Home Depot aluminum?

[LukeLewis]

I'm sorry for asking this because I have seen the answers to my questions on here before, but for some reason I can't seem to find them at the moment. Where exactly are the rolls of aluminum roofing at Home Depot that can be used in a FreeChex III? I've seen them several times before when I needed flat aluminum for other projects but couldn't seem to find them today.. It was almost like they didn't have them anymore. Also, does anyone know what the thickness usually is? Thanks!

[Jim]

This is what I use, .014 thick.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Amerimax-Home-Products-10-ft-Aluminum-White-Trim-Coil-69410/100013808

[Idz]

I use Gibraltor RV625A 6"x25'x .011" which is what our local HD stocked. The Amerimax 69410 is also spec'd at .0112" in their literature, not the .0145 that HD lists as gauge. I suggest you get a micrometer to verify it. Both have a hardness of about 85 Brinell. Here are links to the manufacturer specs.

http://www.amerimax.com/pdf/catalog/flashing.pdf

http://www.constructionmetals.com/Products/Rolls/CMI-Cat11-Rolls.pdf

I build my own GC dies so I can design for any thickness but I've heard some of the commercial dies can be quite finicky.
good luck

[LukeLewis]

Thanks guys, it looks like my Home Depot only has the Amerimax 68310 (listed as .0092 thickness) in stock unless I want to buy a 50' coil of something else. They also only have galvanized steel in regards to Gibraltor... I'd go with the Amerimax 68310 if I thought the thickness would work, but I think it'll be too thin. Really need to invest in a micrometer

[cardonasharp]

Use a beware
dog metal sign it makes 500 gc 30gc and it cost 1.00

[xacex]

I tried the HD Amerimax aluminum flashing, but it was not soft enough, and would not stay on my boolits. The signs worked better, but were still not working well. Finally I broke down and got the soft Amerimax flashing at my local ACE hardware, but all they carried was a huge roll that cost me 50$. It works great, but I don't know that I will use all of it in a lifetime. For 50$ I have a lifetime of gas checks. I just need to invest in different freechex for the different calibers I have to use up this flashing in the next 40 years.

[LukeLewis]

cardonasharp that is a great idea, thank you

[Ben]

Never go shopping for material to make gas checks out of without a micrometer in your pocket.

[tjones]

I have noticed when cutting thick strips the metal may not cut may not have a flat edge near the ends. Placing edge on a level there was a slight bow at one end give a cusp in the check because I could not get it up against the back of the slot of the die, the tiny gap was noticeable only near the ends of the strip. A definite plus for yonkys straight edges. tj

[FrankG]

Dog metal sign ??

[mold maker]

Dog metal sign ??
Yard sign that says, "Beware Of Dog", made to nail to trees or post.

[Cane_man]

can't you anneal aluminum in the oven?

[fcvan]

The Home Depot in CA sells some weird brand of flashing that I couldn't find specs on. The Ace Hardware carries Amerimax in .092 and .014 but didn't carry .0078. I looked at Lowes and they carried the thin .0078 stuff for online order only. I ordered a 6"x50' roll of 66006 .0078 material and it ended up with shipping costing the same as Ace. I only use the .014 for 30 cal checks and so a roll will last a long time. I've made plain based checks in 35 and 45 from the .0092 and .0078 and they work great. I still stamp a bunch of checks from soda cans but wanted to try other things. BTW, I use a paper cutter from Harbor Freight to cut my strips using a size gauge I made. Works very fast. Making check while listening to a ball game or some other radio program is quite relaxing.

[HollowPoint]

I've been using the Home-Depot .014" flashing to make conventional gas checks for my 30 caliber bullets with one of Pat Marlin's check makers.

I bought a roll about two years ago and I've shot plenty of gas checked bullets using this stuff and still have plenty left on the roll.

Just recently I've been experimenting with this same aluminum flashing to make my new specialty Boat-Tailed Gas-Checks.

There was a guy on this forum that came up with an ingenious way of annealing this aluminum flashing and it seems to be working out pretty good so far. His idea was to fill a short length of galvanized pipe (about an inch or two long with both ends capped off) with pre-cut aluminum check-disks. Then while you go through your next bullet casting session you simply let the pipe filled with the little aluminum disks sit in your melting pot full of molten lead.

The temperature of your molten lead generally remains stable enough that you can anneal the disks for a hour or so while you cast your bullets. When you're done casting, simply remove the disk-filled pipe from the melting pot and let it cool. Viola; you have a bunch of nicely annealed aluminum disks ready to be formed into your Gas-Checks.

If I don't do it this way, and because of the angles on the Boat-Tailed Checks, my check-forming punch would tend to punch right through the little aluminum disks if they were left in the state of hardness they were in when I punched them out.

One thing that I'm not sure of is if this type of aluminm will work-harden. If it does, then forming them after I've annealed them may re-harden the aluminum. Also; I wasn't sure if capping both ends of this short length of pipe would create any internal pressure build-up in the pipe itself so, just to be cautious I drilled a small vent hole on one end and suspended it in the melt so that the end with the small hole faces up all the time.

HollowPoint

[john from md]

I use the "Beware of Dog" signs from HD and I anneal them in the oven. I cut to strips with a paper cutter before annealing. I then set the oven on 350 degrees and let them sit for an hour. This usually makes them soft enough to form and stay on the bullet.

WARNING: Do not do this if your wife is not out of town! It takes me several hours to clear the smell out of the house after doing this. The reason is the paint on the signs. I have tried paint remover with no luck so I usually do about five cut signs which last me a year.

I too have tried to find the proper thickness aluminum rolls but cannot find them locally. I am reluctant to order from ACE as I have been sent the wrong thickness before and it was a pain to return.

Regards,

John