Aluminium Pulleys

[Ade PantonParticipant @adepanton25529]

I have aquired a couple of Aluminum vintage pulleys. They are probably 30 years plus old, possibly from car engines. Apart from slight oxidation they look in good condition. It is a good idea to put them in a oven for a while before machining them ?

[Ade PantonParticipant @adepanton25529]

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

Ade, probably not, Aluminium can age harden but its unlikely that it would cause you any problems and certainly not from a machining point of view. I just made some alterations to a pulley on an old drilling machine and I know the pulley was 50 years old — I fitted it originally.

John

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

Hi Ade I wouldn't advise heating aluminium material unless you were going to bent or weld said parts. I have had to preheat parts before welding but after cooling the parts had lost part of the original strength and had also distorted to some extent.

David

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

30 years old? They are almost new. Machine as per any normal aluminium.

[Author]

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