Im replacing a custom made bowrail. I'd like to get a bananna curve into 7/8 rail. It only needs to cover about 30 deg over a 2 ft length. I've heard that filling it w/sand will help stop kinks, but I don't want to go whacking it with a hammer. that's what the last guy did and why I'm replacing it. I was thinking of lag bolting it to a telephone pole & carfuly leveraging it, but I'll bet there's a better way. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance. P.S. Why can't they just make a 30 deg elbow?
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How about renting something like a "conduit
bender" like an electrician uses for metal conduit or checking with a muffler shop to see if they can bend small tube on their bender.
bender" like an electrician uses for metal conduit or checking with a muffler shop to see if they can bend small tube on their bender.
fill it with sand
i just built a hoop on my transom to support the mast when towing. i used 1 1/4" heavy wall aluminum and could not find anyone who was willing to bend it for me. all of the shops, machine and muffler, said the pipe would kink and break. then i heard about filling the pipe with sand. i went back to the muffler shop and insisted they bend it for me. the guy said the pipe would break but if it didn't then the job was free. he had never heard of filling the pipe with sand. the pipe bent just fine and the job was free. i made sure i tamped the sand well in the pipe and sealed the ends with duct tape. the hoop works great and no more big ugly stick on my transom.
i just built a hoop on my transom to support the mast when towing. i used 1 1/4" heavy wall aluminum and could not find anyone who was willing to bend it for me. all of the shops, machine and muffler, said the pipe would kink and break. then i heard about filling the pipe with sand. i went back to the muffler shop and insisted they bend it for me. the guy said the pipe would break but if it didn't then the job was free. he had never heard of filling the pipe with sand. the pipe bent just fine and the job was free. i made sure i tamped the sand well in the pipe and sealed the ends with duct tape. the hoop works great and no more big ugly stick on my transom.
Stainless and Alumninum are different
Gord got lucky. The alloy and temper, plus wall thickness of the aluminum pipe determine its ability to bend without cracking and even then it can be hit and miss. Stainless is , in my experience, more reliably bent into acute angles. Pipe must be supported with curved dies that fit well the shape and size of the piece. Filling pipe with sand "can" make it bend well but a fully supported piece of pipe held with the correct die for bending will generally work very well. Aluminum is not much affected by heating for bending but stainless is and the 300 series of alloys can bend better when heated to red. If memory serves me correctly, 304 is good for freshwater and occasional salt, 308 is better for salt all the time. Use a pipe bender or conduit bender or take it to a machine shop. I don't recommend aluminum for a bowrail, stainless is the correct choice and less prone to fatigue. If you try this yourself you can buy a pipe bender from harborfreight. Mark the Blacksmith
Gord got lucky. The alloy and temper, plus wall thickness of the aluminum pipe determine its ability to bend without cracking and even then it can be hit and miss. Stainless is , in my experience, more reliably bent into acute angles. Pipe must be supported with curved dies that fit well the shape and size of the piece. Filling pipe with sand "can" make it bend well but a fully supported piece of pipe held with the correct die for bending will generally work very well. Aluminum is not much affected by heating for bending but stainless is and the 300 series of alloys can bend better when heated to red. If memory serves me correctly, 304 is good for freshwater and occasional salt, 308 is better for salt all the time. Use a pipe bender or conduit bender or take it to a machine shop. I don't recommend aluminum for a bowrail, stainless is the correct choice and less prone to fatigue. If you try this yourself you can buy a pipe bender from harborfreight. Mark the Blacksmith
yes mark
my point was that sand is an option that helps to minimize kinking. there is no substitute for a proper set of dies when bending the pipe. you are absolutely right...use stainless for the bowrail.
my point was that sand is an option that helps to minimize kinking. there is no substitute for a proper set of dies when bending the pipe. you are absolutely right...use stainless for the bowrail.
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