[TheForge] tempering aluminum

[Dan Brewer]

To make a swing arm for a motor cycle I would use certified aircraft tubing.
Use a minimal amount of heated forming and Tig weld every thing.  Heat treat
when done.  To forge al you pour into the mold and then close the mold with
several tons of pressure.  This aligns the grains of the cooling metal then
while still hot it is plunged into cold water and then taken to heat treat.
Most of this is done in a controlled atmosphere.  Something in the argon/co2
range.  
My experience is all book learning .  I am in the process of building a heat
treat oven using a process controller I got off e-bay and some high temp
elements.

Dan in Auburn

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Justin Fellenz
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 7:50 PM
To: Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: RE: [TheForge] tempering aluminum

Thanks, Dan. Guess I have another reason to budget for that heat-treating
kiln...
   
  Do you have experience with making working high-strength parts from
aluminum? Any anecdotes you'd care to share?
   
  JRF

Dan Brewer <danqualman at gmail.com> wrote:
  Justin, To re temper Al after you have had your way with it is a fairly
easy
process but you will need an electric furnace that will be able to hold you
work suspended on a rack. Heat to 900 deg f for one hour, ( bring up to
temp in 30 min hold for 30 min) quench in cold water, heat to 350 hold
for 12 hours. Air cool in furnace for 12 hours. This should return the
metal to around T6 temper. Before doing this on production work that your
life will depend on do a test piece.
Dan in Auburn

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ries Niemi
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 9:11 AM
To: Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] tempering aluminum


On Feb 14, 2006, at 6:24 AM, Justin Fellenz wrote:

> Does anyone know about how to re-temper aluminum? I know very little 
> about how aluminum works beyond how to anneal it to make it soft and 
> to forge when hardwood leaves a skidmark. But I was thinking about 
> whether it would be possible to build a motorcycle swingarm (I'm 
> thinking a swoopy single-sided job) by hammerforming a three-sided 
> shape hot and then welding in internal bracing and the fourht side to 
> make a box. But then it would be annealed, and I suspect that it 
> should be a good springy temper. T-6 seems to be the common one.
>
> Really airing out my ignorance here, but none of my books have 
> anything on this.
>
> Thanks,
>
> JRF
This is probably not feasible in a home shop type environment.
Commercially, they use big, very temperature controlled ovens, 
sometimes they water quench, but the recipes are tricky, and vary with 
the slightest change in alloy. Some alloys will age harden, others only 
work harden.

Overbuild, internal brace, and dont worry about it getting softer.

Ries Niemi
Industrial Artist

http://www.RiesNiemi.com

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