As BS above,Local sheet metal fab shops used to let me rummage around the back of the big shears, Pick what I wanted and make a donation to their biscuit tin fund!!
I can get 8 x 4ft sheets from the motor factor, you can roll it up if you only have a car for transport, but I tend to use scrap body panels (bonnets, doors, roof skins etc) they are usually zinc coated or zintec.
You then get the right thickness for your repair for the added bother of removing the paint.
The last I bought was from F H Brundle - 2m x 1m x 1mm grade CR4 = approx £20 inc VAT. To be honest, probably more than enough to complete the restoration project
That's great thanks guys. So far I've picked up bits and pieces like old filing cabinets from the metal skip at work. I'm glad it's not just me that uses old metal!
Yes, although I was finding after grinding off the coatings that the metal thickness varied, I was finding that the results were becoming a little less predictable as a result.
Yeah, I noticed that. It's a real mixture of stuff. Filing cabinets, covers from all sorts of different things like boiler covers, some zinc covered off-cuts. I originally started picking out pieces to practice on then when I got started on the motor I started using what was left. Some pieces were clearly too thin and I got better results with the slightly thicker stuff.
Just got to either a local agricultural supplier/wrought iron railings place, fabrication works or scrap yard. I have visited a few scrap dealers to buy box section, frames and sheet steel. You can be pleasantly surprised at what you can find.