Aluminum sheet. What did you think you were clicking into?

ALL of my experience is 2024-T3 - You can cut the stuff like sheet rock. It's great.

But I need to make a few formed pieces and T3 just isn't going to do it.

I grabbed some 2024-T0 - not knowing anything and the stuff really draws out nicely with a hammer and wood form.
But from what I can tell, it stays soft. I need to form a 1/2" curved lip on a cowling nosebowl so I'd like it to work harden some

I dont' have any way to heat treat but I need the end piece to be stiffer than dead soft aluminum.

Thoughts?

Are you sure it stays soft? It seems like what you’re doing is the definition of “work hardening”. Is just the section you’re not forming that stays soft?

Have you tried annealing some T3? Use the sharpie trick to anneal just the section you want to form. YMMV

The 2024-T0 I grabbed does seem to stay soft and not work harden. I was hoping it would work harden some.
annealing some T3 I have is an idea.

Have you messed with 5052 at all? I've never used it as a replacement for 2024, but have use it as a replacement for 6061 and 7075 when I needed a part formed. Does great. Also MUCH more corrosion resistant than 2024. Really, any alloy is more corrosion resistant than 2024.

2024 is pretty straightforward to age if you have the oven for it. 920F for 30-40 minutes followed by a water quench. You can make it even harder by then placing it in an oven at 375F for a couple of hours. The strength difference with the last part is not that much, and makes it more brittle.

I've used a heat gun and a high temp infrared thermometer to successfully to take small parts to the T4 condition (measured by hardness, not testing the actual strength). The aluminum distributes heat really well, and was pretty isothermal during the process despite the crude method.