Wake Tower to get bent.

[pbarwick]

I have found a great deal on a scratch and dent Moomba wake tower, but both of the front legs need to get bent inward another 3-4 inches. The back legs are fine. Does anyone know anything about bending anodized aluminum? I have to be careful not to bend hinges, so tower can still tip forward for storage.
If so, do you know anyone in Milwaukee, WI area who does this kind of work? I have a 95 Sport.

Thanks
Patrick

[ccskier16]

RE: Wake Tower to get bent.

These guys may be able to help.

Reinke and Schomann http://www.reinkeandschomann.com

[Andrew]

RE: Wake Tower to get bent.

the Al will bend just fine in a tube bender. no heat required

[gn6027]

RE: Wake Tower to get bent.

I used a Hossfeld #2 bender to bend in the legs on a CC Flight Control Tower to make it fit my '87. Andrew is right, no heat required, but the correct size bend tooling is required. I had to make my own tooling from from a block of black walnut on my Uncle's wood lathe.

Chances are you will ruin the finish when you bend the legs in that far (I did, so I had strip and re-powder coat).

Best place to find someone who can bend aluminum tubing is to find someone who builds race car chassis. The guy whose bender I borrowed built his own Jet Car!!

If the price is right, go for it, repair the scratches, bend it to fit, and get it re-powder coated.

[TRBenj]

Re: RE: Wake Tower to get bent.

Chances are you will ruin the finish when you bend the legs in that far (I did, so I had strip and re-powder coat).

Anodizing is a process that involves chemicals and electricity to make the outer surface of the aluminum very hard. Dye can be added to the chemical to give it a tint of color, but anodizing is very different from powdercoat.

I dont know nearly enough about the process to know if it will affect your ability to bend it, or if it will ruin the finish if you do. If you cant get a straight answer here, Id seek out a professional who knows how to anodize and see what they can tell you.

[jos]

RE: Re: RE: Wake Tower to get bent.

The anodize is layer aluminium converted to aluminium oxide, it can be dye colored before closing the open microstructure. The microstructure is closed last step in the about total 4 or 5 steps proces. When light and sight are optimal you can see the stressed zone, deflection and compression, in the layer, i wouldnt worry about that. When its has sharp bended an has markings, you should avoid it. Check the welds on cracks when inward 4".
The way to bend it back. I would like to mount it on a steel H-beam and then pull it in the direction you want with a hoistingstrap and puller, you will have to overbend it because it has quite a crazy elasticy modulus. It will flex back more than you imagin. There is a danger that the aluminium will rip off spontain when overstressed, it will not warn you, when its under tension, cracks in a micro second an rips of. Better use no heat, without practice you can not control the temp and stay in the safe zone. Out of the safe zonetemp to high, it will be scratch. Negative, if heat is used it will soften and reconditon to approx 75% over weeks. Strenght is soft 25% in first days there for the easy to bent, so after cooling off its super soft and requiers less half te power to bent it. In the design the weldszones are also 75% strenght but thats is design calculated. This quality is precipitation hardening as we call it. Its age hardening, at factory oven leveled temp it will be speeded to hours instead of weeks.
OK practiced enough englisch without my dictionary, hope this will help you to decide.