I am trying to make a homemade fender eliminator for my motorcycle and the instructions from the site I found said to use 22 gage weld steel. I went to lowes and all they had was 26 gage sheet metal. What is the difference between the two? Is weld steel less flexible?
galvanized steel gives off poisonous fumes when you weld it
Gauge is a measure of thickness. 19 Ga = 0.0418 20 Ga = 0.0359 22 Ga = 0.0299 Higher numbers are obviously thinner sheets. To my knowledge the way it works is going up five gauges means the thickness is reduced by half. For example 10 Ga. is 0.1345 in, while 15 Ga is 0.0673 in.
Most sheet metal is coated with galvanizing. Not fun to weld on. Most steel for welding use is just carbon steel.
22 gauge steel is thicker than 26 gauge steel. They are saying weld steel but actually mean black steel(mild steel) not galvanized. You will be hard pressed to find 22 gauge black steel unless you go to a local sheet metal shop or go online to find it. The big box stores most likely will not carry 22 ga. black steel. Also not many sheet metal shops don't carry sheet metal that thin unless it is galvanized. Try searching online for 22 gauge mild steel, or black steel, or let your fingers do the walking and try a couple of local metal or welding shops.
