19ga AKDQ steel. AKDQ is Aluminum Killed Draw Quality....correct guage and has the formability desired for making parts. Ray
This is the stuff - however availability nation wide isn't what I'd like . I have to buy 3 sheet minimum at 2.5x a regular sheet just to get it here. 10 sheets and I can get it at 1.5 x regular. 3000 lbs plus freight and I can get close to decent prices on it.
Those that dont do much shaping wouldnt see the advantages of DQ as much as some that do alot of deep drawing and shapping of metal . In reality it works as a dissadvantage when doing flat or low crown work .I have several sheets on hand of both DQ and cold roll that I sell for my cost when I host our regional meet up here in MN. There are alot of manufactures in our area that use draw quality steel for their purposes and it makes it a little easier to get ahold of it .For high crown fenders and something with alot of beading and body accent lines nothing beats it . Quite often I will make a door with the DQ only from the reveal upward and use cold roll for the low crown lower part from there down.
I use nothing but 16GA cold rolled steel for all my panels. It requires heavier tools but it forms well and keeps its shape, no oil caning. I form most parts on an anvil and compoung curves are no problem, it streches and compresses well. It is very easy to mig with little distortion. (aircooled every 1/2' with blow gun.) This picture shows a panel made of 1/8" steel on the bottom of a door that was used for structual reasons (nothing left on the bottom and hinge area) The panel was properly contoured before welding. It was first plug welded, then the seam was welded The inside was reinforced with 16GA to resemble original. The 1/8 was used as it is very hard to do a reverce bend on the radius on the bottom side without the use of filler that I did not want. You can not tell the door from the original.
Depending where you are 19 gauge of any kind is hard to find. I've tried in my area and cant find it. However somebody told me if you start with 18 gauge and get finished forming it via english wheel or whatever you probably have thinned it enough to become 19 gauge anyway. I thought that was good advice.
My 29 Dodge "Patches" gets 16ga mild steel, heavy but Mig welds good and without oil canning., Did the door panel and lower 6" around car body. And close to the original gauge.
As Dan mentioned, there are advantages in using DQ aka AK. One other thing, measure the material that you are going to replace and use that gage. Whoever you buy your material from, might tell you a gage, but measure what they have, everything has a tolerance. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8544234&highlight=sheet#post8544234
18AK outside on compound curves, 18ga. cold-roll outside on simple curves and flat, 18ga. cold-roll inside and over structure-supported floors. 16ga. cold-roll inside for free-form floors, 18AK inside on tight or complex tunnels.
Surprised at all the aluminum responses, guess that's the answer to "English wheel work." Never stop learning. The patch panel answer . . . 18 ga. carbon sheet.
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