ABSTRACT
Like wood, metal comes in rods, sticks, sheets, and other shapes. Prop builders use a number of different kinds of metal for several purposes in prop-making. Steel is one of the most common. Aluminum is a much lighter alternative to steel for structural pieces. Metal cylinders come in several forms. A rod is a solid cylindrical bar. A tube is a hollow cylinder for constructing structures and frames. For thinner tubes and pipes, a hand tubing cutter is helpful. This looks like a C-clamp but with a circular blade where one of the jaws should be. A nibbler cuts sheet metal without distorting it. It punches a thin section of metal, rather than shearing it in a single place. A bench grinder is a stationary machine with a grinding wheel that can quickly grind away material to give irregular and rounded shapes to a piece of metal.
