If you have a hyrdaulic jack, the bottle type, if you put it into a metal frame so that the base of the jack can be brought to bear on the aluminum tubing. you could also use a steel block between the jack and the aluminum to achieve the desired shape.
It may also come in handy for all other applications such as bearing pressing etc..
Don't use a vice. It's not designed for that. One of my students tried crimping the end of a 3/4" aluminum tub. Royally screwed up the a vice. The vice jaws are a "lever arm" that extends several inches out from the center of force, the screw. Mechanical advantage is the wrong way around. Better to buy a cheap hydraulic press at HF or Northern Tool.
Vice jaws are a lever arm? However true your terminology, force is force is force. I mean, what difference does it make if you aren't putting any more force on the vice than you normally apply for any other function. While practicing today, I crimped the aluminum tubing until it was flat and the aluminum sides broke while applying less force than I have often put on the vice many times before.
You're not supposed to put a lot of pressure on a vice? I always thought too much pressure was like when the key/arm was bent out of shape.
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