Best Gauge Sheet Metal For Body Work

Rivets come in a variety of head and shaft sizes.

Best gauge sheet metal for body work.

For example 18 gauge steel according to a gauge conversion chart is 0 0478 inch or 1 214 millimeter. You can get pop rivets down to 1 16 inch shaft size up to 3 16 inch at your local hardware store. We start by cutting the panel oversize so there is enough overlap to hold it in place with cleco fasteners. 20 gauge became common in more recent times and this meant 0 0359 inch thick metal still a lot to work with in bumping and metal finishing.

In this video im showing you the process i use to do small rust repairs where a complete panel. I am a retired sheet metal worker and we used 21 gauge cold rolled metal made for forming body panels much more plyable on all our custom body panel products. Here s a few tips on repairing rust holes in car body panels. A gauge conversion chart can be used to determine the actual thickness of sheet metal in inches or millimeters.

Automotive sheet metal once ran in the range of 18 gauge which was 48 thousandths of an inch thick actually 0 0478 inch. Whether we are replacing a body panel with a new aftermarket piece from year one or a used part from a donor car the process is the same. 65comet feb 25 2011. You can also choose a depth for the rivet if you re just joining two sheets of metal a shallow depth works best.