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Bendable aluminium channel
whitestu - 22/7/13 at 09:41 AM

Anyone knwowhere I can get some thin ali channel or L profile that I could use to form into edging on some 5mm polycarbonate?

I need the stuff that is soft enoug to be easily formed to follow a raduis.

Thanks

Stu


pewe - 22/7/13 at 11:31 AM

IIRC it's called Hockey- stick profile.
Maybe B&Q or local caravan dealer - it's used for panel trim.
HTH. Cheers, Pewe10


whitestu - 22/7/13 at 01:06 PM

Thanks

B&Q don't do anthing that is soft enough to bend. Is the caravan stuff fairly soft?


Bluemoon - 22/7/13 at 01:35 PM

Horse box building might find you something... Thinking of something similar for my side screens... It the grade of aluminium and state of Annealing that matters.

http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=352

[Edited on 22/7/13 by Bluemoon]


whitestu - 22/7/13 at 01:55 PM

Just reading up on annealing. Will it work on any grade of Ali? The size of channel I want is available from B&Q, and if I could bend it after annealing with a blow torch it would be fine.

Stu


pewe - 22/7/13 at 02:04 PM

Think the only way you'll find out if annealing will work is to try it.
Can't imagine the B&Q stuff is that expensive?
I used some on the exhaust pipe hole in the bodywork by V cutting the flange at intervals and bending the visible edge - did some fairly tight radii that way.
Cheers, Pewe10


MikeRJ - 22/7/13 at 08:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by pewe
Can't imagine the B&Q stuff is that expensive?



Don't think I've ever seen cheap metal stock in B&Q, or anything else come to that!

Bending L or U channel without buckling it is going to be tricky unless it's a very shallow bend.