

Oh! So amazing How much psi?

[@ConnorHolland]

The 90 Bar pressure washer is around 1305 psi

[@chainda066]

@@ConnorHolland Thank you very much, I will try to do it

[@richardquasius4940]

Cool technique. Like you said, wear safety glasses, and I might add, don't perform next to glass patio doors.😅

[@letsmake4884]

Hi nice work I have a question How much pressure I need to forming sheetmetal size D 2000mm 4mm of thickness

[@ConnorHolland]

I'm afraid I don't know the exact pressures and haven't tried hydroforming 4mm thick sheet, but it should be possible with a powerful pressure washer

[@letsmake4884]

@@ConnorHolland thanks👍

[@letsmake4884]

Hi how are you I finished my hydr... Machine for sheet elliptical size 2.5x1.86 meter 4mm I'm happy for result 50 bar

[@parrotraiser6541]

That looks like a way to avoid a deal of hammering.