Bending Aluminum Square Tube without Bender
I was looking for a way to bend aluminum square tubing for a single project that I did not want to buy a bender for. This is not a perfect technique I am sure, but it worked well for my needs. I am building out my golf simulator room and needed my projector to be moved lower and further from its original position. It would have been between ceiling joists, so I decided to make an arm for my projector mount out of a 4 foot 3/4 inch 1/16th wall square tube. I drilled the holes needed for my projector mount and painted the tube before realizing I needed to bend the tube (I originally thought just extending the mount would have worked for my needs). I took the aluminum arm down and came up with this idea to bend the arm without any major kinks in the aluminum. I think the idea in bending square tubing is to crease the inside of the tube to relieve the tension as the bend is made. By using two discs in a vise tight to the tube, I was able to move the tube back and forth at an angle to create enough of a crease to then start bending the tube a little more aggressively between the discs. I used the discs (bearings) to roll out the crease a little smoother. I repainted the arm white and it was perfect for my needs without needing to buy a bender. This project is one of a couple that I am working on for my golf simulator room, so if you have any interest in DIY projects, golf simulators, CNC, or 3D printing consider subscribing.