Making fenders.

[fat cat]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I couldn't think of a more fitting one.

I have some aluminum scrap I'm hoping to make compound-curved fenders out of, complete with rolled edge, but I don't have a roller, english wheel, power hammer, or anything like that, let alone knowledge of how such things are actually done. Instead I have pieces of hardwood I've shaped with hopes I could hammer the aluminum into fenders around, but I'm completely failing as I suspected I would. Does anybody have experience making metal fenders, or even an understanding of some processes used by manufacturers?

[zetroc]

I've seen old fender rollers for sale before, maybe VAR made them?

Fender Rolling 101

[Mike Mcdermid]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I couldn't think of a more fitting one.

I have some aluminum scrap I'm hoping to make compound-curved fenders out of, complete with rolled edge, but I don't have a roller, english wheel, power hammer, or anything like that, let alone knowledge of how such things are actually done. Instead I have pieces of hardwood I've shaped with hopes I could hammer the aluminum into fenders around, but I'm completely failing as I suspected I would. Does anybody have experience making metal fenders, or even an understanding of some processes used by manufacturers?

A

Anneal the material

Look at how they used to make coatings or panels the old handmade way


Truly soft aluminium will form over wood beautifully

[shirk]

Not a fender, but apply what he does to the aluminium.

[seankanary]

Probably a dumb question, but what type of rod and flux is he using to gas weld aluminum? I doubt I'd trust that on a bike but that is cool.

[steve garro]

Form & pound it with a soft hammer over and old car wheel.
- Garro.

[Alistair]

Probably a dumb question, but what type of rod and flux is he using to gas weld aluminum? I doubt I'd trust that on a bike but that is cool.

This guy carries a lot of the necessary supplies for gas welding aluminum. He uses it to mostly build airplanes and automobiles,

https://www.tinmantech.com/html/alum...g_supplies.php

Alistair.

[shirk]

This guy carries a lot of the necessary supplies for gas welding aluminum. He uses it to mostly build airplanes and automobiles,

https://www.tinmantech.com/html/alum...g_supplies.php

Alistair.

I was also going to suggest Tinman for ideas and info on forming the alu fenders. Check out his youtube videos for forming ideas.

[Mike Mcdermid]

this was the video i was looking for



scale it down some and voila....torchwork = annealing

[cargonaut]

No fender exists that will fit my 20x2.4 tire, so I had to figure out how make them myself. Here is the blog post I wrote about it recently:
https://drewdevereux.wordpress.com/2...cycle-fenders/
They are hybrid aluminum/wood fenders. The post may be interesting to a DIY type who has access to a table saw and can do (or learn) some hard-soldering.

[hackdyne]

I've experimented with 3D printing fenders....YMMV.