Any ideas how how to easily bead aluminum bends for couplers w/o a tig? I have a mig, but no aluminum set-up.

 

Bead? What do you mean?

 

I think he means a bead on the rim of the pipe so the coupler doesn't slide off. I put a beat on the compressor outlet of my turbo (aluminum). My friend had some of those long aluminum sticks that you melt with a torch. They actually worked pretty good

 

http://www.euronationmotorsport.com/...ad_roller.html

 

Get some good T bolt clamps and they won't come off.

 

I was using 3 to 4 regular clamp on each connection without any problem

 

If you are dead set on have a bead and want to do it cheap you can get by with moddifying a pair of visegrips. You will need to grind the mouth of the pliers to match the radius of the pipe and then weld a bead to the inside jaw and notch the other.
I always just put a few weld beads around the outside of the ic that have a connection.

Later
Randy