I want to make a dress from aluminum cans. However, aluminum is very sharp once cut. So, do you thing there is a possible way to make the cut edges less sharp? Would sanding the edges help?
It's a soft metal so sanding and filing would work. You could also consider folding over the sharp edges (like a hemline) using a pliers or similar tool
. The cans will always be sharp. It is possible sand or file aluminum, you will need a brush to clean the sandpaper on file. You could try folding edges to possibly remove some of the some of the sharpness.
Or you could just curve them to the back or front a bit by hand, or roll them over a dowel, etc, for more of a curve but maybe easier to do. You could also try sanding or filing them (electric sanders/etc would be best but wear eye protection and a mask to keep metal dust/bits from getting to you). Or you could also paint each edge with something like ModPodge, white glue, polyurethane, etc, all of which would dry clear (or dip each edge into a tray of one of them)...or you could use acrylic paint but that would be colored. Or you could put tape over the edge (but more time consuming). Or just connecting the cans could help, whether you'll be connecting them with lacing through holes, etc, or the edges of some glued/taped overlapped on other cans.
