Thread: Clues on forming this tray?

I'm working on a project for my daughter, I mean, what else are dad's good for!

I'm looking for a cheap and cheerful way of forming the attached shape. It's a chalk tray to hook onto the top of a chalk board 6mm thick.

It's made of 1.2mm aluminium 150mm long, great accuracy is not required.

I don't have a press but am hoping I can bend this up with shop made tools.

Your ideas will be appreciated.

Ken

You'll need a tee dolly and a soft wood (or wood covered in leather) slapper:

Metal Forming with a T-stake - YouTube

Hi, if you have access to a welder you could make a couple of rollers that mounts in a vice. Using 30mm od pipe weld blanks on the ends with a bit of 12mm bar in the centre. On the pivot points slide 2 bits of flat with a 12mm hole for the pivot, drill a 12mm hole back a bit to mount another 12mm bar with some 15nb pipe as a roller set it up, so that you have your clearance for the ally. Weld a bit of square on the ends of the flat so a handle can be attached to it. Weld some flat bar to the 30mm pipe to mount in the vise. You will need to weld another piece of flat level with the top of the 30mm pipe to be able to clamp the ally to, so that it gets rolled around the 30mm pipe.
Make another similar for the smaller size bend.
Sorry that I can't do a drawing on here to show how it is made. Hopefully you get the idea of what I'm trying to explain.
Regards
Kryn

It shouldn't be that hard. You will need formers for the profile you want.
I'd start with annealing the Al sheet. A trick I learn many years ago was to put soap on one side and heat the other side with a torch. When the soap went black, the temperature was at annealing point. With soft Al it should be easy (ish).
Then it should be a matter of working along the sheet with a soft hammer (or slapper)

Michael

This is my interpretation of Kryn's idea, reckon this will work.

Do something similar scaled down for the smaller end.

Ken

Hi Ken,
I assume you have the sheet already? If not, did you think about starting with pipe?

Stuart

Originally Posted by Michael G

It shouldn't be that hard. You will need formers for the profile you want.
I'd start with annealing the Al sheet. A trick I learn many years ago was to put soap on one side and heat the other side with a torch. When the soap went black, the temperature was at annealing point. With soft Al it should be easy (ish).
Then it should be a matter of working along the sheet with a soft hammer (or slapper)

Michael

Just goes to show how grey we getting used to use '' Velvet Soap'' when it came in a bar. Taught that trick by an old metal worker who used to build and hand finish racing car bodies. John.

Originally Posted by neksmerj

This is my interpretation of Kryn's idea, reckon this will work.

Do something similar scaled down for the smaller end.

Ken

Ken that is exactly what I was referring to. Hope it works out for you, extra work involved making it, but it will be there for next time.
Kryn