How do you pros add aluminum skin to a steel frame?

[weekender]

Have you looked at sandwiched aluminum sign panels?

I haven’t looked at signs up close but I did see a YouTube video where the builder went to a sign shop and got his sheets of aluminum from them already painted.

 

[weekender]

Not saying foam is stronger, but the combo laminated might be more stable with temp swings

What about attaching the sheets with glue stuff to the metal frame then cutting and glueing blue foam to the sheets after they’re installed?

 

[opp]

When you have your frame done. Easer to cut foam with no skins. Press foam against frame mark/ cut . Then mark up and inside. That way if out square no big deal You will cut one time. If your like me so sorry. Cut it ten times to short and out of square

 

[Essayons]

3M makes the panel adhesive that Turtleback uses for aluminum to steel frame adhesion. Same stuff they use in the auto industry..It's applied through a caulk-gun sort of arrangement that mixes the A-B (like epoxy) parts. I might use it on my trailer project if I go with aluminum.

 

[Essayons]

16 gauge steel is 2.5lbs per square foot and aluminum is .89lbs in the same comparable thickness. Yikes

With aluminum you won't get the same strength as the steel with the same thickness. Aluminum will have to be thicker as to not buckle/warp, but the cost goes way up per square foot for the aluminum...a trade off, lighter than steel but expensive.

 

[weekender]

With aluminum you won't get the same strength as the steel with the same thickness. Aluminum will have to be thicker as to not buckle/warp, but the cost goes way up per square foot for the aluminum...a trade off, lighter than steel but expensive.

I really like the idea of glueing the sheets in place. Very tempting. We use some really nasty stuff at my work to glue the windshields and side windows in on cars.