Minimum bending radius for 0.050" 6061-T6?

I scored some of the above sheet. I need to fabricate an approach plate
holder for my GPS yoke mount. Any idea if T6 will bend without cracking?
If so, what minimum bending radius should I aim for to avoid cracks?

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)

Bob Chilcoat wrote:

I scored some of the above sheet. I need to fabricate an approach plate
holder for my GPS yoke mount. Any idea if T6 will bend without cracking?
If so, what minimum bending radius should I aim for to avoid cracks?

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)
Got an Aircraft Sruce catalog? They have minimum bend radii for al and 4130.
Lots of good info in most catalogs.

In article ,
"Bob Chilcoat" wrote:

I scored some of the above sheet. I need to fabricate an approach plate
holder for my GPS yoke mount. Any idea if T6 will bend without cracking?
If so, what minimum bending radius should I aim for to avoid cracks?

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)




Any T6 aluminum will crack if you try to bend it. I once had some .020
2024-T6 aluminum that I wanted to make into some rudder skins. The act
of dimpling it cracked it.

Bob Chilcoat wrote ...
I scored some of the above sheet. I need to fabricate an approach plate
holder for my GPS yoke mount. Any idea if T6 will bend without cracking?
If so, what minimum bending radius should I aim for to avoid cracks?


AC43.13-1B, Table 4-6 doesn't list 0.050, but it straddles it:
6061-T6 0.032 ½t-1½t
6061-T6 0.064 1t-2t

Daniel

Thanks, Daniel,

I presume the "t" in the table is thickness? Someone in the RCM group
suggested heating the bend line to soften the temper. Anyone here try that?
I'll probably experiment a bit before I go to work on the final piece.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"Daniel" wrote in message
om...
Bob Chilcoat wrote ...
I scored some of the above sheet. I need to fabricate an approach plate
holder for my GPS yoke mount. Any idea if T6 will bend without
cracking?
If so, what minimum bending radius should I aim for to avoid cracks?


AC43.13-1B, Table 4-6 doesn't list 0.050, but it straddles it:
6061-T6 0.032 ½t-1½t
6061-T6 0.064 1t-2t

Daniel

"Orval Fairbairn" wrote in message
news ...
In article ,
"Bob Chilcoat" wrote:

I scored some of the above sheet. I need to fabricate an approach plate
holder for my GPS yoke mount. Any idea if T6 will bend without
cracking?
If so, what minimum bending radius should I aim for to avoid cracks?

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)




Any T6 aluminum will crack if you try to bend it. I once had some .020
2024-T6 aluminum that I wanted to make into some rudder skins. The act
of dimpling it cracked it.

Damn.... and I'm building a plane made from a Metric Butload(r) of 6061-T6
Al that has been bent.

Gig

www.peoamerica.net/N601WR

Bob Chilcoat wrote:

Thanks, Daniel,

I presume the "t" in the table is thickness? Someone in the RCM group
suggested heating the bend line to soften the temper. Anyone here try that?
I'll probably experiment a bit before I go to work on the final piece.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)



NO!





"Daniel" wrote in message
om...
Bob Chilcoat wrote ...
I scored some of the above sheet. I need to fabricate an approach plate
holder for my GPS yoke mount. Any idea if T6 will bend without
cracking?
If so, what minimum bending radius should I aim for to avoid cracks?


AC43.13-1B, Table 4-6 doesn't list 0.050, but it straddles it:
6061-T6 0.032 ½t-1½t
6061-T6 0.064 1t-2t

Daniel

On Wed, 04 Feb 2004 18:34:25 GMT, Richard Lamb
wrote:

Bob Chilcoat wrote:

Thanks, Daniel,

I presume the "t" in the table is thickness? Someone in the RCM group
suggested heating the bend line to soften the temper. Anyone here try that?
I'll probably experiment a bit before I go to work on the final piece.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)



NO!


Richard,

Not much of an answer. What does the "NO!" refer to? No, the "t" he
mentions does not relate to thickness of the material. It is the type
of treatemt recieved after production of the material. Heat treated,
work hardened, etc.

As to anealing, 'no' is not necessarily the answer. He is making an
approach plate holder (btw .050 is a bit of overkill for that). To
anneal, I normally smoke up the piece with carbon from a very
acetylene rich flame and slowly increase the heat until the carbon
just burns off.

I hope this helps.

O-ring

O-ring Seals wrote:

On Wed, 04 Feb 2004 18:34:25 GMT, Richard Lamb
wrote:

Bob Chilcoat wrote:

Thanks, Daniel,

I presume the "t" in the table is thickness? Someone in the RCM group
suggested heating the bend line to soften the temper. Anyone here try that?
I'll probably experiment a bit before I go to work on the final piece.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)



NO!


Richard,

Not much of an answer. What does the "NO!" refer to? No, the "t" he
mentions does not relate to thickness of the material. It is the type
of treatemt recieved after production of the material. Heat treated,
work hardened, etc.

As to anealing, 'no' is not necessarily the answer. He is making an
approach plate holder (btw .050 is a bit of overkill for that). To
anneal, I normally smoke up the piece with carbon from a very
acetylene rich flame and slowly increase the heat until the carbon
just burns off.

I hope this helps.

O-ring

Sorry O, et al.
You are right, of course.

I lost the thread for a moment.
Thought we were discussing a structural part.

FWIW, be very careful annealing with oxy acetelene.
Adjust the torch for a rich sooty flame to "mark" the area.
But I use a propane torch to burn it off.

The O-A flame seems to concentrate too much heat in too small
an area and increases the risk of accidentally ruining a part.
(don't ask how I know, just use you imagination)

Thanks for the help, guys. We're changing to an Airmap GPS from a Garmin,
and the old approach plate holder doesn't fit the new yoke mount. No, this
is not a structural part, unless I try to put the whole Jeppesen book on it
:-).

Since I don't have a brake, I've decided to machine some standoffs for the
vertical bits, and just use flat plates. Should be more accurate and should
look a lot better than the crappy bent piece of aluminum we have at the
moment - not made by me. I got the T6 from a local scrap dealer. It was
all the thin stuff he had. I'll probably experiment with the
anealing/bending technique on the scraps after I machine something that
works.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"Richard Lamb" wrote in message
...
O-ring Seals wrote:

On Wed, 04 Feb 2004 18:34:25 GMT, Richard Lamb
wrote:

Bob Chilcoat wrote:

Thanks, Daniel,

I presume the "t" in the table is thickness? Someone in the RCM
group
suggested heating the bend line to soften the temper. Anyone here
try that?
I'll probably experiment a bit before I go to work on the final
piece.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)



NO!


Richard,

Not much of an answer. What does the "NO!" refer to? No, the "t" he
mentions does not relate to thickness of the material. It is the type
of treatemt recieved after production of the material. Heat treated,
work hardened, etc.

As to anealing, 'no' is not necessarily the answer. He is making an
approach plate holder (btw .050 is a bit of overkill for that). To
anneal, I normally smoke up the piece with carbon from a very
acetylene rich flame and slowly increase the heat until the carbon
just burns off.

I hope this helps.

O-ring

Sorry O, et al.
You are right, of course.

I lost the thread for a moment.
Thought we were discussing a structural part.

FWIW, be very careful annealing with oxy acetelene.
Adjust the torch for a rich sooty flame to "mark" the area.
But I use a propane torch to burn it off.

The O-A flame seems to concentrate too much heat in too small
an area and increases the risk of accidentally ruining a part.
(don't ask how I know, just use you imagination)