Many design styles feature lamps, boxes, lanterns and chandeliers made of sheet metal. DIY Decorating & Design host Nancy Golden offers tips and techniques for making your own accessories. Materials: Tin-coated steel, such as is used for rustic roofing, tends to be heavier and less pliable than aluminum. It's a good choice for a flat project such as a door panel (figure A) and holds up well to long-term wear. It may be found at hardware stores for about $4 for a 2' by 3' sheet. Tin-coated steel will rust, which many consider a drawback. Aluminum is very soft and easier to work with than tin-coated steel, and it doesn't rust. It's readily available in the roofing aisle of your hardware store. A 10' roll of aluminum flashing costs about $8. Tooling foil is a lightweight metal sheeting available in a variety of materials including aluminum, copper and brass. It's easy to cut with heavy-duty household scissors and fun to use for Christmas decorations and fancy decorative candle rings. It's inexpensive, and you can find it at your local craft or art store. Tools Tin snips are available in straight-, left- and right-cut styles. Left- and right-cut snips are useful if you're cutting a lot of curves, but you can make most of the cuts you need with straight-cut snips. Lightweight aluminum and tooling foil can be cut easily with heavy-duty scissors. An awl or tin punch and a rubber mallet may be used to punch holes in tin-coated steel. A hammer and nail work well for punching holes in softer metals such as aluminum. Techniques You can cut aluminum easily with tin snips or heavy-duty scissors (figure B ). Wear heavy gloves to protect your hands. To make a curlicue detail, cut slits in a piece of aluminum, and curl a section of the metal around a pencil (figure C). To punch patterns in sheet metal, draw the pattern on a piece of paper, and place it on the sheet metal as a guide. Use an awl and a rubber mallet or a hammer and nail to punch the holes (figure D). Use a reverse fold to attach the sides of a piece of metal formed into a tube. Fold each connecting edge in the same direction (figure E), then connect the edges by hooking them together (figure F).
RESOURCES :
Tinwork
Lorenz Books / Anness Publishing Inc.
Website: www.lorenzbooks.com
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