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Old 2nd May 2005, 10:56 pm   #1
high_vacuum_house
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Smile Thin metal sheet for chassis repair

Hello there,
I am currently looking for some thin (1 to 1.5 mm thick) steel or aluminium sheet for restoration of a GEC telly I bought yesterday. The rust is so bad that most of the brackets shielding and other bits are unrestorable.

The brackets that hold the chassis to the bakelite case are non existant !!!!

I work in a engineering company that uses sheet metals but the management are so stuffy we cannot have any of it at all not even small offcuts

Does anyone know where I can get hold of some sheet material. The dimensions don't need to be too great (five six inches wide inches wide ten twelve inches long) would probably do.

Many thanks.

Ckristopher Capener
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Old 2nd May 2005, 11:11 pm   #2
ronbryan
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Default Re: Thin metal sheet for chassis repair

Hi Christopher

Try a local motor factor. In the Guildford area, a chain called A.R.E. sell steel sheet about two foot square for car body repairs. They sell two gauges - approx 20swg and 24 swg.

I don't know about motor factors in and around Evesham, but it's worth a try.

An alternative is to find a local sheet metal fabricator in the yellow pages, phone then up and see whether they can cut you off a small piece. I have found that small pieces can be obtained for a donation to the works 'tea club'.

Ron
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Old 3rd May 2005, 8:03 am   #3
Mike Phelan
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Default Re: Thin metal sheet for chassis repair

Christopher
Yep - motor factors, but usually they only have 8 x 4 foot sheets. Frost (have a google) in Rochdale supply smaller pieces. Any one local who does fabrication could be useful by waving beer tokens on a Saturday morning!
How about having a scrounge at Morgan?
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Old 3rd May 2005, 5:26 pm   #4
Colin
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Default Re: Thin metal sheet for chassis repair

"Metal Supermarkets" have a franchise in the Leeds area (tel: 0113 238 0900) and they will sell whatever you want - large or small. I've used them quite often and for small offcuts they're quite happy to strike a deal . They'll even cut it exactly to size if you ask them nicely.

The web site may tell you if there's an outlet near you.

www.metalsupermarkets.com

HTH
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Old 3rd May 2005, 7:37 pm   #5
high_vacuum_house
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Default Re: Thin metal sheet for chassis repair

Hello there,
There is a metal supermarket quite close by in Reddich but for the quantity I need it may be a bit too much bother. The quantities are fairly small so offcuts will probably be big enough.

The 2 brackets to hold the chassis to the bottom of the bakelite case are probably the biggest size I would need and are approximatly 11" X 7". Some of the other components are in a very poor state as well such as the bottom screening cover. A couple of old baking trays may be ok but they may have a coating on them (no I don't mean burnt cheese ).

I will have a look in the yellow pages and see if anyone local could supply some odd bits.

Many thanks for your help.

Christopher Capener
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Old 4th May 2005, 1:13 pm   #6
pmmunro
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Default Re: Thin metal sheet for chassis repair

For aluminium try a local commercial vehicle body builder, for tinplate (zinc plated steel) a ductwork fabricator will have offcuts. If there is any building work on commercial premises in your area there are likely to be cuttings of duct steel in a skip. Ask the site agent. You could also try a commercial scrap metal yard (not vehicles), they recuperate metal from fabricators.

For very thin, less than 1mm, or about 3mm aluminium, traffic signs are a good source if there is a council yard near you. Their skip will have copious quantities of redundant signs between emptyings. (If you get to ask the right people, they'll be civil engineers or technicians, usually much more understanding than administrators in my experience). The surface is usually a plastic laminate which peels of in paint stripper such as Nitromors.

There's a certain satisfaction in recycling a former parking restriction sign for a more horourable second life.

Vintage radio can lead to interesting acquaintances and relationships!
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Old 4th May 2005, 8:27 pm   #7
high_vacuum_house
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Smile Re: Thin metal sheet for chassis repair

I like the idea of ducting fabricator. There is one on our industrial estate where I work called Veloduct and they seem to be have had a big order recently looking at the number of lorries parked up every day. If I get a chance I may visit them during a lunchtime to see if they have anything of interest.

Not too keen cutting an old car door or bonnet up because they are not flat and you then have the fun trying to get the paint off

Many thanks for your suggestions.

Christopher Capener
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Old 6th May 2005, 9:26 pm   #8
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Go to homebase. The one near me stocks ali and steel sheet of about 18" x 12" or therabouts they also do sheets of perforated steel and brass (in different designs) + Plastic,steel,ali & brass rod and tube + angles in same. I found the sheet steel particularly good for making chassis with, its strong enough to support the usual valve type componants + its very easy to bend up by hand

I picked up some aluminium sheet from either Farnells or RS. Can't remember which but probably the former. A quick look on the websites concerned would bring it up. Laziness versus cost, really! Saves the bother of searching, especially when ordering other odds and ends.

-Tony
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