[TheForge] Aluminum bicycle fenders

[David E. Smucker]

Mike,  Aluminum is much tougher to form than either steel or copper because 
it is a face center cubic at room temperature.  It has given the auto folks 
fits to form body panels compared to steel.  That said if I was going to try 
this I would consider using the vinyl coated aluminum sold for "wrapping" in 
the finish of house details when installing vinyl siding, fascia and soffet.

A roll of 24 inch by 50 feet costs about $ 80, I just bought some.  You may 
be able to get smaller pieces from someone who does vinyl siding and / or 
roll forms gutters and downspouts.

To form I would make a maple female form about 6 to 8 inch long with the 
fender shape a concave form carved and sanded in the maple block.  I would 
then sink the aluminum into the form with a rubber mallet.  Grind the face 
of the mallet to match the maple block.  Work with the metal so that the 
rolling direction goes along the length of the fender not across.  (The 50 
foot direction not the 24 inch. -- You can see the rolling direction on the 
back of the vinyl cover aluminum.)

If you want to work with uncoated aluminum buy 3003 alloy - O temper.

Of course the real answer is to buy the damn things, but we only do that 
after having try to make them ourselves.

Dave,  (32 years as an engineer with Alcoa, Inc. (Aluminum Co. of America)



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Spencer" <mspencer at tallships.ca>
To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 10:45 PM
Subject: [TheForge] Aluminum bicycle fenders


>
> I had a question from a local guy who's interested in metalwork but
> still at the wannabe stage.  He had seen this web site:
>
>    http://www.jitensha.com/eng/fndrs_e.html
>
> and wanted to know if he might be able to make similar aluminum
> fenders for his bike.
>
> I told him (at greater, explanatory length) that without the nifty
> industrial power tools it was not a project for a novice.
>
> But it occurred to me afterwards that there *is* stuff I don't
> know. :-) So wondered if anyone has done anything like this long,
> skinny compound-surface shape in aluminum (or anything else, for that
> matter -- copper, stainless or m/s) with hammers and stakes or with
> some clever tricks with tooling less expensive than rolling mills or
> English wheel.
>
> If you did, howdja do it?
>
>
> - Mike
>
> -- 
> Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~.
>                                                           /V\
> mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
> http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
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