I haven't tested this long term but it seems to work on my chicken coop. Here's the rundown:
Using scissors or tin snips cut the ends off an aluminum soda/beer can and cut down the middle of the can to make a flat rectangular piece of aluminum. Then you lay the flat piece into the forming die and press it by stomping on it or hitting it with a hammer. In this Instructable I'll show how to make the die and then lay out the shingles on a roof.
Making these can be tedious but the end result is gratifying because the old cans are fulfilling an immediate second life. A 24"x24" roof area will use from 36 to 50 cans (excluding drip edge and caps) depending on the vertical spacing and shingle style; that comes to 900-1250 cans per roof square (10'x10'.)
Start drinking now if you plan to try this.
I've recently posted how to build the whole coop at Diylife.com
Materials:
Loads of uncrushed aluminum cans
Piece of 1x6 hardwood board
Two 1-foot 5/16" metal square rods
Tools:
Staple gun
Circular Saw, or Router, or Saw with Dado Blade
Tin Snips or Scissors
Square
Chisel
Hammer
Drill and bits
Gloves
Using scissors or tin snips cut the ends off an aluminum soda/beer can and cut down the middle of the can to make a flat rectangular piece of aluminum. Then you lay the flat piece into the forming die and press it by stomping on it or hitting it with a hammer. In this Instructable I'll show how to make the die and then lay out the shingles on a roof.
Making these can be tedious but the end result is gratifying because the old cans are fulfilling an immediate second life. A 24"x24" roof area will use from 36 to 50 cans (excluding drip edge and caps) depending on the vertical spacing and shingle style; that comes to 900-1250 cans per roof square (10'x10'.)
Start drinking now if you plan to try this.
I've recently posted how to build the whole coop at Diylife.com
Materials:
Loads of uncrushed aluminum cans
Piece of 1x6 hardwood board
Two 1-foot 5/16" metal square rods
Tools:
Staple gun
Circular Saw, or Router, or Saw with Dado Blade
Tin Snips or Scissors
Square
Chisel
Hammer
Drill and bits
Gloves
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Signing UpStep 1: Prep Cans
Obtain your raw resources at a local party, drinking buddy, or community service highway clean-up. My neighbor is my steady supplier of uncrushed cans. I find beer cans are best because they don't have a sticky residue like soda cans.
This gets sharp, so wearing gloves is important. Use scissors or tin snips to cut the top off the can at the seam where the can bends. Cut down the center to the bottom and then cut off the bottom of the can. You should now have a rectangular piece of aluminum sheet metal. To ease the workload, precut these over time as you get the cans. One of the pics below shows the beginning of a can cutting machine; I hope it works because my hands are tired.
This gets sharp, so wearing gloves is important. Use scissors or tin snips to cut the top off the can at the seam where the can bends. Cut down the center to the bottom and then cut off the bottom of the can. You should now have a rectangular piece of aluminum sheet metal. To ease the workload, precut these over time as you get the cans. One of the pics below shows the beginning of a can cutting machine; I hope it works because my hands are tired.
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Pure alum corrodes literally instantly when exposed to oxygen and will shortly turn to powder. There are some mixes such as the 6000 series they use for believing ocean going boats as it doesn't corrode. If whatever was in there is acidic like tomato juice or oj its going to be corrosion resistant. If you can find galvinized steel tins thats another long term shingle in the making.
So has anyone figured out how many beer you have to drink to reshingle a roof? :-)
salt corrosion on thin and sheet aluminum is fairly nasty, a friend of mine who lives by the coast, replaces his window air conditioner unit every year and a half because the thin aluminum fins in the radiator just turn to dust,
Seeing the gauge of the cans are thinner or similar to the thickness used on radiator units, this might pose a problem long term but hey year and a half is plenty time to keep making replacement shingles!!!\
kudos for making an awesome instructable that is truly applicable in most parts of the world....
Just about the only Instructable where this sentence is acceptable...
Maybe with a press and stronger die. Good luck with it.
I was just looking at tin cans halves for roofing material as well.
http://www.anheuser-busch.com/press/2010/Jan/Anheuser-Busch-Delivers-Canned-Water-to-Assist-Perry-County.html