Technical What gauge aluminum panel do I need for forming?

I'd like to try to hammer form some aluminum roll pans and such-mostly such as I will have to learn by doing. I know that 18 gauge aluminum sheet is about 20% thinner than the same gauge steel, but will this be thick enough for projects? Thanks.

 

Some years ago I took some metal shaping cl***es from Ron Fournier in the Detroit area. As I recall, we used 3003 aluminum, .060" or so thickness and annealed it before shaping. It seems to me there is also a numeric hardness spec and it was mid-range, but the number itself eludes me.

Ray

 

3003-H14. 0.050" or 0.063"

As Hnstray mentions, it must be annealed first.

You will need an oxy rig for that.

 

Aircraft Spruce has some information on aluminum. We built an airplane it was mainly 2024 & 6061 aluminum that can be formed but with care as these harder grades go brittle and they are riveted as they are no weld friendly. We used 3003 & 5052 that is easier to form & softer grades that can be easily welded. The fuel tanks were of 5052 as it is a strong aluminum that is easy enough to form & weld. 3003 is soft and works easy but would do some research as I think you have to keep warming it up to anneal. 3003 aluminum tubing is a perfect fuel line as it is easy to bend and coax than the harder 5052 tubing of the same dia. & thickness. The fuel tank and instrument panel was built with .050 aluminum. Aluminum work hardens as it is beat & heat is used frequently to restore is workability. I would go thicker with aluminum than than you would use for steel.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/mepages/aluminfo.php
I would go with 3003 aluminum & Hnstrays thickness of .060 as a start. I recommend stiffened edges that hang out in the air like a U or something to give it stiffness. Aluminum is not as forgiving or flexible as steel.
It will bend and kink then that is that. Kinked & bent aluminum will not hammer and dolly back into shape like steel.
Glenn

 

Why "must it" be annealed?

 

It just makes it a heck of a lot easier to shape and form when annealed. Actually, working the material will work harden it too, so you can anneal it in sections as you go too.

 

Because you want it soft as possible for forming. The H14 means its half hard as you buy it. 3003 is strain hardened to the various hardness levels by cold working. In addition to the initial annealing, it has to be annealed again in certain areas where you've worked it since the hammering, wheeling, etc does the same strain hardening as in the original sheet.

3003 sheet is also produced in 0 condition, which is dead soft. But its also generally hard to find unless you're buying lots of it. Simpler to just get the H14 version which is common as dirt and anneal it.

 

Here's a good article from Street Rodder Magazine.

Gary

 

Thanks, do you know what issue of SR this was from?

 

It doesn't HAVE to be annealed, it just makes it a little easier to work with. I guess it depends on the part you're shaping.

 

The Ron Covell article was from April 2013 Street Rodder.

Gary

 

The annealing makes it easier to work and keeps it soft so it is less likely to crack. We have used heat to help bend and shape flanged aluminum stiffening ribs to a wood form. 3003 is easier to work with but it is the nature of aluminum to work harden. It is easier to warm it up every now rather than risk fatigue & cracking of the work piece.