Bending Awning Rail

[cb750]

Looking at converting the hood from poppers to the awning rail method of fixing to the windscreen top rail. How easy is it to bend the awning rail to the profile of the windscreen? Do you need to anneal the aluminium first and how do you stop the hole/slot from closing up?

Rob

[Guest Ian & Carole]

Put some rope in the groove before you start the bending process.

Some use heat and soap to watch for the correct heat being reached but for the life of me I can't remember the process / colour required.

Someone on here will though.

[agent_zed]

it wasn't awning rail but i bent 3/4inch alu tube to make hood hoop supports. Bent it cold. Just kept a nice smooth pressure as i bent it around a plywood curve.

I'd thought of heating but wasn't sure as it can change the properties and also is hard to then handle when bending.

 

I reckon as above though although perhaps cable would be better as more strength and maybe soap it so it doesn't jam after bending.

[MarkBzero]

How do you attached it to the windscreen?

[cb750]

Right, I'll try bending it with a cable in it and see how it goes. If I fail I'll try annealing it. I am going to attach it at the original popper screw holes so I don't have to drill any more holes.

[Guest whiz]

I used this stuff on my old S7 attached it to the surround with rivets curved it round the screen after heating it gently with a plumbers torch

http://www.agentfiamma.co.uk/fiamma-awning-rail-300-cm.html

[cb750]

Mine's similar to that but without the flange so it should be easier to bend (hopefully). Holes are predrilled through it to take rivets or small screws.

[Steve49er]

Hi I used a piece of Aluminium to make a Hoop inside my Bonnet my Dad assisted he was a Sheet Metalworker and Body builder in the 50's through to the 80's. When we wanted to bend the Aluminium Strip we Annealed it using a Gas Torch and tested if it was hot enough with a strip of Ash Wood ! Heat the Ally and push the Ash along it when the Ash starts to Smoke take away the heat and let it cool on its own. Sorry if this not too explicit but he made it look easy. Sadly he is no longer with us.

Hope you succeed to Bend your Aluminium get a Scrap piece if you have one and try a practice.

 

Dad used to repair lots of Aluminium bodied Cars, he always made it all look easy !

 

Cheers

Steve

[cb750]

Thanks for the tip Steve, never heard of that! I will give it a try

[Guest busman770]

I put copper brake pipe through mine to bend round screen and took screen out of frame and self taped it to frame then grind the threads down flush wasnt to hard to do i did crack the awning rail at one end but not tHat you notice you could sticker flex to stop water coming in

[cb750]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their input! Managed to do the job today. Annealed it first then bent it round a former. Although I had put a piece of cable inside the slot still closed up. A little bit of tweaking and I managed to ease the slot back open to the correct width. A quick run along the polishing wheel and it all looks good. Going over to the trimmers tomorrow to see if they can change the popper method on the front of the hood to the one to suit the awning rail.

Rob

[Guest Ian & Carole]

Thanks for the follow up, always nice to hear that we have helped in any small way, makes every ones efforts worth while.

 

[Guest peter2b2002]

for the soap trick rub soap onto the ally heat till it goes brown job done,that's what my instructor told us back in 1971

peter2b

PS I bent my awning rail cold using a range rover dog guard as a template (same rad as the windscreen frame)

[cb750]

Just got the hood back from Aldridge Trimming (well known in classic car circles). They did an excellent job of replacing the front strip with the poppers on with a strip having the beaded edge (sized to suit the awning rail). I can see why people change to this method for fastening the front of the hood.

 

Now to cut the rail to length and fasten it to the windscreen frame - then got to position the screen on the car correctly - then dismantle and get the glass changed to laminated - then polish the frame and mount it back into place. Will it never end?

 

Rob

[nicko]

Simple answer..... NO