more specifically, can 5052 - H32 be welded? that is the kind of aluminum i was planning on using for my dash. i already emailed STOKJEEP about this, but he said it would warp the aluminum. looking for second opinions on this as i would rather not deal with bending radius. in this case, i could use other grades of AL. what do you think? thanks!



-jake

"5052 - Alloyed with 2.5% magnesium. Very good corrosion resistance, good workability, weldability and strength. Tensile strength between 31,000 to 44,000 psi."

Yes it can but a better choice might be T6061. Tig welding is really your only option tho some old schoolers might no a few tricks.

You should be good with either 5052 or 6061 for a dash.

For tight bends, I'd use 5052. If left "as is" and not painted, plated, or otherwise treated it will look a little better than 6061.

For an anodized finish, 6061. Not a big fan of "shiny aluminum" inside a rig, with my luck the sun catches is just right so I don't see my spotter!

Both 5052 & 6061 are weldable. Uh, with a good TIG job you shouldn't see any warpage. For a flat dash, I'd be tempted to roll the top and bottom edges for two reasons: Less of an "oil can" on thinner stock, and less likely to slice your hand during a roll over (been there, done that... made a mess of things!).

A couple of pieces of angle iron, a piece pipe or tubing, and you can make your own bender.

Tom :usa:

Please elaborate on that make your own bender part. i'm thinkin about doin a metal dash in my rig but have no clue how i would bend it.

Dallas

DEFINITELY elaborate on making your own bender. this would be cool...


oh, and TOM, when you say you can bend 5052 tight, what do you mean? can it be bent as tightly as steel? looking for 90 degree bends here. thanks!


- jake

Damn, typing too quickly again. 5052 can be bent tighter THAN 6061. For something like a 1/8" panel, I'd still use a 1/4" radius on 6061, but on 5052 you could use a 1/8" radius.

How big of a Dash panel? For a small area (6" x 16") 0.062" with the edges bent should be fine. Hopefully some other folks will pipe in with their recommendations. If you are doing a large flat area, than something along 0.090" is probably a better choice. Having the bend top and top will make it much stiffer.

For the bender, just use two big hunks of angle iron. Check that outside edge for a nice radius to it. Junk yard angle iron, sometimes it is a sharp edge, other times it is a nice rounded edge to it. Look for a nice round outside edge. Don't overlook that old bedframe your neighbor tossed out! Well, clamp your metal sheet between the two pieces of angle iron. Sheet metal looks like it is in the middle of the "T" formed by the two pieces of angle.

Best if the whole thing is clamped to the edge of a nice heavy bench. Now with the aluminum hanging out between the two pieces, lay a big heavy HARDWOOD 2x4 on the metal up against the angle iron, and take a BFH (big friggin' hammer) and beat the snot out of the wood. With a little practice you can get a nice bend to the sheet metal. You can also use a smaller piece of wood, and a rawhide hammer, taking your time to bend just a little at a time going back and forth -- end result is better, but after a crazy day at work, the bigger hammer is just a fun way to work out aggression!

Nothing fancy, nothing trick... just time consuming, and if the sheet metal slips on you, you'll learn double sided scotch tape is your friend, or you bigger clamps and a heavier angle iron.

For a nice big radius, you use a pipe to bend the sheet around. Same trick with a block of wood and a hammer.

Only trick is PRACTICE. Do a few scrap pieces first to get an idea of where you think the bend will be, and were it really ends up. You need to bend a little more than think as the metal will "spring back" a little.

I wish I had paid more attention to some of my Dad's tricks on making things, or just some of his knowledge. Funny to think of him doing sheet metal work at Lockheed with a HAND Drill! Yes, he knew how to keep a drill bit razor sharp! He did have a way with metal... and would just smile when I took "short cuts" like using a piece of brake line to braze into a cut fender well. Did the trick, didn't cut my hand changing tires, but I'm sure he could have rolled the edge of fender into a nice tight bead!

Tom :usa: