Demotech, design for self reliance - Harvesting sheet metal

Description of how sheet metal can be recuperated from a an oil barrel. How to cut, how to flatten and how to fold. Manfred can do it too!

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Harvesting sheet metal
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Why Sheet metal is often available as scrap, in the better parts of rusted through oil drums, car wrecks and roof sheets. There is much local experience with working with sheet metal. The setup of many designs can be based on the use of sheet metal as its special application can be derived from what is already general known. How Sheet metal can be cut and bend without machines, simple hand tools like a cutlass and a hammer suffice. Sheet metal, specially very thin tin, can be cut by scratching a deep groof in the surface. When bent a few times along this line, it will separate very acurate along this line. Sheet metal, of a thicker size from 1.5 to 3 mm. can be cut by hamering a groove with a sharp chisel in the top surface on an envil. When turning round the marks of the cut can be seen. At the same line a second groof is hamered with the chisel. Along this line the sheet can be broken off by bending. "Make it" offers a manual on harvesting sheet metal.

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