Todd Carrico wrote:

<snips>

Todd Carrico wrote:

I might cough up the dough for four of them (or add the $200 to the
reasons for buying a lathe), but what are our options for the rest of
the plumbing?  The couplings are only part of the equation.

How easy/cheap is it to get thin walled aluminum tubing bent?

I am assuming that welding the couplings would be a difficult task.
Sooo, epoxy seems to be the alternative to welding.  That is cheap
enough.

tc

Good question Todd. I notice a lot of the gyro guys use the muffler
bending shops. Not good cosmetically but easier to find
in most parts of the world. It can also be welded up from mandrill
bends.

What thickness, and what alloy is prefered for this sort of thing?
tc

I will use 1-3/8 OD .049 wall 6061-T6. But thicker wall or normalized
is OK too.

You might run into some aluminum pipe 1 IPS. The OD on that is
1.315 inch with a wall anywhere from .135 through .179 inch.
That comes in following weldable alloys. 
3003, 6061, 6063, 5086 with various tempers or hardness.

Paul Lamar
 
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