During a building session in the kitchen, I found an easy way to flatten soft metal for scratchbuilding: a rolling pin. I used it to flatten out an aluminum wrapper from a large chocolate coin; the material was malleable yet strong enough for several applications. I also flattened out lead-foil bottle seals. (Note: I sandwiched them between paper sheets to avoid contaminating the countertop or rolling pin with lead.)

After being rolled out, the metal material is flat and ready to be cut.

Tip submitted by:
Jason SlobodaTruro, Nova Scotia, Canada