Lawrence "Yogi" Wallace"
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Contents
- Introduction
- Cutting the Basic Jig Board
- Basic Tools You Will Need
- Sources of Metal for You Project.
- Using the Jig for Siding and Roofing
- Finish the Edge of the roof
- Caping of the Roof
Last Updated
September 28, 2002
Introduction
I have had many request to show on net my method
for making, siding and roofing. This page is an attempt to fill
those request.
The jig is so simple to make, I couldn't see why someone hasn't
made one before this and put it on the market. I spoke to Lewis
Polk at the ECLSTS about the jigs. We discussed why someone
hadn't put one on the market. We both agreed that it would not
pay for itself, and you would never recover your cost.
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"Cutting the Basic Boards."
The jigs are made of 3/4" Poplar. I wanted to use a
hard wood and chose Poplar over Oak, because it has a much finer
grain. I cut two boards to size 6" X 9". I'm making four types of
jigs at this time. One board can be used for two jig's, one on
each surface. In my example I'm only showing how to cut two jigs,
you can make any style you want just by changing spacing of the
slot's. The slot's in the wood were cut on a table saw using a
carbide saw blade, with a tooth width of 1/8". The slot's were
cut approximately 3/32" or 1/8" deep, depending on the jig
use.
Experiment making different styles of jigs, and see
what you come up with.
The dimensions for cutting the grooves in the jig.
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"Tools."
A few
basic tools are needed to make your roofing and siding. A square,
a ruler and a straight edge for laying out, metal shears and
scissors for cutting the metal, a small hammer and spline tool
for creating the grooves in the metal.
For those of you
who do not recognize the tool in the picture on the left, it is a
spline tool used when replacing window screening. It can be
bought at most stores that sell building supplies. It has a wheel
on each end, I use the wheel with the round edge when using the
jig. I remove the concave wheel, as I haven't found a use for it
yet, and just gets in my way. For those who don't have a spline
tool, you may use a wood stick, 3/4" X 6" x 1/8" in size for
*burnishing the metal in the slot's of the jig.*( Burnishing = Rubbing the metal into the slot in the jig.)
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"Sources of Metal for Your Project's"
A source of metal suitable for use in the jig's,
has always been a problem. Most metal is not soft enough to use
in the jig's. Aluminum flashing is the right gauge of metal, but
to hard. Other metal's I have tried were all to hard for my use,
unless first heated to remove their hardness.What I finally used were, Reynolds steam table pans. The metal is
soft enough to work in the jig, but is still ridged enough for
some support. I bought the pans I use at a Local Sam's Outlet
Store. There were ten pans per package, for around $10.00
Dollar's. The pans needed no tempering, and gave me large piece's
of metal to work with. One pan will yield, 1 - 15" X 16" and 2 -
4" X 7" pieces of metal. After cutting the steam pans and
flattening them a little, there are still a lot of bumps and
dimples in the metal. Don't let it worry you, as you work the
metal the bumps and dimples go away.
The steam pans are fine for use in the jig. I was disappointed
that the metal was too hard for making corrugated metal siding
with the Fiskar paper crimping tool. The Fiskars paper crimper can be found in most of the crafts department of stores.
I used the disposable candy and small cookie
trays for making the corrugated siding, they are thinner and
softer metal and crimp well in the Fiskars paper crimper. That beat's cutting and cleaning beer cans, and
they do not have to be re-tempered to use.
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"Using the Jig for Siding or Roofing."
Align the metal with the top and side of the jig. I
also draw pencil lines across the board to use as a reference
point.
When starting the first ridge in your roofing,
leave at least 1/2" of extra metal. Using the stick to start,
apply enough pressure to indent the metal, and get an idea of
where the slot is under the metal and act as a guide for the
spline tool. Use the stick or spline tool to push the metal to
the bottom of the slot. Run the tool back and forth to make an
even impression in the metal.
After you work the metal into the slot, the right
edge will be straight up. Leaving the metal in the slot, use the
end of the stick to flatten the metal back onto the board.
Turn the sheet of metal around, and place the ridge you made in
the metal into the first slot on the left. Holding the metal
tight against the board, use your stick to mark the metal as
before. Then rub it into the slot with a stick or the spline tool. The edge
of the metal will bend upward. While holding the metal tightly in
place, use the stick to flatten the metal against the board as
before. Repeat the process over to make 2 or 3 ridges.
Remember to keep the finished work to the left. The
un-worked metal to the right. The reason for keeping the
un-worked metal to the right. When you push the metal into the
slot the un-worked metal will move to the left, because you are
holding the finished ridges in the slot's as a guide for the next
ridge's location.
Even though you flatten the work piece back onto
the board, it still will curl up a little as in the picture
above, on the left. To flatten the work piece, lay it on a flat
surface finished side up and using the end of the stick, rub between and next to the ridges. This will sharpen the profile of the ridges and take
the curl out of the metal.
As you work with this type jig and learn how to use it. All kinds
of projects will come to mind for the use of the jig.
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" Time to work on some finishing touches."
"The roof edge."
Let's take a look at finishing the edge of the
roof.
Make your metal roofing first to the width you want, then cut the
Foam Board, wood or what ever your going to use to fit the metal
roofing. My reason for this is, the roofing doesn't always come
out in even inches, and I want to have a ridge on the roof ends,
to turn under.
In the top left picture remember how the edge of the metal
turned up? This will work to our advantage.
When starting the first ridge in the roofing, at least 1/2" of extra metal was used. This will be used to make the finished edge of the roof. Since the first ridge was flattened, we will now put it back on the board, the ridge is pushed into the slot to make it return to the straight up position, so we can use it to turn under to make a finished edge. Use duck bill or needle nose pliers to bend the metal to fit's your roofing material.
When starting the first ridge in the roofing, at least 1/2" of extra metal was used. This will be used to make the finished edge of the roof. Since the first ridge was flattened, we will now put it back on the board, the ridge is pushed into the slot to make it return to the straight up position, so we can use it to turn under to make a finished edge. Use duck bill or needle nose pliers to bend the metal to fit's your roofing material.
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"Let's cap off the roof."
Cut a strip of metal about 1-1/2" wide and at least
3" longer than the peak (top) of the roof. Lay the piece you cut
on the board, centering it on a slot. Push it into the slot,
allowing both edges to come up. Then bend it to the shape of the
peak of the roof.
For another type of Rib Roofing you may like, click on the image.
For the next step it is best to glue the cap to the
roof, letting the extra stick over the ends of the roof by a
couple of inches. Using scissors or metal shears, cut the cap
piece down the center to the peak of roof. This give's you two
strip's of metal. Making sharp bends. Bend the two strip's so
they cross. Now cut the bent pieces straight across to finish the
end and glue the pieces together to finish.
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For another type of Rib Roofing you may like, click on the image.
I hope that I have covered everything you needed to know to help
you in making metal roofing and siding for your next modeling
project. If I've missed some points or you need help, feel free
to contact me.
If you have questions, comments or
suggestions, E-mail me.Bellaire Depot
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