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Circular hole swaging in aluminum sheet
ceebmoj - 3/7/12 at 10:46 AM

I need to swage some holes in a peace of 1.5mm aluminum so I was going to make my self a tool like the one below. But for a 50mm hole.

25mmHOLE FLARING TOOL HILLCLIMB FABRICATION SWAGER PREP | eBay

As some of you make fantastic stuff in aluminum my question is. Is there a set angle or radius I should be using on the swagger? I was planning on using a swage of 45 degrees 5mm does that sound about right?

[Edited on 3/7/12 by ceebmoj]

Steve Hignett - 3/7/12 at 10:51 AM

The angles on this one looks about right...

50MM HOLE SWAGER FLARING TOOL, DRIFT RACE TUNING | eBay

JeffHs - 3/7/12 at 10:59 AM

For a few holes, you could use MDF as the die and a ball pein hammer to make the flare. I did that successfylly with 20 gaug steel

ceebmoj - 3/7/12 at 11:07 AM

I have ave ordered the bits of alloy bar to make the swagger. This is a basic project for geting me in to using the lathe.

30 degrees and around 10mm looks about right?

loggyboy - 3/7/12 at 11:59 AM

I'd say angle is down to preference, but somehwere betterm 20 and 45 degrees would be abot right.
I would say distance would be about 10-15% of the diameter of the hole, so a 20mm hole would have a 2-3mm swage, a 50mm hole would have 5mm.

imp paul - 3/7/12 at 12:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ceebmoj
I have ave ordered the bits of alloy bar to make the swagger. This is a basic project for geting me in to using the lathe.

30 degrees and around 10mm looks about right?

















so will you be making a locost type for lads on here ? oops and girlys at a good deal ?

Confused but excited. - 3/7/12 at 01:08 PM

Surely steel would be a better and cheaper material?
Can't get my head around ali for a swaging tool, seems a bit like a chocolate anvil.

Chippy - 3/7/12 at 01:29 PM

I have a couple of small ones, 3/4" and 1/2", and they are made with a radiused, (sp), edge rather than an angled edge and make a very neat finish. HTH Ray
Edit to add they are made of steel, not ally

[Edited on 3-7-12 by Chippy]

ceebmoj - 3/7/12 at 02:22 PM

quote:
Originally posted by imp paul
so will you be making a locost type for lads on here ? oops and girlys at a good deal ?


Just going to be making the one for me for my project.

Given my skills putting a radius on two bits that fit together is probably beyond me so I suspect that a simple angle is what I will do and I may well end up buying one after generating a lot of swarf. As others have pointed out a bit of steel would have been better but I could not find any locally at a sensible price.

[Edited on 3/7/12 by ceebmoj]

ceebmoj - 8/7/12 at 09:09 PM

Just finished the swager. I used 45 degrees and 5mm then ran over all the corners with some 600 grit. Im very happy with the results in the sheet.