Kinking in Aluminum trim

[David Beckett]

My first try at bending annealed trim resulted in kinking. Hopefully the picture is posted below. If not, you can click on my link below and see it.



Any suggestions?

Also, when installing the angle trim should it get screwed down on..
1. caulk
2. foam tape
3. rubber
4. nothing

Thanks.

[DanD]

My first try at bending annealed trim resulted in kinking.

David,

Are you sure you completely annealed the aluminum? or did you buy it annealed?

I anneal my trim with an oxy/acetylene torch. The method that I use is as follows:

Light the torch and leave it acetylene rich ( It will be smoking black soot)

Wave the torch over the aluminum and cover it with the soot.

Re-adjust the torch to a normal heating flame. Start heating the aluminum and keep the torch moving...if you stop, you will blister the aluminum or melt it.. As you start getting close to the correct temperature, the soot will start to burn off. As the soot burns completely off, if you watch closely, the flame on the torch will start to turn yellow at the tip of the flame. At this point the aluminum is annealed. The reason for the soot is that the soot is mostly carbon/residue. This burns off at approximately 700 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a right at the same temperature that aluminum anneals. The yellow flame tip is very, very close to the annealing temp. If you can attain the yellow flame all of the way from one end to the other, you will get better results. It should be soft enough to bend easily.

Hope this helps,
Dan

[Jimbo]

I have a question along this line... I want to use aluminum angle for my trim without trimming one leg. If the angle is properly annealed, is this possible?

[DanD]

I have a question along this line... I want to use aluminum angle for my trim without trimming one leg. If the angle is properly annealed, is this possible?

Is it 1/8 thick aluminum? What is the width of one leg of the aluminum? 3/4"?

[Jimbo]

I have a question along this line... I want to use aluminum angle for my trim without trimming one leg. If the angle is properly annealed, is this possible?

Is it 1/8 thick aluminum? What is the width of one leg of the aluminum? 3/4"?

It looked a little thinner than 1/8 but it was 3/4 wide.

[Geron]

I've seen a lot of talk lately about over building our TD's. I'm thinking that 1/16 and 1/8 angle may be over building. The latch hinge is .050 aluminum. The trim I got from Grant is .050 aluminum. I used n1/2x1/2x .050 angle from HD to trim out the straight side of my doors. I'm thinking .050 is adequate for most of the trim. I haven't gotten to the hatch trim yet so I can't comment on that.

What do you think. .050 adequate?

think about it
1/16 = .0625
.0125 thicker than .050.

1/8 overkill??

Geron

[ralaco]

Is it the same to use Acetylene or Propane-Butane Gas to get the same annealed aluminum quality?


Raul

[OkieSailor]

I wonder if a guy took a candle and "sooted" the area to be annealed, then used his propane torch to heat the area. Would you get the same burn off at the 700 degree temp, with the yellow flame? How about one of the newer gas torches that are supposed to burn hotter, they are supposed to be hotter than propane, but not as hot as oxy/acetylene?

That brings up a question. Has anyone used any of this aluminum weld sticks to do any repairs or joining of two pieces trim to make one long piece? Would like to buy some, but $50 for one lb is steepif you don't know if the claims are just hype. Just call me cheap, though this is my daughter's money we are spending.


I would LOVE (that means PLEASE post some photos) to see some good photos of various door treatments. I mean shots of the edges of the frame and door. I am getting closer and closer to doing the door. I have not seen many good shots of the door edges or the frame edges or the various hinge arrangements.

[ahjones3]

I just tried trimming one of my door openings a few hours ago. I was really scared of this because I've never really had any metalworking experience. I can't believe how nice it turned out!
I used 1/2" x 1/2" x 1/16" angle from Menards, without trimming a leg. I drilled and countersunk screw holes before I annealed it. I used a candle to put the soot on and a regular propane torch. At first I had the angle sitting horizontally on a couple of bricks. As I got near the middle it just kind of sagged under its own weight. Then I tried standing it up, but then it bent and twisted in the other direction. By the time I was done, it looked like it had been laying in the middle of the interstate for a couple of hours.
I figured I didn't have anything to lose so I put in the first screw, and just started bopping it with a rubber mallet, and putting in more screws as I went along. I was amazed how it straightened out and went around the curves like I knew what I was doing. Did I say it turned out great?
After I get the other side done, and trim the doors, I'll take it all off and put clear silicone caulk underneath and put it all back on.
Al.

[doug hodder]

I don't know if this would work, but I do know that welding supply houses have crayons that melt at certain temperatures. You might be able to avoid the soot step and wipe it with the crayon, The streak won't melt until it is up to temp. Just an idea, call the guys at US Welding or General Air........ I'm doing a woody and going to finish off the door edges using epoxy, so I will not be messing with annealing the aluminum. Doug Hodder

[David Beckett]

I'm encouraged by Al's post. I didn't try the pounding, just bending, and thus, the kinks. It makes me nervous to screw as I go.

The guy at Lowes said you could anneal with a propane torch. He was right as this is what I did, as others here have also.

I have 1/16 x 3/4 x 3/4 trim. Wouldn't want to use anything smaller.

[OkieSailor]

Ahhones3 did you get the "burnoff" of the soot from the candle?

[ahjones3]

Yep. Almost all of the soot disappeared and left nice shiny aluminum. I read here somewhere that fingerprints can get burned on so I used acetone to clean the aluminum as directed before heating. Any remaining soot cleaned off easily with acetone also.
Al.

[ahjones3]

Here are some pictures of the trim I just did.

[Georgeandpat]

I concur with Al's methods as mine were similar. I used MAP gas. I found better results from not letting the torch stay on one spot for too long or else the metal will blister. After some practice the torch feels like a big eraser and you are just "rubbing" the soot off with swift, light, strokes. My advice is to not put the soot on too heavy but rather an even brown color if possible. Use a soft rubber mallet for smoothing out the kinks. I just did my hatch trim with 1" L-molding and it didn't come out quite as smooth as the 1/2". There is some acceptable "ripple" on the sides but no kinking. George.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/ ... at/T10.jpg