Can aluminum bars be heated/bent into shape like iron based metals? I have an idea with aluminum bars but it would need to be bent a bit. Am I nuts?

well, yes it could......
but all the hardness well go away. What alloy are you thinking of using? If you heat up alum. hot enough to bend you just removed all the temper in that area, creating a soft spot at the bend. Would have to heat treat the whole thing again.
So yes you could do it.
but no, you shouldn't.


but hey, i'm just a newbie, with 15 years of working alum.

It would be very difficult unless you used something like 3003 or some other unhardend grade. Aluminum doesn't change colors like steel so it is very hard to tell if the heat is even to get the twist even.

and then it suddenly turns molten.......