Use water pressure and a cavity to form sheetmetal parts, with either city water pressure or an inexpensive high-pressure pump. See detailed coverage of the pressures required for various sized parts, the inexpensive pumps available, and some engineering designs for the cavities. We make aluminum shapes that are smooth and free of marks, although other types of sheetmetal can certainly be "inflated" into some interesting shapes.
A large fabricating shop in the greater Boston area used to use a power steering pump to form the domed ends for pressure vessels. They would weld two large discs - up to 1/2" x 8' dia. - together around the edges, and weld a pipe coupling in the middle of one plate. Sometimes it took a couple of hours to get the desired results, but it worked like a charm. Leaks would usually pop up a few times, but they would just partially drain it and weld-up the leak and start again. They had about a 5 hp motor driving the power steering pump. The pumps would die occasionally since they weren't designed for water, but another one was only $25 from the junkyard. I saw them doing some 3/8" stainless ones once, and the whole job was done in less than a day.
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"Hi Kent, I got the Fluid Forming video last week, and watched it... I must say, it was very impressive to see the parts formed with water.... It is a process that I would have never ever guessed was possible.... although the steel plates for that big part you guys formed musta cost a few $$$$ :) And it seems like it is fairly involved (time consuming) but when I think about how long it would take to hand form such a part, I guess it "makes sense". Definitely some cool stuff...... Great work, it was worth the wait....."
J.H.
TM Technologies takes pride in knowing we offer the best products on the market for metal working. In an effort to continue this tradition we are constantly improving our products and our product line. If you have any comments or suggestions about this, or any of our other products, we want to hear from you.
TM Technologies is now proud to offer our Instructional DVDs as rentals. Our DVDs give you the opportunity to learn some of the metalworking techniques taught in our hands-on workshops -- in the comfort of your own home and at your convenience. We believe it is not our job to make it look easy, but to show you how easy it can be. Here is how it works:
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Choose the DVD(s) of your choice to rent. You can do this online or by phone. |
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When we receive your order it will be mailed to you via U.S. Mail service. This could take 3-7 days depending on your location. |
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Your DVD will arrive to you in a two way mailer. DO NOT discard this envelope, you will use this to return the DVD back to us. Use the pull tab to open the envelope. |
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This is the really easy part – Watch – Listen – And Learn! Take it all in, watch it more than once if you feel the need. Although we charge you for a 7-day rental, you may actually keep the DVD a bit longer, as long as you have it return to us no later than 30 days after your order was placed. If you decide you would like to keep the DVD, contact us at 530-292-3506 and we will credit you the price of the rental towards a purchasing the DVD. All DVD rentals that are purchased receive an additional 10% off the purchase price. |
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When you are finished, return the DVD back to us. Simply tear off the part of the mailer that has your address along the perforated line. Insert the DVD to be returned, pull back the double sided tape, and press closed! The return address and correct postage will already be applied to the mailer. Drop it in a mailbox and you are finished. |
Terms & Conditions
Please read these terms and conditions carefully. To rent our Instructional DVDs you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
1. International Orders
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| If you are an international customer and you would like to rent our DVDs please contact us by phone at 530-292-3506 or contact us regarding orders. There are some counties we cannot ship to and additional shipping charges are required. If you are an international customer and you place an order online for a rental DVD, the orders will be canceled and your card will be refunded.
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2. Age requirements
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| Our rental service is only available to those aged 18 and over. You agree to abide by all age restrictions placed on DVDs. You are responsible for ensuring that the content of any DVD is suitable for those who view it. We reserve the right to require verification of age at any time.
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3. Your obligations
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| You undertake that you will use the DVDs strictly for personal, private use (and not for any direct or indirect commercial purpose) and that you will not copy, rent, sell or grant any third party rights in any DVD as these are protected by intellectual property laws. Should you breach these undertakings, your rental privileges will be automatically terminated.
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4. Safety Considerations
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The DVDs rented by TM Technologies demonstrate metalworking, welding, and machine and tool use, which can be dangerous to both inexperienced students and experienced metalworkers and machinists alike. The renter assumes full responsibility for all risks, and for any injuries or damage caused directly or indirectly by the contents of any video or instructions on DVDs rented from TM Technologies. |
1. You agree to hold TM Technologies (and its owner and employees) harmless for any injury or damage caused, directly or indirectly, by information contained on any TM instructional DVD.
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2. You agree to follow all safety instructions given on TM Technologies DVDs. Whether you follow safety instructions to the letter (or you carelessly and foolishly ignore the safety advice given), you agree to release TM Technologies from any liability related to safety guidance and information given on TM Instructional DVDs.
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3. You agree to follow any local laws, state or federal regulations, or permit requirements, related to use of welding gases & equipment, machines, noise, environmental, health and safety regulations. You agree not to hold TM Technologies liable for any legal tangles related to any of the issues mentioned (or ones not mentioned).
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4. You agree not to hold TM Technologies responsible for any damages that may happen to any machines, equipment, tools or facilities as a result of information, instructions, or materials given in any TM Technologies instructional DVDs.
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5. You agree not to hold TM Technologies responsible for any damages that may happen to a DVD player resulting from a defective disc. TM Technologies agrees to replace any defective disk free of charge.
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5. Care and return of rental DVDs, and Non-Return policy.
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| It is your responsibility to keep all DVDs and associated packaging in good condition. We closely monitor DVDs returned to us and in the event of damage or deterioration, we may immediately and without further reference to you charge your credit/debit card a compensatory payment. (Compensatory payment amount is the full cost of the DVD at its current sale price on our website). Please return DVDs in the envelopes provided to you. If you lose an envelope, you may return multiple DVDs in one envelope. |
6. Lost DVDs
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DVD's may occasionally be lost in transit. If you do not receive a DVD that we have sent to you please phone us at 530-292-3506 (please allow 3-7 working days from ordering for U.S. rentals). We will you a replacement as soon as possible.
If we do not receive a DVD you have returned to us please phone us as soon as you are aware of the problem. We closely monitor lost DVDs. We will charge your credit/debit card with a compensatory payment for lost DVDs until the problem is resolved or the DVD arrives. |
7. Undeliverable DVDs
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| We may suspend delivery of DVDs to you if any DVD sent to your address is returned to us as undeliverable. If we do suspend delivery, we will email or phone you you to confirm your address. |
8. Your personal information
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To rent TM Technologies Instructional DVDs you must provide your real name, delivery address, e-mail address, telephone number, and valid credit or debit card information. If you change your address, you must notify us immediately by contacting us regarding orders
Providing false or misleading information, or any information which is designed to circumvent these terms and conditions or the terms and conditions of any associated promotion or offer will constitute a breach of these terms and conditions.
You should not share your account details with anyone--please contact us immediately if you have reason to suspect that your account has been compromised. We will not be responsible for any losses which result from you sharing your account information. |
9. Changes these terms and conditions.
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| We reserve the right to make changes to these terms and conditions. Should we make any changes, we will post details on the website, with any such change having immediate effect from the moment of posting. |
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