How to make Moon Discs?

[Jon Carr]

Hey everybody! I was wondering today if there was a way to make your own Moon Discs...I have heard you can use aluminum from a pop can...Any ideas? Thanks, Jon

[bobbyj]

without a lathe???? mmmmm i dont think so. not ones that look great anyways. hmmmmm maybe soooo try and make a "punch" if you will. out of a chissel or something big round and metal. I would try that take a piece of stock the size you want your moon cap and shape the end of it on a grinder and clean up the grind marks with a finner file. then lay your pop can (painted side up) on a piece of 2x4 or other comprable piece of semi soft matierial and hit it with the punch u made and a hammer. it should come out the shape of the punch then just trim the access. should work. it does in my head anyway. lol try it let the rest of us know. it cant take but an hour to do it all.

Bobby

[70mach1]

without a lathe???? mmmmm i dont think so. not ones that look great anyways. hmmmmm maybe soooo try and make a "punch" if you will. out of a chissel or something big round and metal. I would try that take a piece of stock the size you want your moon cap and shape the end of it on a grinder and clean up the grind marks with a finner file. then lay your pop can (painted side up) on a piece of 2x4 or other comprable piece of semi soft matierial and hit it with the punch u made and a hammer. it should come out the shape of the punch then just trim the access. should work. it does in my head anyway. lol try it let the rest of us know. it cant take but an hour to do it all.

Bobby

Go to fabric or craft store and check out their fabric button kits.Ive seen them range from a 1/4 to1 inch.There made of smooth polished aluminiun,and come 4 to a package.

[Alyn]

I thinks so.

What I found is that the bottom of an aluminum can is not as dished as it looks. Using an unknown auto part with a nice half-ball shape to it and a piece of nylon cloth placed over some sand, I gently added some more curve to the aluminum. I tried marking a circle on the aluminum to cut and file it to a nice round disk, but couldn't get one to look quite right. The trick to making it round was to epoxy a small chunk of styrene rod to the back side of the disk so that it could be chucked up in my 3/8 drill motor. Then I was able to create a nice round disk. After the disk was filed to shape, I sanded it with some 400 or 600 (don't remember) sandpaper to give it the spun aluminum look. When you're done, the bulk of the rod can then be snipped off with some wire cutters, and then ground away with a Dremel tool. the epoxy is on the inside of the disk, so it doesn't have to be completely removed.

One other problem you will find is that most aluminum cans have some letters and/or numbers stamped(embossed) into the bottom. I found some Sprite cans that did not have any such markings. I'd actually pick up cans and check them out while my wife and I were out on evening walks. I've since found that with a proper tool to dish the metal, plain old sheet aluminum works just as well.

[Jon Carr]

I thinks so.

What I found is that the bottom of an aluminum can is not as dished as it looks. Using an unknown auto part with a nice half-ball shape to it and a piece of nylon cloth placed over some sand, I gently added some more curve to the aluminum. I tried marking a circle on the aluminum to cut and file it to a nice round disk, but couldn't get one to look quite right. The trick to making it round was to epoxy a small chunk of styrene rod to the back side of the disk so that it could be chucked up in my 3/8 drill motor. Then I was able to create a nice round disk. After the disk was filed to shape, I sanded it with some 400 or 600 (don't remember) sandpaper to give it the spun aluminum look. When you're done, the bulk of the rod can then be snipped off with some wire cutters, and then ground away with a Dremel tool. the epoxy is on the inside of the disk, so it doesn't have to be completely removed.

One other problem you will find is that most aluminum cans have some letters and/or numbers stamped(embossed) into the bottom. I found some Sprite cans that did not have any such markings. I'd actually pick up cans and check them out while my wife and I were out on evening walks. I've since found that with a proper tool to dish the metal, plain old sheet aluminum works just as well.

I think I might do it this way. I tried tonight by cutting the bottom of a pop can out, cutting it down, putting double sided tape underneith and slapped it on the dremel at low speed and sanded it from the middle out...Didn't work to well. I made 1 good one, the other 3 shot across the room...LOL

[Harry P.]

Too bad you don't subscribe to the magazine. If you did, you would have found that this very topic was featured in a "Scratchbuilding School" article by Scott Colmer in the May/June 2009 issue.

[Ben]

If you would rather just buy them, Parts by Parks makes really nice, real aluminum, spun discs in 1/25-1/24 scale.

[HotRodaSaurus]

Here is an idea if you already have the discs but the finish needs restoring

Clean off any old chrome or painted finish in the usual way with one of those items we normally clean them with, I use spray on oven cleaner, you use whatever you feel safe with.

Spray a light film of slow dry varnish over the part and also something like a small piece of flat styreene sheet.

Allow the varnish to become almost dry, this is where the test piece comes in. My method! lick finger and lightly draw across test piece, if it sticks the varnish is still wet, it should feel tacky but not stick.

Next I sprinkle some aluminum? Aluminium powder over the part then lightly rub it with a lint free cloth in a circular motion. Allow to fully dry.

It takes a bit of practice but gives a nice natural metal finish, if you muck it up just stick it in the cleaner and start again. Very hard to keep the dust off.

I took this idea from a magazine titled Fine Scale Modeller. The feature was aimed at NMF on model airliners but I used it on a Harley Davidson motorcycle model that really brought out the different metal finishes used on the real thing.

I have used spray laquer, it does work and dries much faster but the finish is not as good.

Two recomendations for using the cleaner: Full bio hazard suit with oxygen supply(so you cant drag me through the courts) or common sense.

Cheers, John

[Jon Carr]

Yeah I was subscribed along time ago, but my Dad never renewed it. I might just buy some..not sure. And the last one sounds like something to possibly try...

[Guest Gramps-xrds]

Makin "Moon discs" is easy. all ya need is a 5/8th hole punch (1/25th scale), a mandrill for a drill, a file and some sand paper. Here's a link to my photobucket and how I do it. Pop cans are to brittle and to thin to work with..

http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n84/Gramps-xrds/Moon%20discs/

[Harry P.]

Pop cans are to brittle and to thin to work with..

Not true.

Scott Colmer's "Scratchbuilding School" feature uses pop cans. It works perfectly.

[Scott Colmer]

Well, it's nice to be remembered.

These disks were made with from the bottom of a 7up can. Parts by Parts are nice, but they are limited in size. I needed a larger disk, so I made my own. It only takes about 15 minutes per disk at pennies each.

They sell back issues somewhere on this site.

Scott

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[VEGADETH]

Speaking of punches,,this is what i've come up with,,works great!!!

[DrGlueblob]

I use a set of punches that are convex. Got them from Rio Grande, a pricey silversmith shop in New Mexico. Used on the SIDE metal of a soda can, works really well.. Harbor Freight also sells hollow punches and a nice Doming Block for reasonable. That'll do it too.