Corrugator

[Bernd]

I see it's been a little over four years since somebody got a new tool. Well at times I make my own since I spent over 30 years in the machine tool industry working for a major manufacturer of gear cutting machines I've got some idea about making tooling for a job. So here goes on a tool I've spent some time researching.

After many months of false starts and procrastination, I finally have something I can make corrugated foil with. It still needs some tweaking but it gives decent corrugated sheets.
 
Comparison between Campbells and mine. Top one is Campbell's. The bottom is from the corrugator.





Closer look at the tool.







Those are gears. They come as a long rod, and you cut off the width of gear you need. I used the 48 tooth one for the corrugator.



I got the idea from this.



Now I'll be able to finish the stone crusher for my quarry line.

Bernd

[Keep It Rusty]

Bernd, as a kit maker this is endlessly interesting.

I tried .among my own a few years ago with 3D printing, but failed the task.

Those gears are giving some really excellent results! If you have access to a horizontal mill and dividing head, the options are limitless. You could make tooling for standing seam roofing too then.

I'd love to acquire one from you if you could make another! Great work 

[Bernd]

Bernd, as a kit maker this is endlessly interesting.

I tried .among my own a few years ago with 3D printing, but failed the task.

Those gears are giving some really excellent results! If you have access to a horizontal mill and dividing head, the options are limitless. You could make tooling for standing seam roofing too then.

I'd love to acquire one from you if you could make another! Great work

I've been looking for a way to make corrugated panels for several years. I watched all the videos of how 1:1 corrugated panels are made. I came away with the knowledge that as you add the corrugations the metal gets pulled together.

Here's a video of a company building a corrugating line. Note at the start at the 4 minute mark how the forming rollers increase as the sheet gets rolled.

Building a machine like in the video for doing model size sheets would be a monumental task. I tried a rolling technique. It was frustrating since I didn't understand how the metal was pulled together to form the final sheet until I saw this video.

Plus that last photo gave me the idea of how to make one for model builds.

P.M sent

Bernd

[Mr. Critter]

Your stuff blows Campbell's clean out of the water.  Thank you for posting this!

[Mr. Critter]

Follow-up question:  What did you use for raw stock?  Plain old aluminium foil from the foodstore, cut into strips?

[Bernd]

Follow-up question:  What did you use for raw stock?  Plain old aluminium foil from the foodstore, cut into strips?

I used Raynolds Heavy Duty aluminum foil for testing. I'm looking at using the aluminum from those baking pans that you do large meat in such as turkeys and roast beef.

Bernd

[Bernd]

Here's a bit more on the construction of this tool.

You can see the shim stock stuck between the surfaces of the top piece and sides. This gives the gear set some room when the foil gets pulled between the teeth of the gears. A sort of floating gear set.



In this next picture you see the arrow pointing to a block of brass that gives the gear some movement upwards but keeps it from hitting bottom of the top part. (red oblong box)



This picture gives you a view of all parts that are inside. Those are .015" thick brass washers I made on the CNC mill.



This shows the bottom bearing sitting on the raise block. This keeps the teeth of the gear from rubbing on the bottom. The green rectangle will be a shim to separate the two gears to give proper clearance for the foil to be properly embossed. This is one of the tweaks I'll need to do.



The two gears have stubs machined on the ends for bearings plus the brass washers.





This is how the .015" thick washers were made. I ACC'ed a piece of .015" thick brass shim stock to a piece MDF. Took 3 .010" deep cuts with a 1/16" dia. carbide end mill.



Here's some info on corrugated sheet steel.



I think that should answer any more questions. If have any ask.

Bernd

[Mr. Critter]

Bearings.  My oath.  The Pepe Tools version probably isn't even bushed!

Wow.

[Keep It Rusty]

Fantastic insight. Makes me want to crack out my Myford lathe! Great work Bernd. Very interested in keeping up to date with your progress.

[Jim Donovan]

All I can say is I am impressed beyond belief. Keep those photos coming. Wow.

Jim

[Bernd]

Thank you very much gentlemen. I appreciate your enthusiasm on this project. I do engineering changes on the fly and then draw up the drawings. I'm now in the tweaking stage on this project.

Yes bearings. I've also been looking into using bearings in powered equipment. Friction bearings are fine but ball bearings are better and won't need lubing in the long run.

Bernd

[Pennman]

Fellow modelers, this man learned the basics from his machinist Father, back when sons actually worked with their Dads to learn a trade. Bernd has followed in his Dad's footsteps throughout his life and his accomplishments are many. He's not happy unless the final product gets tweaked to perfection. You might be in for more treats from this super modeler.

Rich

[Bernd]

Rich,

You do realize that my head now has gotten so big it won't fit through the door.  

I hope that in sharing this information with the group that somebody might just be encouraged to try something of this nature. I'm here to help answer those questions if I can or will find information to answer that question.

Rich, it's the same with you. I'm always impressed with your talent of looking at a picture of a building and then build it, plus your aptitude for proportion. Something I sorely lack.

Bernd

[Bernd]

After some tweaking, I got it work much better for now. It's not 100% yet and may not quite get there.

I went to the $Dollar Store and bought some aluminum pans. Not quite $10 later this what I have.



Even got one with a blue color.



I had some rollers that are polished and mirror smooth. Don't remember where they came from. I used those to smooth out the lumps in the pan. First, I used a rubber mallet to knock down the larger bumps. Another possible tool coming up using those rollers to flatten aluminum pans stock? Maybe. maybe not.



Here's close up side view of the corrugated aluminum.



I think the blue looks pretty neat. Wish they would have had other colors.



I don't think the brass gears will last long. I guess I'll see how long they will last. I'll be making them out of steel and probably case harden them for better ware, but that remains to be seen. Probably would be easier to buy another gear rod and probably be cheaper and faster.

So now I can get back to my quarry stone crusher building that's been sitting idyl for the last few months.

Bernd

[GPdemayo]

Excellent work Bernd, thanks for sharing, excellent work. 

I have been using corrugated and standing seam metal, asphalt shingle and cedar shingle and shake roofing material on most of the kits I build. In the real world, tar paper roofs are not used for any substantial structures that are expected to last more than a few months. Using a color coating material is great, as a coating over the steel, galvanized steel, or aluminum helps the roof to last longer.