Tin plate

Many years ago I was given several sheets of "tin plate", steel coated with tin. The sheets were about 2 feet square and 0.025" thick. The tin appeared to have been applied by dipping rather then electro methods. I have now used up my stock and am looking for a more.

All I have found so far are suppliers of coils for the tin can industry and very thin small sheets electroplated with tin for model making.

Anyone know of a supplier for the tinplate I have described?

Thanks, John

Hi John,

KS metals list tin sheet in thicknesses .008 to .013. Link to their website below.

http://www.ksmetals.com/30.html

KS also have lots of other tubes rods shapes and sheet in many other metals.

Hobby shops often have a rack display of KS metal lengths and sheets. They may be able to get tin sheet if not on the display.

I have no connection to KS except as a satisfied customer, I've used their products for many years.

Good luck. JD

I restore vintage cars and we used to use Tern plate but it got banned by the EU! So now I make up the parts I need in bright steel plate and then get them tin plated.I use these people for the tin plating and are very good. **LINK**.

Hi John MC,

Try here :- http://www.uktinplate.com/sales/.

Usual disclaimer...no connection.

Trevor

Edwards Metal Supplies in Birmingham do Tinplate up to 3X thickness, if memory serves me that's 0.019" but it's usually electroplate not hot dipped. size is 37" x 34". William Corbett in Ammanford was our supplier, they did hot dipped as well in 6X and D6X, (0.028" and 0.036" ) don't know whether they would supply a hobby amount. For info believe that 0.024" was known in the trade as 5X.

Edited By Graham Williams 5 on 18/03/2018 13:25:58

Edited By Graham Williams 5 on 18/03/2018 13:26:55

Edited By Graham Williams 5 on 18/03/2018 13:27:40

Hi John

Where are you in the country? I have several 2 foot square sheets in the garage you are welcome to some. Nearest major town Cambridge.

Paul

Try car spares shops.

Clifford of Brighton stock 3 diff. thicknesses of standard sizes, I think they may be 2ft square?? Long time since I needed to isit so cannot remember actual sizes. They are in neighbouring Hove,actually. School Road off Portland Road. Probably many places like them around the country.

See if you can get the tin drums cooking oil comes in from a friendly take-away.

You may have to use paint stripper on it, of course.

I've used biscuit tins before now, you can get a 10" square out of most of them and a decent gauge.

Neil

Thanks for all the suggestions regarding tinplate suppliers. I've looked in to the suppliers mentioned some time ago, KS metals only do small pieces in a very thin gauge. Cliffords have closed. "uktinplate" industry only. The one new supplier to me, Edwards, is promising, waiting on a reply to my inquiry.

It seems that tin is applied by electro methods now, the hot dip being obsolete. I like tinplate for its ease of joining, I've used it for the sheet metal on various models, boiler lagging, water tanks, tender bodies and, in the past, enclosures for my occasional forays into electronics. (I hope Maplins survive, useful range of plastic enclosures stocked) I find the thickness of oil drums too thin, I like a it of thickness to work with!

And thanks Graham W5 for reminding of the thickness grades. How and what was that related to? The remaining small piece I have has XXXXX lightly stamped in one corner.

Paul R, thanks for your offer, I'm 100+ miles away so not practical, unfortunately.

John

John,

RS components sell it in sheets 500 x 300 in various thicknesses and in packs of 10. 0.6mm thick is about £75.

Search for "steel sheet", or "tinned sheet".

Regards Tom

John. No idea about how the thicknesses came to be known by those grades, was just something the trade used, used to buy it in tons at one time, we made moulds for the food trade and main company was big in kitchenware, think it's likely it's all made abroad now. We bought it from 0.008" thick (Tagger), was some sort of fuse for the MOD, through to D6X for heavyweight moulds, mostly presswork but some spinning. You could get it in various sizes as well. Presume the X's on your sample relate to 5X (0.024" though never seen any so marked.

Neil's suggestion of recycling the probably 20 litre drums of cooking oil from Take Aways is a good one. The material is free, and you are doing the outlet a favour, as well as the environment.

Howard

When needing tinplate sections for the radiator on my kit car I made my own 'tinplate' by acid etching steel sheet and the heating and coating it in solder - the big solder sticks used for car body repairs.

It worked a dream and the fittings were so easily sweated onto each other. This method is used by our local radiator specialists who make replacement radiators for serious classic cars.

OK the coating s lead and tin but the function is the same except for food purposes.

As Neil said, check out the local take-away although this may be be a little thin for your requirements it makes nice fuel tanks, just remove the paint from the bits that you want to solder.

* Danny M *

Edited By Danny M2Z on 23/03/2018 10:03:01

When I asked our canteen a few years ago they had just, the week before, switched to plastic containers and anyway they needed them to return the used oil for official recycling. Only 1 in 10 was available because of the oil retained on the food anyway. I have since had some plastic ones for rainwater storage off the local takeaway. Tin is old tech.