[TheForge] Iron Foil

[Jerry Smith]

         I can use something like 14 gauge, but it has to be iron. This is 
making Mokume and iron has a different quality to it than steel, even mild 
steels.
         So far I have been promise some iron, and I will have to cut it 
and hammer it to the thickness that I can use.

Jerry

At 02:52 PM 10/14/2004, you wrote:



>>         I am looking for a source for thin sheets of iron and iron foil, 
>> anyone have any ideas where I can get this stuff from:
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Jerry
>>
>
>When shopping for something, using the proper definitions and words are 
>important. Hanging around the back of the pickup, it makes no difference.
>
>I doubt you are really looking for "iron foil". If such a thing was 
>available, it would cost a fortune and take forever to get.
>
>What you want is sheet metal- sheet steel, to be exact, in gauge 
>thicknesses. Sheet steel is commonly available down to about 32 gauge, 
>which is .0134" thick. Up to 10ga, at .1382". Then it changes to plate, 
>and is measured in 1/16" increments.
>32 Ga is not foil, but pretty darn thin. Many larger steel distributors 
>stock this stuff- and in larger cities, there are HVAC suppliers that 
>stock sheet metal.
>You want cold rolled steel- as opposed to galvanized or galvalume, which 
>are zinc plated.
>It used to be that deep drawing alloys were hard to get in most areas of 
>the country, but nowadays almost all cold rolled sheet is "aluminum 
>killed" which is the technique used to make deep drawing steels move more 
>without cracking. Industry has found it cheaper to make fewer different 
>types, which benefits us if we want a repousse steel.  Cold rolled is 
>available in 4x8 and 4x10 sheets. It comes work hardened from the factory, 
>but when I want it to move, I have had some success annealling it by 
>heating my work piece to dull red, then letting it cool as slowly as 
>possible. I have done some cold forming of up to 16ga cold rolled, with a 
>hammer and shot bag, and english wheel, and of course it moves very easily 
>when heated.
>You might want to buy a sheet metal gauge- this is a very elegant tool for 
>measuring sheet metal- it is a circle of steel about 3" in diameter, with 
>precise thickness notches all around the edge. You can use it tell you 
>exactly how thick the material you find at the junkyard is. Plus they look 
>really cool. The best ones are made by Starrett, and will last forever.
>
>ries
>
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