[MR.RPM]

Most companys sell 4'x8' or 4'x12' Why not buy a whole sheet and sett the other 4' or keep it for later.
robert

[Gumpa_38]

I use to work for a local auto salvage yard here and am still friends with the owner. When I need sheet metal I take my generator and sawsall and go out and cut exactly what I want and he gives me a real break. I cut the entire top off an old Chevy Van that didn't have the grooves in it and he charged me $5.00 since I did it all myself. I also cut the entire floor out of a mid seventies chev pickup to use to repair the floor in my last street rod. It was wide enough to completely replace the floor in the coupe. You will find if you offer to use a generator and sawsall so there is no fire in the yard you will be welcomed much faster and you can pick and choose the right thickness before you start to cut. Gumpa

[benefact]

When you buy sheet metal, it's like everything else, you get what you pay for. When doing any restoration work, I like to know what thickness of metal that I am using for repairs so that it is done properly. I always buy full sheets, new material in 18 or 20 guage, and I know that I get new cold rolled steel without rust. My point is, how much work to you want to do and how much time do you want to spend, cleaning up metal that you don't really know what you are getting. All metals are not created equal, it may come back and bite you later. And I do take the time to shop around.

[39 chev]

Originally Posted by benefact

When you buy sheet metal, it's like everything else, you get what you pay for. When doing any restoration work, I like to know what thickness of metal that I am using for repairs so that it is done properly. I always buy full sheets, new material in 18 or 20 guage, and I know that I get new cold rolled steel without rust. My point is, how much work to you want to do and how much time do you want to spend, cleaning up metal that you don't really know what you are getting. All metals are not created equal, it may come back and bite you later. And I do take the time to shop around.

I understand your thoughts on this subject, but dont totally agree with you. Yes you do usually get what you pay for,but I am sure that in your shopping around that you have found there is a big difference in what shops charge for exactly the same product. your project doesnt know or care whether you. paid $20.or$35. for that metal,but your budget does.I am not talking about digging rust covered scraps out of a pile,but mostly new oil coated partial sheets. If I were building a mega dollar "whatthehay" I wouldnt mind paying top dollar for materials,but I am patching floor pans,trans.tunnels etc. If I bought full sheets they would lay around and get rusty anyway.

[clinthart]

I actually got some sheet metal and other miscellaneous pieces of stainless steel on eBay. You would be surprised what companies are putting out there for sale. My guess is that a lot of this metal is stuff that is overages from other client orders, or just scrap. I have purchased aluminum round bar, stainless 1.5" square bar, and sheet metal.

[rodit]

Hey zip, The prices are up there.Iam a a/c contractor in texas and what i have been doing is saving any and all panels off my condensing unit and furnaces.They are 18-20 gauge.Hey metal is metal.Go to a a/c shop or dealer and ask for it.check on washers and driers they might be usable in some cases.body shops have old dented doors ect... Older car parts would be better than new.

[motionsigns]

Finding sheet metal.. Check out www.mcmaster.com

They have all kinds of supplies... 4 x 4 sheet is about $ 20.00 depending on gauge for standard low carbon steel. Shipping is usually pretty reasonable also.

[benefact]

Originally Posted by 39 chev

I understand your thoughts on this subject, but dont totally agree with you. Yes you do usually get what you pay for,but I am sure that in your shopping around that you have found there is a big difference in what shops charge for exactly the same product. your project doesnt know or care whether you. paid $20.or$35. for that metal,but your budget does.I am not talking about digging rust covered scraps out of a pile,but mostly new oil coated partial sheets. If I were building a mega dollar "whatthehay" I wouldnt mind paying top dollar for materials,but I am patching floor pans,trans.tunnels etc. If I bought full sheets they would lay around and get rusty anyway.

I did not expect everyone to agree with my thoughts on the subject, and you are right sometimes, the metal does lay around for a while. But because the price of new metal is not going to get any cheaper any time soon, by buying a full sheet, you will not have to spend time to find that old hood or door and take the time to remove or cut pieces from that old a/c unit. And would it not be worth the time to wipe down a new sheet and spray a coat of primer to stop it from rusting till the next time that it is needed. And then the price is not going up again on the rest of the sheet.

[jvsapp]

i got a couple sheets of 16 gauge from a school that was going through renovations. they were just tossing out the 4x8 sheets that were used as chalk boards. replacing them with white boards. free, just had to do a little dumpster diving. they had paint on one side and glue on the back, but to be used for patch panels, it is perfect.

[Rick Beil]

My brother still lives in Youngstown. I'll e mail him to see if he knows any steel vendors or large sheet metal shops who may be able to help you out.

[chevyfordguy]

Most welding shophave a scrap pile stuck in some corner and will sell you pieces by weight or most go by 'EYEBALL" . can always weld them up to fit your needs.

[Bad Rat]

I have a friend that is a millright,, he moves equipment, machinery, ect, and he is always coming on to jobs that are either quitting business, bankrupt, or what ever the case might be,, and most jobs have equipment and stacks of sheet steel, from10 ga on up,, a couple of years ago one such place that was going out of business, had a stack of 16,18, 20 and 22 ga, probably a total of 150 sheets, that was free for the taking,, of course we took it,, I got about 20 sheets of each ga, and have been working off it for a couple of years now, I hate the thought of having to go out and buy some at todays prices,, Bill