peterbunce
1880's Colorado Narrow gauge on 45mm track
Ross suggested that I repeat my methods of making corrugated iron - so there is is
Corrugated iron
I use aluminium sheet, cut from Fosters Lager, or cider cans, that our local youths having drunk the contents then discarded the empty can. With a slitting saw in a Dremel or such, and with some protective glasses being worn, and having washed the can out thoroughly, then cut off the top & bottom of it leaving you with a tube: slit that with a pair of scissors (get your own they are now very cheap) the resultant sheet can be straightened out by puling it against a right angled edge (I use the square section steel tube that is under my workbench, that was an old desk).
With the now flat sheet having worked out the size of the sheets needed use your scissors to cut up the sheet: I find I can normally get 4 pieces out of each sheet, an average size for my sheets is 90mm x 60mm. Always do some extra, they will generally be needed if you are anything like me.
The sheets now need annealing, to soften them: I have a gas cooking stove on which I use one of the rings., hold the sheet in a pair of long nose pliers and wave one half of it over the flame keeping it moving all the time, if you don?t it will melt generally the corner goes silver and turns up slightly. What you want is the sheet to go brown, as evenly as possible. Remove the sheet and turn the sheet round and repeat the above, Let it cool off, and do the rest the same.
When all is complete open the kitchen window to get rid of the smell ? I think it?s the coating that the cans have as it burns off. The sheets are now ready for the crimper ? mine came from Fred Aldous in Manchester but Hobbycraft also sell them I believe.
The need to have a handle at each end, otherwise the sheet being crimped will not run straight; here is a photo of mine in a vice, which is fixed to a Workmate to keep both still; note how far into the vice it is fitted, that is to keep it quite still.
Take a sheet and feed it into the join between the rollers, and gently turn them slightly to grab it, using both hands, that should keep it running straight.
The sheets are fixed to an 'under roof' of 60 thou Plasticard, the lowest later with Evo-stik, which is also used on the vertical joins, and then window frame sealant on the top & bottom edges and roof - press the sheets down into it and clean off (when dry) the excess; cap with a infverted 'V' shaped strip.
Here are, first a photo of the crimper, this is number two as I have worn one out! Then a three photos of the finished results
my crimper
The blacksmiths - the wagon is by Schliech, alas not available at the moment.
The roof of my produce building; the brown colour is as a result of the annealing - its the inner coating partially burning off, and the source of the residual smell!
My 'Little Red schoolhouse'
Yours Peter.
Corrugated iron
I use aluminium sheet, cut from Fosters Lager, or cider cans, that our local youths having drunk the contents then discarded the empty can. With a slitting saw in a Dremel or such, and with some protective glasses being worn, and having washed the can out thoroughly, then cut off the top & bottom of it leaving you with a tube: slit that with a pair of scissors (get your own they are now very cheap) the resultant sheet can be straightened out by puling it against a right angled edge (I use the square section steel tube that is under my workbench, that was an old desk).
With the now flat sheet having worked out the size of the sheets needed use your scissors to cut up the sheet: I find I can normally get 4 pieces out of each sheet, an average size for my sheets is 90mm x 60mm. Always do some extra, they will generally be needed if you are anything like me.
The sheets now need annealing, to soften them: I have a gas cooking stove on which I use one of the rings., hold the sheet in a pair of long nose pliers and wave one half of it over the flame keeping it moving all the time, if you don?t it will melt generally the corner goes silver and turns up slightly. What you want is the sheet to go brown, as evenly as possible. Remove the sheet and turn the sheet round and repeat the above, Let it cool off, and do the rest the same.
When all is complete open the kitchen window to get rid of the smell ? I think it?s the coating that the cans have as it burns off. The sheets are now ready for the crimper ? mine came from Fred Aldous in Manchester but Hobbycraft also sell them I believe.
The need to have a handle at each end, otherwise the sheet being crimped will not run straight; here is a photo of mine in a vice, which is fixed to a Workmate to keep both still; note how far into the vice it is fitted, that is to keep it quite still.
Take a sheet and feed it into the join between the rollers, and gently turn them slightly to grab it, using both hands, that should keep it running straight.
The sheets are fixed to an 'under roof' of 60 thou Plasticard, the lowest later with Evo-stik, which is also used on the vertical joins, and then window frame sealant on the top & bottom edges and roof - press the sheets down into it and clean off (when dry) the excess; cap with a infverted 'V' shaped strip.
Here are, first a photo of the crimper, this is number two as I have worn one out! Then a three photos of the finished results
my crimper
The blacksmiths - the wagon is by Schliech, alas not available at the moment.
The roof of my produce building; the brown colour is as a result of the annealing - its the inner coating partially burning off, and the source of the residual smell!
My 'Little Red schoolhouse'
Yours Peter.
