Ask Frank
Customers often ask questions about Quick Ship Metals products – about custom cuts, how to install kitchen backsplashes, trim, molding, whatnot. Blogger and man of all trades, Frank Ross knows how to dig for answers.
Frank has access to all of the people working at Quick Ship Metals’ fabrication, sales and customer service. So consider this page a forum for all kinds of ideas, questions and best of all – answers.
Enter questions in the “Your Comment” box.
Ask Frank your how-to or DIY questions.
Frank -
I ordered a custom cut sheet of 20 gauge Brushed Satin Stainless hemmed on two sides.
The size was exactly what I ordered. It is now installed as a backsplash behind my cooktop,
and it looks great. Just wanted to say thanks.
Dan
Hi Sandy, yours is not an unusual situation. It is not easy to imagine what a material would be like without holding it in your hand and getting a feel for the qualities that vary with each particular gauge or thickness of copper sheeting. The thickness of any metal sheeting is listed in decimals. Copper sheeting with the thickness of .010, compared to our American system of fractions, would measure to less than 1/64 inch.
For a more practical comparison of the flexibility of the metal that you can relate to, let’s use an item from your everyday life that you can find in your wallet. If you have a Blockbuster membership card or a Bonus rewards card, copper sheeting with a .010 thickness will have the same flexibility as either of these cards.
Keep in mind that these two cards are thinner than a standard credit card, which is less flexible. A standard credit card measures .028. This compares closely to .0216 copper foil, which is slightly stiffer. Some other measurements that are convenient comparisons to everyday items are listed below.
Penny .050
Dime .062
Nickel .070
Quarter .067
Half Dollar .085
As far as the tool you use to cut the copper sheet, that choice will be impacted by the gauge of metal you decide on. It will also depend on the quality of your shears and the strength in your hands. Generally speaking, a good pair of shears and a reasonably strong grip will cut through copper up to .062 without any problem. Stronger hands and better shears would slide up the scale a bit more.
One thing you might want to consider is ordering a copper sheeting sample pack. The samples will let you get a feeling for the metal if you’re still unsure of the thickness to order. If you’re contemplating a large order, it makes a lot of sense to order the sample pack first.
Hope this helps, and thanks for submitting this question.
Frank
Hi, I’m trying to decide which thickness of copper sheet I need for a project. I need the copper to be stiff enough to hold its shape but not so thick that it will be difficult for me to cut. I don’t have any metal working tools and was hoping to use some heavy shears unless you have a better suggestion. What gauge would you suggest? Thanks in advance for your assistance. This is for a holiday project and I’d like to order the copper and get started right away.
Sure, you can use Stainless Steel mirror finish on just about anything. Using it on your particular oven would depend upon how the door is made and if it has a glass window or not. The glass doors transmit quite a bit of heat and usually have a raised lip around the edge which would be challenging as far as a smooth installation. What make and model oven do you have?
I was wondering if you could use this on a oven door (Like the mirror Look on a Oven door?) Please reply.
spankster714@aol.com. Thank You , Karen Mullen
Hi Cathy, covering a refrigerator can be challenging depending on how the corners are formed. If you can do a pencil drawing of your fridge and email it or fax it to 423-334-7256, we’ll be happy to evaluate the feasibility of this project.
Thanks for asking Frank
Hi Don, we don’t carry 26 gauge stainless but we do have 24 gauge and that should work well for your application. As far as gluing the stainless to hat channel, I’d need to know what material the hat channel is made of before answering that question. If you can let me know what those are made of I’ll be happy to advise you on the adhesive to use.
Thanks for asking Frank
Good evening!
Frank, wondering what is the best way to cover a traditional fridge by Fridgidaire for the stainless steel look?
Thank you!
I would like to use your stainless for the heat shield for the wall behind my wood stove. The heat shield must be at least 26 guage and installed 1 inch away from the wall. Can I get any of the stainless you have in around 48″x96″ to use for this purpose? And would I be able to glue the stainless to hat channel using high temp adhesive/
Morning Tim, Most custom cuts are not a problem at QuickShipMetals.com. All you need to do is contact our customer service staff. For custom work they usually require a drawing so they can be sure to get it exactly right according to your specifications. Give them a call on the toll-free line at 1-888-334-2177, or you can click on the live chat link and hook up directly that way.
Good luck on your project and thanks for asking Frank!
I need two pieces of diamond plate with a radius curve in them for rear corner guards on a project car I have. The pieces would need to be 24″ tall by 8″ wide with the curve on the 8″ side. Is this possible?
Hi Joel, that’s a challenging project but not too difficult for our expert fabricators. One of our friendly customer service staff will be contacting you directly to gather some more details and provide an estimate. Thanks for thinking of QuickShipMetals.com.
Frank
Morning Bob, the 24 gauge stainless steel should work fine for that application, taking the bend nicely. Just make sure you have the surface of the hood cleaned well before the attachment and also use a high temp adhesive such as Rutland RTV high heat silicone sealer. It is also a good idea to rough up the surface of painted surfaces with a fine piece of sandpaper to increase the bonding surface. And that’s all there is to it.
Thanks for asking Frank!
Hi Frank. I am going to re-cover an existing range hood with stainless. The hood curves outward from top edge to the bottom of hood. My question is will 24g stainless allow me to make this gentle curve and still be able to hold its adhesion without popping up. Its not a sharp curve but rather a gentle sloping.
Sir, I desire to ‘fold’ copper sheet into a 1 piece box (12″ x 12″ x 4″ H approx) capable of containing 68 pounds inside and withstanding shipping cross country, where it will sit in storage for years…all…without contents spilling out in transit, etc… this copper box will be inside a cardboard standard shipping box also… if successful i would need about 50 ‘units’ each month ongoing for 4 years or so…maybe a need of varying sized boxes in near future…
so all in all i need help basically i envision a sheet of bullion grade copper (or depending on high costs, maybe 95% recycled copper might do to
) and folding it simply like one would fold/bend/crease/hem? a piece of paper to make an envelope or origami box to hold 68 lbs…thanks in advance for your help, sorry for dumdum lingo. but this is not my field yet
hopefully i can catch you before you leave, so i wont have to confuse sales staff on phone…thanks
Joel Cohen