[Gman93643]

Originally Posted by Ron40

Roy,
I purchased both the 36 gauge and 30 gauge aluminum
and I think the 36 gauge will work better for my purpose.
They come rolled in a tube which is good for being formed
to a round fuselage shape. I'm going to experiment with
it in the near future. The bare aluminum looks nice and
will sure save a lot of time on stripping paint and coatings
from the cans. The 12" width will also eliminate a lot of the
sections needing splicing......Ron

Ron,

I emailed that company just out of curiosity to see what they would recommend to me based on what I currently work with. Their reply was as follows:

"our 30 gauge soft aluminum is close being .005 slightly thicker by a few thousandths of an inch. But this aluminum is very soft and not springy and will not hold its shape like stiff aluminum will unless folded over or backed. our thicker 30 gauge soft holds its shape better."

I have no intention of purchasing their product however since I have more than a sufficient supply of aluminum. I build from cans because that is the entire novelty of my art. I also build from cans because it is the simple fact that I have taken something that serves a purpose and an everyday use in our lives and then I recycle it into a work of art pure and simple. Using a roll of bare aluminum or stripping the paint off of cans as another artist/author recommended changes this art into an another modeling endeavor that does not quite retain the same uniqueness to me.

I started this tutorial in hopes that I could interest other modelers out there to try this unique craft since, in my opinion it is a dying art that few are interested in any longer. At this point I am not sure if I have succeeded or failed with my intent but I will remain above all, an artist dedicated to my craft.

I do however hope that you have success with your projects with the rolled aluminum and that my techniques have served to enlighten you and others about the possibilities of working with metal/aluminum. Now that my little speech is over, back to the tutorial...