Say 3/4" or 1" tubing? (not sure what the materical thickness is). Does it need to be heated for it to bend easily? How can I control how tight of a radius it will bend at? I’m talking about bending it to oblique angles greater than 120 or so degrees. I just don’t want to sacrifice the strength of the tubing. Advice?
You won’t control radius without a form.
If you look at commercially bent square tubing, you will find it has often been formed into a radius by using a male radius former to bend around, such that it collapses the inside wall of the tube in, so the outer wall and side walls will conform more easily.
Picking a more ductile grade aluminium should help, as will using a large radius. You could probably bend such tubing more readily using a radiussed square pipe bender form. But do expect some bulging of the side walls, and thinning of the thickness, and cupping of the outer face.
The best bending of irregular sections is probably achieved by machine bending using a shaped mandrel within the tube, which slides back as the tube is formed around its end. But that takes expensive equipment, and I think it may not work with aluminium, as it will tend to "pick up" on the mandrel too easily.
What is the best way to bend square alluminum tubing?
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You won’t control radius without a form.
If you look at commercially bent square tubing, you will find it has often been formed into a radius by using a male radius former to bend around, such that it collapses the inside wall of the tube in, so the outer wall and side walls will conform more easily.
Picking a more ductile grade aluminium should help, as will using a large radius. You could probably bend such tubing more readily using a radiussed square pipe bender form. But do expect some bulging of the side walls, and thinning of the thickness, and cupping of the outer face.
The best bending of irregular sections is probably achieved by machine bending using a shaped mandrel within the tube, which slides back as the tube is formed around its end. But that takes expensive equipment, and I think it may not work with aluminium, as it will tend to "pick up" on the mandrel too easily.
References :
Good luck!