I'm looking for a place to buy 4'X8' (or 4'X10') sheets of plain old 'black steel' in 22 gauge sheets. I live in Naperville, IL. Every place I try in my general area only supplies roofing tin or the big ones only sell to business contractors with accounts. I just need three sheets of sheet metal I can pay cash for, throw in my truck bed and be on my way! I want to finish my roadster and simply finding the sheet metal is holding me up. Willing to drive a ways (except in to the city of Chicago). Any Illinois guys out there that can help me with a metals supplier? Will to drive up to 50 miles from 60564 zip. Thanks Jimmy
Can't help with a suggestion but what are you using 22 gauge hot rolled for? Awefully thin if you are doing body work and getting mill scale off is a bitch.
If you want to match old Ford body-weight stuff, you need 19 gauge cold rolled. You won't find it anywhere, so get 20 gauge, which will more closely match the rust-thinned 19 gauge anyways.
theres a place called Bobbys INC in Princeton IL about 1HR 30minutes from Naperville try calling them
Thanks guys! Metalsupermarkets has a location just 24 miles from me. Going first thing tomorrow. For the record, I'm using 22 gauge because it's just the right ductile strength to form over the all wood frame of the 1919 boat tail speedster I'm building. I'll post som epics in my file once I start the skins. Jimmy
Dimco in DeKalb, not cheap and only accepts cash or check rite off of rt 38 Best Welding in Rochelle. Mon-Friday and has good prices rite on 251
NAPCO in West Chicago as another posted. I work for a steel co. in Carol Stream. we sell aluminum and stainless, but if I needed what you are looking for, that's where I'd go.
You could also try T and L manufacturing in Aurora. I know they sell steel to the public but Im not sure about sheetmetal. They would be real close to you.
I thought BOBBY'S in Princeton had shut down after the old man died ??? dave BTW ,IF you can get it ,aluminum kilned sheet steel is wonderful to work with !!
Connolly Steel in Naperville had what I needed in building my 51. They could probably get what you need.
What you really should consider is 19ga AKDQ (aluminum killed draw quality) that is the guage most often used on earlier car bodies and the "DQ" (draw quality) part of the name offers the ductility that you are seeking and yet is thick enough to withstand various metal finishing processes that remove material, i.e. grinding, filing etc. This isn't just my own notion...........the spec came from metal finishing classes conducted by Ron Fournier.....a contemporary of Ron Covell. use the best material for the job and you will never regret it, even if it takes more effort and/or money to get it. Ray