I unloaded a wreck at the scrap-metal place a couple weeks back, and noticed they had a mountain of stainless steel counter tops, sinks, and other stuff that had obviously been cleaned out of restaurants. They doule as a scrap yard and an automotive junk yard. Had a big sign that said "We pay .20 cents a pound for your scrap, or buy ours for .30 cents a pound". That's the new trend I guess... Need a used car part? Buy it by the pound. But at any rate, was just wondering. Anybody have any thoughts or expirence shaping or working stainless? And what would the concensus be on using this stuff to make a rod body? Or any rust-replacement part for a car? [rockers, lower 1/4's, etc] I'v heard that SS can be a bitch to work, and it might be overkill, but you gotta admit the end result could be pretty awesome if it were done right. What say you guys? Pipe dream or pretty cool idea???
restraunt kitchen SS fixtures can make great garage benches,and tear down areas if you get the right ones.
It's all been done before... http://www.alleghenyludlum.com/ludlum/pages/companyinfo/stainlesscars.asp
i've heard that SS is real heavy. its why delorians were such slugs. well, part of the reason. But weight aside, it does, and could, look badass. it depends on how you do it i guess. Stainless top.
I think that "kitchen stainless" you are seeing would be pretty hard to form and shape,with the exception of bending. I would think wrong alloy.
DeLoreans were basically a fiberglass car with a brushed stainless steel overlay. They were great touring cars that got almost 30 MPG at 70+. Crappy performance around town and he was a constant hassle to wipe fingerprints off the car.
Stainless steel is the same density as car body steel, .283 lbs per cubic inch. Only the thickness would come into play.
Compared to cold rolled steel, stainless is very hard to form without cracking. Especially using the techniques that automotive fabricators use. The metal is harder/stiffer because of the alloying elements that make it more corrosion resistant. If it was similarly formable you'd see stainless hot rod bodies on the market. Even with the added material expense, still pales compared to labor expense. I would frickin love a stainless brookville deuce!!!!
Unreal...I was gonna post this same question to the board yesterday about the possibility of making Brookville bodies outta stainless. Can it be done? What would be the benefits/drawbacks?...would stainless wear out the dies faster?...inquirin' minds... metalurgist guys chime in... I type slower than Shifty...
Stainless is not easy to work at all, it is very stiff, can be brittle, and is abrasive. All that being said it is possible, just not easy.
I wouldn't want to try to attempt a repair on it...it gets way outta whack pretty easily, and welding stainless sheet=warpage city. (though I suppose You wouldn't have to do much by way of rust repair....)
I've done a little bit of 304 stainless shaping and found it to take just slightly more work than cold rolled steel. A little bit of heat helps make it easier to work. It can be shrunk, stretched and smoothed. So far I have used 18 gage and 20 gage. I would like to try some 22 gage to see how stiff it ends up being after shaping. 22 gage would probably not be great for nearly flat panels, but for everything else?? I haven't yet welded stainless with a torch, but I would like to give it a try. John www.ghiaspecialties.com
Been making motor mounts,brackets,etc. out of stainless for years,mostly because we have it around for work (waterwheelboatcarts.com) .It chews up equipment real well,but once you are done,it's done,no paint,powdercoat or plating needed.and most types will polish up nice too.Keep scraps at my home shop too, sure is nice to make it,and put it on right away...compound curves for body work is a different story,do know that Fay Butler has used it but it's certainly not an every day thing anywhere.Also check out Fay's website.(faybutler.com)
heard of one of the 36 body's up my way about 20 years ago half buried in mud all the steel was rottin even the frame but the body was mint,not sure where it went i didnt believe the guy but maybe i better check it out .
I worked with stainless for years. I used to work in the medical, pharmecuetical, and food production industries on all of the equipment. I love to work with it, but a lot of guys don't. It is way harder on any HSS end mill or drill bit than mild steel. Also, due to the chromium content in the stainless, it has a tendency to warp much more than mild steel. You have to be more careful with your heat. Welding long continous beads on thin stainless will warp it very badly unless you do a lot of tricks. There is nothing more beautiful than a perfect bead in stainless. As far as shaping the bodies, it can be done. It will be more difficult, but not a deal breaker. It mainly is the cost of the material that is the major limiting factor. Look up the price on the McMaster-Carr website and compare it to the same sheet of mild carbon steel. Big difference on price. To me, it is worth it though because I'm a shitty painter and I like the fact that once I build it and polish it I am done.
There is a little bit of tuck shrinking 18 gage stainless about 1/2 way through this video (surprisingly easy): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obySlwD2h5A John www.ghiaspecialties.com
If you're just making patches that won't be left bare, pay attention to the prep. Paint doesn't stick to some stainless without an etching primer.
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