upvote
P.S. I still use tin cans as a source of sheet metal. There was a big storm a while ago, with tree branches whistling by at high speed. (Not a good time to be outside.)

Three holes were punched in the house by the branches, 1-2 inches in diameter. What to do, what to do. I took a coke can, slit it and unrolled it into sheet metal. Then cut a disk bigger than the hole, and epoxied it into place. Worked like a charm, and cost nothing.

I've used coke can metal for shingles and flashing, too. They don't rust.

reply
I like that story. I fixed a microwave door latch with a beer-can shim and some decorative ribbon; we used it another 11 years.
reply
there's also a plastic liner on them that I'm sure helps.
reply
It also helps that they are made from aluminum which doesn’t rust like iron does.
reply
It rusts just like iron, but the rust (AlOx, or alumina) stays bonded to the metal and actually protects it.
reply
Rust being literal Fe2O3 makes a convincing argument that aluminium sure oxidises but doesn't rust pretty much by definition ;)
reply
In other words: it rusts, but it doesn't rust like iron. It rusts in a much less destructive way because the aluminum oxide protects the rest of the aluminum from oxygen
reply
it does not rust, it corrodes :)
reply
And epoxy binds to aluminum just fine ? Epoxy is weird. What solid material does it NOT bond to ?
reply
Polyethylene, like they use in food containers. Virtually nothing sticks to it unless specifically designed.
reply
It does not bond to polypropylene and other low surface energy plastics
reply
Terminology question - I understood those to be "high-energy" surfaces, because the chains are strongly bound. Is it a typo, or am I wrong?
reply
Teflon.
reply
Yummy, my favorite!
reply
Actually should be mostly fine since it’s pretty inert, unless you eat the stuff used to make it.
reply
That 60Hz sound is a sure sign we did something very wrong. By the time you hear it it’s usually too late to say “Uh oh”
reply
One of my favorite sayings:

"Good judgement comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgement."

I commend your excellent use of bad judgement there, WalterBright (despite your mom's lack of enthusiasm)!

reply
Username checks out.
reply
Been there. Im gonna guess that 90% of HN folk have similar stories to tell.
reply
The Cub Scouts in the 1960s were a lot of fun. Each den meeting involved a project. The other one I remember was we each built a kite from scratch.

Mine was a bit fragile, and the first gust of wind shredded the sticks and plastic film.

But it was still fun!

As a teen I built a flame thrower. No, I'm not going to explain how to build one. My dad told me that God looks out for little boys, because otherwise they'd never survive to adulthood.

When I was 9, I found a book of his "Rocket Manual for Amateurs". The opening sentence was something like "if you're fascinated by things that burn and explode, this book is not for you." Who could resist a teaser like that? I promptly read it cover to cover. He wouldn't let me buy any of the necessary materials.

reply
"Rocket Manual for Amateurs" was my favorite book after I found it in 8th grade. In high school I had a chem teacher who would give me chemicals so I could experiment with what I'd read. A great book for budding Raketenkinder.
reply
> if you're fascinated by things that burn and explode, this book is not for you.

Translation… ‘read me now!’

reply