greybeard
12-19-2007, 10:32 AM
After watching Benjamin struggle with his brackets on his StuG, wrestling with what material to use, I thought I'd mention that one of my stand-bys for scratchbuilding is the thin aluminum from drink containers — soft-drink cans, beer cans, etc.
The material is very thin, about .005", very easy to work, and the standard can yields up lots of material. I've used it for fenders and straps, tool stowage, and other flat objects.
It cuts with scissors, or you can use a sharp knife with a straightedge. Scribe a fold line and it bends readily. You can drill it easily with a pin vise and standard bits. You can roll it into tubes, and so on. In short, you can do everything you can do with brass (except solder it), much more easily. It is also more durable and less susceptible to damage than .005" brass shim stock.
I'll post some photos later this afternoon.
The material is very thin, about .005", very easy to work, and the standard can yields up lots of material. I've used it for fenders and straps, tool stowage, and other flat objects.
It cuts with scissors, or you can use a sharp knife with a straightedge. Scribe a fold line and it bends readily. You can drill it easily with a pin vise and standard bits. You can roll it into tubes, and so on. In short, you can do everything you can do with brass (except solder it), much more easily. It is also more durable and less susceptible to damage than .005" brass shim stock.
I'll post some photos later this afternoon.