Thread: Making alloy panels, what materials available

Not by me lol.... I've seen inner tubs that have been straitened out with aluminium and silkaflex... Also tailgates . And ifi recall correctly there's a post on lrsoc on rebuilding a tub with silkaflex alum and rivets ..... Ill see if I can track down the article I have in a pommy magazine bout tub panels....

making body panels
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/showpost.php?p=1885069...... Mike( series one buff) has done the inner tub and tailgate I was talking bout......
Can't see the pedantics spotting aluminium over the original with paint on it ( given its the same thickness) lol

Originally Posted by mfc

---- Can't see the pedantics spotting aluminium over the original with paint on it ( given its the same thickness)

I am looking at the ease of working the material, rather than risking a metallurgists doing some tests and finding out the material used was nonconformant.

But then, I don't want to be rated a failure at compiling with the exacting requirement of the supreme rivet counter's quality standards.
.

They will be focusing on the rivets and galv .... Won't notice aluminium sheet metal lol and I'd recon new sheet aloy will be easier to work

Arthur,

If you can find material with a similar 7% Magnesium 1% Manganese content as Birmabright it should be the same workability & corrosion resistance.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmabright"]Birmabright - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
Birmabright.

You also need to find out what state the sheet is when supplied ie. half hard, 3/4 hard etc. because this will also affect it's workability (unless you're going to anneal it).

Have a look on the Peach & Tommasini DVD's because they mention a grade of Al that they use (but that is for slightly more 'curvy' panels than you'll find on a Land Rover).

Some specs here
http://www.ullrichmetals.com.au/rolled/rpalloy.php



Colin

Originally Posted by mfc

making body panels
... Can't see the pedantics spotting aluminium over the original with paint on it ( given its the same thickness) lol

An enthusiast from Canberra who many will know and who has made many replacement panels for 80" including whole tubs exported to the UK, has very strong opinions about spot welding old aluminium to new stock.

Firstly the old metal has to be scrupulously clean and free of all corrosion, impurities and paint and even then the spots frequently fail to bond together. The old material is also usually stress hardened and tends to fracture and fail within a short period after repair. After numerous less than satisfactory results, he simply refuses to use old metal.

If you want to fit new elements to old panels, the use of sikkaflex and rivets is the recommended process.

5052 is probably one of the best alloys to use. It is readily available, has good properties for the application and most importantly bends well.

5356 Almg5 is the welding wire to use. As mentioned it is often easier to use sikaflex and rivets. However you can plug weld the holes where you drilled out the rivets - make sure you put a block of brass on the other side to ensure you don't blow holes through.

High magnesium alloys like birmabright are often harder to form/bend and may be more prone to stress fractures. e.g. modern versions like 5083 and 5086.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

An enthusiast from Canberra who many will know and who has made many replacement panels for 80" including whole tubs exported to the UK, has very strong opinions about spot welding old aluminium to new stock.

Firstly the old metal has to be scrupulously clean and free of all corrosion, impurities and paint and even then the spots frequently fail to bond together. The old material is also usually stress hardened and tends to fracture and fail within a short period after repair. After numerous less than satisfactory results, he simply refuses to use old metal.

If you want to fit new elements to old panels, the use of sikkaflex and rivets is the recommended process.

Diana,

Do you have some contact details for this enthusiast? I need some tips and techniques for my tub repair.