Hi everybody I need to make a temporary dash panel. I will have 1.5" tubing top and bottom and I want to roll the edges around the bar. Im sure that I could simply take a soft blow and roll it around the corners, but I was hoping for something that will look a little bet better than pounded alumium. Is there another way that doesnt involve buying a bunch of equipment< and will still produce a respectable result?

Curious myself to see what info come up here!!!

The cheapest and easiest way is to buy 1.5" tubing...cheaper the better and a piece of angle. Tack to the tube but leave some over hang on each side because you will need to clamp it down from there. Place the sheet under it on a work bench or what ever you have and clamp it securely. Gently "walk it" against the tubing and go as far as you need to. You can trim accordingly....hope this helps. It will be similar in concept to the picture.

I haven't done this myself, but i think I read it somewhere here. Someone said that you can pound the aluminum like you mentioned and then palm sand it smooth so you don't see the hammer marks.

You can get a really nice rold edge with a dead blow hammer and some patients. Work it a little at a time as apossed to getting the bend in one hit. I know you said you didn't want to use the hammer method but it does work and is inexpensive.

Interested in this also. I want to make some new side panels for my rail and my wifes rail. I've been thinking of getting this bead roller, are the dies mostly interchangeable between the manufacturers? It doesn't have any dies to do the edges.

Use 3003 H 14 for your alloy, .063, take a 1x6 piece of wood, shape a handle into it for yourself, (you are making a slapper) and form over your tube. Having the right blank size for the project, the amount of tube you want to roll over, being sure that on your side panels for instance, the amount is the same all the way in a straight line. Once formed, will look good. As for the guy looking at the Harbor Freight bead roller, I would pass on that. Good only for putting the offset jog only. I have 2 of them, with literally 110k miles on them for that purpose only. Buy a Mittler Bros machine and be done with it. Die selection is great. Once you have a piece of machinery, you will find ways to use it.

Ditto on the 3003 H14 . I do exactly as you described but use a dead blow hammer instead of the wood slapper block (which works well also). A bit of patience and there are no hammer marks.

Thanks for the info on the HF roller, I am mainly going to get it for fabricating floor and trunk panels for a old car I'm getting back into shape. I will try your method with the 1x6 when I do the side panels on our rails.

when rolling edges over a piece of tubing i usually use a nylon mallet or a steel slapper with a plastic cover (scrap lexan is my favorite)

Thanks everybody for your help and advice. Im going to try the deadblow and the 1x6. I may try preheating the area. The trick seems like it may be to go slow over the entire length. So the next thing that pops in my mind is a bead roller to stiffen everything up on the larger panels. I would guess that I would bead roll everything first then install it then wood slap the edges. I made my alumnium floor and I was surprised how easy it was to do. I thought that I would need a large sheer brake etc etc and all I simply used was a skill saw with a metal blade (it has a bunch of tiny teeth), a chalk line and a grinder with a flapper wheel. The metal blade cut the alumnium like butter, and now that I have figured out how to easily cut it the skys the limit. Now if I had a spool gun!!

I do aircraft sheetmetal, so I used 5052 H-34, .050 to do my hood, wing trunk, firewall, and some small finishing pieces. I used the big sheetmetal brake at work (with a big radius adjusted in it) to get a start on the bends. Then I just took a dead blow (orange one from Snap-On) and finished the rolling around the tubing. Palm sanded like everybody else said, and it looks pretty good. I only have sticks and rocks to work with at home, so I do as much as I can get away with at work, which is not much.

Another way to so this is to use a 4X4 block of wood with a slit cut in it, with a table saw. Clamp a piese of tube (proper size) on 1 side of the slit. Put the metal in the slit, put pressure towards the tube and start tapping, or slapping the sheet to roll it over. See, I told ya, I have sticks and rocks at home.

T

You can just use a wood blade and clamp 1/4" plywood on both sides to keep it from bending the alum on the edges on the thin stuff. To make nice straight cuts clamp a straight edge on the material to guide the skill saw. You have to rub wax on the blade to keep the alum from sticking to the blade when it gets hot. You can also cut 3/4" thick alum this way without the plywood. I cut it this way all the time. Do it out side as it makes a lot of chips.
DON~~~

Don't preheat the alum. It works great cold.
DON~~~

Unless you beat and beat and beat it till it work hardens and then it's a simple heat and cool to anneal.

Hammer forming is really a good way, I use a Rawhide hammer, or 3 you can shape them to what you need thank sand the seem, the rawhide is worth the money.

I forgot, but the rawhide hammer is a must.
DON~~~

This was all .062 alumin formed with a reg . dead blow over 1.50 tubing .

Just clamp it to the tube and gently hit evenly along the edge in stages .

If you're in San Diego you can borrow my spool gun. Pm me if you're interested.