making aluminum siding and trim

Tool's for making metal siding
Tool's and Source
Setting up the Crimper
Laying out details on the metal
Making Corners and joining Panels
Using the Hand Break
"The Tool's I use in making the Siding and Trim."

The Tool's and Source

Hand brake with 3" or 7" jaws. ---------- Home Depot in the Roof Gutter and Downspout section
Fiskars Paper Crimper. ---------- Wal-Mart, Jo-Ann Fabrics and other Ladies craft sections. Ask for a paper crimper.

Ponce wheel. ---------- Used for tracing paper patterns to cloth material, and can be found in most store sewing sections.

Two strips of wood, one 1/8" X 3/8" and one 1/16" X 3/8" ---------- To be used as a guide when making some bends.

Old pair of scissors.
Pizza cutter.

6" rule.

Flat Duck bill pliers.

Pointed Marking pen.

A reminder;
I'm using a hot glue gun for my demonstration. Use a glue suitable for your own application.

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The Hand Break Jaws as bought may be a little out of line. Mine were and I had to file the leading edge to make the Jaws even. The Jaws were only out about a 16th of an inch out, but it was enough to make the accuracy of a bend off. I repeated the process with each set of jaws.

To insure accuracy when changing to a different sizs jaws, I labeled the handles and jaws ["A" & "B"] so the jaws would match when replaced.

Making the first bend
Making the rest of the bends
The finished edge trim
The finished door trim

"Making that first Bend."


Aligning the the metal and the bender for the first bend seems to be the hardest part of making the Trim.	Gripping the bender tightly, so the metal can't move, place it on a flat surface.	While pressing down on the bender, rotate the bender upright to make a 90 degree bend.

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"Making the rest of the bends."


The rest of the bends are a lot easier to make than the first one. Using a 1/8" X 3/8" strip of wood as a gauge to set up the next bends. After the bending point is set with the wood strip, remove the strip and make the bend.	Using the wood strip set up the next bend. Keep a tight grip and press down on the bender to get that sharp bend you want.	Reposition the wood strip and make the final bend. If bent a little over 90 degrees, it will grip the model and make for a tight fit.

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"The finished Edge trim should look like this."


The finished Trim can be slipped over the end and the corrugated siding, or other finished material.	Remember to do all finish work on siding before attaching it to the basic model.	For Doorways make the Trim in the same manner and cut to fit over the doorway.

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"The finished Door trim should look like this."


Make trim for both sides of the door opening. Covering the siding from the floor to the top of door opening.	To do the trim for the top of the door, make a piece of trim long enough to span the opening and a little past both side trims. The first bend of the new piece should be a little smaller, as it will set on top of the corrugated ridges instead of in the groves. On a flat surfaced siding this isn't necessary. Cut The trim as shown.	The uncut center section should be a snug fit between the trim on the sides of the opening.	To install the top trim, slide one end over the side trim, then snap the other end into place.

When in place the top should be setting on top of the side trim pieces.

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Holding the crimper in the hand doesn't always work best. So I put the Crimper in a vise so that I have both hands free to feed the sheet of aluminum and turn the handle of the crimper.	To insure I maintain the same depth of each corrugated sheet. I placed a electrical wiring Tye-Wrap around the handle to hold it at the same depth setting. You may want to put a piece through the crimper more than once, if a deeper crimp is wanted, without changing the handle pressure.	Using a small square I put several lines on the back of the crimper to act as a guide to keep the sheet metal being crimped going straight in crimper. At times the metal will start to draw to one side or the other, keeping it on a line gives you a focal point.	When starting a piece of metal into the crimper, make sure it is in a grove in the roller, keep a slight pressure on the metal as you turn the handle to keep it in the slot or you will get a crooked finished piece.


Layout the lines for corner and nail lines. For the corner trim I measured 5/8" in from left edge, then 2" for seam. I measured 1" down from the top and 1" up from bottom for nail lines.	Work in the nail imprints for seams and corner trim. When the horizontal lines were added, it give's the appearance that the metal is bent. I ran a Pizza cutter lightly across the back side of the panel for the horizontal nail lines. A Ponce wheel was used for the vertical seam lines. The two vertical lines on the right will be in the corner trim.	Using the hand brake flatten the edge that will be bent for the corner trim.	In the front side that will show add any details before bending. Make a 90 degree. bend in middle of flat area to form a corner.


After bending the corner, you can over lap the sheet on the other side.	The finished corner another view.	Don't forget to add any details before gluing the panel onto the model.	Lapping one section over the other. You can lap more than one rib if it is more convenient, but may be a little bulkier.