Tin Cans

I've been searching all over the net without much luck. Anybody know of an easy to use material to make HO size tin cans? Since they'll be scrap loads, I was thinking perhaps a paper punch and some aluminum foil. Any better ideas?

 

My late Dad worked for Continental Can Company in Portland for about thirty four years. The cans then were mostly steel cans with soldered side seams. The scrap from punching out the ends and any damaged cans were put in spoilage and the steel baled up and loaded into a gondola car. The finished cans were shipped out in boxcars and semi-trucks.
I worked two summers with my Dad when I was in high school. The 12 ounce beer and pop cans were made at 600 cans per minute. The cans were flowing just like water and if something jammed the cans flew everywhere.

 

How about making 1/2 or 3/4 inch squares out of foam, covering them with well-wrinkled aluminum foil and then using heavy black thread glued on to simulate steel straps holding the bundles together.

Dave.

 

If you have any that you can spare, slice small thin tubes of brass stock to the requisite length and then rust them up, or spray some with aluminum paint. Alternatively, tightly roll some aluminum foil to the desired thickness, and then slice it...hopefully it'll slice cleanly...and you'll have your many little cans, some of which you can paint up rusty.

 

Ah, thank you for some excellent ideas - hadn't thought of the aluminum paint. Basically, I'm looking to make the shiny unrusted rejects. I modeling a cannery and I remember that they had a gondola sitting on a spur that some poor sap would have to haul out a load of reject cans a few times per shift and toss in. Great ideas guys, thanks. :tb-wink:

 

or aluminium tube - saves the paint

 

to make some closed cans you can roll up some aluminum foil tightly untill you
get the thickness you want and than heat up a thin peace of steel or
iron untill red hot and slice it into ho scale sized cans
i'v never tried it but it must work its worth a try