Hot Tip for you

THE MODEL BUILDERS

WELCOME TO THE MODEL BUILDERS FORUM, DONT FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR MONTHLY CONTESTS!

We hope you enjoy your visit.

You're currently viewing " THE MODEL BUILDERS " as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

Join our community!

If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Hot Tip for you; Cheap source of aluminum
Topic Started: Nov 6 2009, 05:26 PM (142 Views)
Mercman	Nov 6 2009, 05:26 PM Post #1
Bronze Medal Member Posts: 2,671 Group: Members Member #482 Joined: November 25, 2006	Just went to the Dollar store for more shoe boxes, gotta clean the bench so I start on the 32, and wondered over to the cooking upan aisle, and picked up a double set on aluminum pans. These are like the jelly roll pans, or a shalow brownie/cookie sheet style. Lots of aluminum there, easy to mold, or emboss. The best part was 2 sheets for a buck. On one of the RR forums, I think it was Dave In The Hat that said he used them for a roof on one of his buildings. Made corrrugated roof panels using a nail in a stick. Maybe we can talk him into a how to about that.



DamnCranky666	Nov 6 2009, 05:37 PM Post #2
Admin--Chief Crank Posts: 14,859 Group: Admin Member #666 Joined: April 1, 2007	That sounds good, Mercman. Gotta check it out . . .



DaveInTheHat	Nov 7 2009, 12:50 AM Post #3
Advanced Member In The Hat Posts: 2,156 Group: Members Member #386 Joined: August 20, 2006	Yep, it was me that made the roof from aluminum pans. Its for the diorama that I'm working on. I'll post pictures here when the contest thing is over. Here's the link to the forum there. http://www.kitforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2664 I use aluminum pans for all kinds of stuff. From what I've noticed they come in 3 weights. The ones from the dollar store are probably the thinnest. The ones from the grocery store that cost about 2 bucks each are a little thicker. The big pans for turkeys are the thickest. There's a commercial grade that restaurants and caterers use that is thick and its harder aluminum than the kind in the grocery store. Those are nice because they have lids that are completely flat except for the edge that folds over. I usually scuff the aluminum before I start working with it. It makes the glue stick better. I use primer from the dollar store and it sticks pretty good. I've use heavy duty aluminum foil to make stuff too. Sometimes after I form a part with it I coat the back side with super glue and sprinkle baking soda on it while the glue is wet. It makes a hard shell that keeps the part from deforming. Another source for aluminum is printing plates. If you can find a print shop that still does offset printing. They're usually free or you can pull them out of the dumpster. The smaller printing presses use a thinner plate that is easy to bed and cut. The bigger presses use a thicker plate that doesn't bend as easy. They're great for making wheel tubs and flat panels.



Dan S	Nov 7 2009, 02:24 AM Post #4
Bronze Medal Member Posts: 2,212 Group: Members Member #607 Joined: January 31, 2007	This is good stuff to know. In fact I went on line looking for some sources just lately and didn't come up with anything very useful. I'm gonna need a ton of corrugated in 1/87, and the corugated aluminumat the LHS is beautiful and perfectly proportioned and shaped, but prohibitively expensive. I wonder if I could use some of it as a buck by pouring JB weld on one side of it and forming the aluminum you speak of with it. I'll have to give it a try. Thanks Junior and Dave!



DaveInTheHat	Nov 7 2009, 02:29 AM Post #5
Advanced Member In The Hat Posts: 2,156 Group: Members Member #386 Joined: August 20, 2006	Yep. This works but its big for HO scale. You can make smaller by using something with 2 or 3 groves in it so you can scribe and slide the material over. Or something to press the aluminum. The stuff Cambells makes is probably a lot easier than making it yourself.



Dan S	Nov 7 2009, 04:48 AM Post #6
Bronze Medal Member Posts: 2,212 Group: Members Member #607 Joined: January 31, 2007	I also wondered about home making something like that device maybe by soldering some fine brass rods to brass bars, making the frame on my mill or something. Walthers makes various kits from styrene with corrugated siding, but nothing seems to look like real metal.



Geezerman	Nov 7 2009, 07:03 AM Post #7
Member Posts: 284 Group: Members Member #1,122 Joined: December 17, 2008	I have one of those 'squeezeers' like Dave shows, only I have trouble getting it to roll straight. Weathering those corrugated aluminum panels with Radio Shacks PCB etching solution is very rewarding, and tons of fun



Mercman	Nov 7 2009, 12:56 PM Post #8
Bronze Medal Member Posts: 2,671 Group: Members Member #482 Joined: November 25, 2006	Geezerman Nov 7 2009, 07:03 AM I have one of those 'squeezeers' like Dave shows, only I have trouble getting it to roll straight. Weathering those corrugated aluminum panels with Radio Shacks PCB etching solution is very rewarding, and tons of fun Didn't Radio shack quit making that stuff? The squeezer is fun to use, still practicing with mine, getting it to roll straight is a pain. I also have some printer plates that I got from a print shop where I worked for years. Good for tubs for wheels, and interior panels.



kingme	Nov 7 2009, 01:17 PM Post #9
Supreme Member!!! Posts: 1,019 Group: Members Member #645 Joined: March 7, 2007	They make a paper crimper, it's a similar set up as the paint squeezer. But it's a little bigger, more suitable for 1/24 scale. It's with the scrapbook stuff in craft stores. My wife used to have one...now I do



chester	Nov 7 2009, 05:25 PM Post #10
Bronze Medal Member Posts: 2,790 Group: Members Member #526 Joined: December 13, 2006	The heavy aluminum found on the pull back tops of vacuum packed food stuff like peanuts and coffee is another great source. I have used it placed over the fender of a car and burnished it on with a toothpick. Then cut off the excess and paint. Notice the fender in the back of the truck and against the fence done this way. There's a tutorial on the web somewhere on this that I'll try to find. I never throw anything away so when I was looking for something with really small ribs I found an old garage door opener remote that had small grooves in it. I took some of the heavy aluminum foil and burnished it overthe ribs of the remote to get this corrugated metal patch.



Mercman	Nov 7 2009, 06:35 PM Post #11
Bronze Medal Member Posts: 2,671 Group: Members Member #482 Joined: November 25, 2006	Heres a pic of the pans. Chester great tips on the fenders, and the remote.



chester	Nov 7 2009, 06:45 PM Post #12
Bronze Medal Member Posts: 2,790 Group: Members Member #526 Joined: December 13, 2006	Here's the link to the aluminum forming tutorial. http://www.horailroad.com/clinic3/index.htm



Mercman	Nov 7 2009, 07:13 PM Post #13
Bronze Medal Member Posts: 2,671 Group: Members Member #482 Joined: November 25, 2006	Got it bookmarked. This should go into the tips section.



DamnCranky666	Nov 7 2009, 09:04 PM Post #14
Admin--Chief Crank Posts: 14,859 Group: Admin Member #666 Joined: April 1, 2007	Fabulous!!!



DaveInTheHat	Nov 7 2009, 10:17 PM Post #15
Advanced Member In The Hat Posts: 2,156 Group: Members Member #386 Joined: August 20, 2006	That's a good link. I did it pretty much the same way. Adding some super glue and baking soda makes it a lot less flimsy. I finished the one I made with a lot more rust. I put it in the bed of the truck that I made for the "Independent Contractors" thing that we did.



HowardE	Nov 8 2009, 09:48 AM Post #16
Diorama Moderator Posts: 1,857 Group: Members Member #316 Joined: July 11, 2006	Mercman Nov 7 2009, 07:13 PM Got it bookmarked. This should go into the tips section. It's there Junior...



Mercman	Nov 8 2009, 01:25 PM Post #17
Bronze Medal Member Posts: 2,671 Group: Members Member #482 Joined: November 25, 2006	You can also mold 1/25th scale parts this way. I remeber someone did a drit car doing this to show damaged panels from being hit on the track. Thanks Howard.



1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)


« Previous Topic · DIORAMA DISCUSSION · Next Topic »