shaping aluminium with explosives

[sand groper]

Dear all, forgive me if this has been posted previously.
I recall an Australian boating magazine story from the 70's / 80's about an attempt to create alloy hulls using a sheet of aluminium that was forced into a female mould by explosive charges.
Imagine a concrete swimming pool in the shape of the desired hull with a sheet of aluminium draped over it. An air-burst explosion over the mould then forces the sheet into the required shape - I don't recall whether the mould had vents or the like, but there was a photo of the mould and maybe it was attempted. Can't imagine it working though.
regards, Rex

[jonr]

It's similar to hydroforming. I heard that it worked, but I can imagine that getting the details all correct can be tricky.

[sabahcat]

It was a boat called gelignite

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...RGnhCfnaDCnr3g

[sand groper]

So it did work. Excellent - thank you.
And has the process been used again ?

[lewisboats]

Cool!!! BOOM...A boat!

[Herman]

I have seen this construction method, however not on boats, but on artwork, and in the production of Tri-Clad.

I guess boats are a bit big to perform this kind of actions. Unless you have an unlimited supply of explosives.

I once read an interview on a guy doing all kind of crazy things with explosives, and he was asked how he got the explosives. Well, he said, I work in demolition, and the fun is to demolish as much as possible, with as little dynamite as possible, so on every project a couple of sticks of dynamite fall free. Guess where they end up...

Perhaps apply for a job at "Controlled Demolition"?

[daiquiri]

Originally Posted by Herman

so on every project a couple of sticks of dynamite fall free. Guess where they end up...

I guess some National Security Agencies might want to know that, too.

[CDK]

There's a TV show called Mythbusters on Discovery channel. They are the right guys for such an experiment!

[keith66]

I remember reading the article in Yachting Monthly, the boat was a Gelignite 32?
the mould was in the ground, concrete lined with inch or so square steel bars with gaps between. The alloy sheets that made up the hull were dropped into the mould & mig welded in sections. the unformed rough hull was then filled with water & small explosive charge only a few ounces placed in the middle. on firing the hydraulic shock formed the hull to the mould in sparrows fart time.
The other interesting thing was they then fitted the stringers with 3m double sided tape used to build helicopter rotor blades.

[Herman]

3M VHB tape (Very High Bond)

On Mythbusters: They already shaped a cement truck by filling it with explosives, then igniting the stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxm_qpKh7Jw

[Robbo]

Originally Posted by keith66

I remember reading the article in Yachting Monthly, the boat was a Gelignite 32?
the mould was in the ground, concrete lined with inch or so square steel bars with gaps between. The alloy sheets that made up the hull were dropped into the mould & mig welded in sections. the unformed rough hull was then filled with water & small explosive charge only a few ounces placed in the middle. on firing the hydraulic shock formed the hull to the mould in sparrows fart time.
The other interesting thing was they then fitted the stringers with 3m double sided tape used to build helicopter rotor blades.

I saw the same thing, but Im sure it was on a show on Oz TV called Beyond 2000.