Bend 1/4" aluminum?

[wreckwriter]

If I could bend my catch can bracket about 20-30 degrees I would gain lots of clearance. Bracket is approx 1" wide, 1/4 thick. What are the chances of bending it without cracking it?

[Chewy]

Warm it up a bit and you'll be fine. Even a small propane torch would suffice.

Just take it slow.

[-Ray-]

It would bend pretty easy. That's not a large bend. If you have a vice, clamp it between two pieces of wood to prevent marring it. Also, if you bend toward a 2x4, the edge of the 2x4 provides a natural radius.
Use a rubber mallet and strike as low as you can to start your bend. When I say low, I mean as close to the vice as possible.

[Panther 2]

What they said,It's a piece of cake.

[todds87ss]

If I lived closer to you, I could bent it with my mind...

[Blackrider]

I would heat it up, Aluminum is not a very forgiving alloy, but as Ray said thats not a huge bend.

[-Ray-]

Update Tom?

[wreckwriter]

Haven't got around to it yet; low priority.

[BSmith]

It'll definitely bend pretty easily. You can take Crescent wrench and open the jaws to the right width to get some leverage.

[mjduell2009]

Warm it up a bit and you'll be fine. Even a small propane torch would suffice.

Just take it slow.

Ditto. I've worked with a lot of aluminum bar stock. Heat it carefully without holding it in one place. Make your bend slow as well. You can practice this by going to Home Depot and buying 1/4 bar stock.

--Mike

[Blackrider]

I did some 1/4 inch aluminum flat bar bending this week. You're deffenetly going to want to use some heat. Not enough heat and you'll put small cracks in it, to much and the radius of the bend will be much larger. Make sure you have the piece in a vice squarely, apply the heat evenly and pull stright down. Also bend a few degrees past your desired angle then bend it back. All this will ensure your bend is crisp and square.