The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk What Gauge Steel?

What gauge steel was used on our 3100's? 18?

49 sheet metal will be 19 or so in most places. Some non structural panels will be thinner and some floor panel and sheet metal brackets can be as thick as 16. Sheet metal of that era varied a little batch to batch and supplier to supplier. The steel alloy can vary also which can effect weldability.

Repost this in the body section and you will get some more experienced thoughts.

As a OLD retired Sheet Metal Worker, the gage 19 never came to realization. The gages varied from 28,26,24,22,20,18,16,14 and so on, the lower the gage the heavier the metal. Not to say that some so called 18 or 20 gages weren't actually 19 gage. But no gages were classified as a odd number gage.

My Dad (also a retired sheet metal worker) said that the metal in my '55 was 18 guage. The patch panels seem to vary depending on where they came from. I had one that was spot on 18, another that was 20. I can say that modern vehicles are much thinner than the older ones.

My hat is off to the trade sheet metal workers. I have learned much from the few I have had the privledge to work with over the years. I am also a tradesman and know that the majority of true knowledge lay on the shop floor with the tradesman and the tools and materials in his/her hands. When working in facilities repair and power plants I too never saw 19 gage.

I am also a retired engineer with cross disipline training. Today I teach welding and order sheet metal often for repairs and projects. I have never been able to purchase 19 gage sheet metal, I usually buy 18g for patch panels. I also salvage large auto panels from donated vehicles or ones I get from the local salvage yard before they are crushed. On the shelves I usually have 10, 12, 16, 18 and 28 gage.

However, never under estimate the automotive industries ability to save a buck or two and get what they want due to bulk purchasing. I have auto/truck sheet metal in the shop from a 38, 50, 63, 64, 85 and 91. Most of it would measure 19 gage (.0418in) 18 gage is about .006 thicker and 20 is about .006 thinner. Students measure it often to determine welding currents. Panels will also vary in thickness due to the die forming and stamping processes. Rust removal or metal work will also stretch or shrink metal. Metal from some of the newest cars is getting thinner and alloyed to make it high strength and corrosion resistant.... and harder to weld.

I also looked at several generations of the Machinery's Handbooks that I collect and they list sheet metal gage from 15/0 to 52 odds and evens in several different standards. One thing I had to get used to when moving from industry to industry is that what is accepted as gospel in one may be a lot different in another. My current industry has lots of varying standards- AWS, SAE, ASME, API, ISO, Asian, European and a host of others. What you find as old hat in one sometimes the others have never heard of!

I am a retired steel worker. 35 years in the steel drum industry. We mainly used 18 and 20 ga but 19 ga was available.It just was not as strong as 18 ga and not much stronger than 20 ga. For that reason, it was not used much and may not be used at all today as I am going back 10 years or so.

James

Ron is welding 19 gage in this Miller article:

http://www.millerwelds.com/education/articles/articles86.html