annealing aluminum channel

[derf]

I just bought some aluminum channel for my windshield surround, anywho, On the way home I realised that the only source of torch I have is propane, (connected to a really large tank). Anyway I dont own or have access to an oxyacedaline torch nor do i want to spend the money on a bunch of mapp gas bottles from home depot. So I have a propane torch with 2 full bottles of propane (=lots of gas). i have a few days to figure out what to use because I am still going to make the buck for the windshield.

Is the propane torch hot enough for annealing?

[chetcpo]

I kinda doubt it. I have always had trouble getting larger objects up to temperature with a propane torch. I've always used oxyecetalene to anneal aluminum brace uprights. (orthopedic braces) I just "soot" the brace with a smokey flame and then lean it out and burn the soot off, then dunk it.

Maybe you could rent a OE setup for a day? I dunno.+

[Sven]

You need some pretty soft aluminum to bend it without kinking of breaking. Keith's wensite shows how he did it, and he says it was with cheap aluminum, which I suspect was 3000 series.

-Steve

[derf]

I'm using some cheap home depot ali, $6.25 for an 8 ft section

[chetcpo]

If you anneal it right you won't need to worry about breaking it. (unless of course you attempt to bend it after it sets.)

I can take a solid bar of aluminum, 1/4"x3/4" and anneal it and it will be so soft I can bend it easily by hand. (for a while anyway)

[Keith Tanner]

I used a propane torch for my annealing. Apparently the tip makes a difference, but the plus for me was that I couldn't accidentally melt the channel. I tried using oxy-acetelyne but it wasn't foolproof enough