On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 21:15:00 -0400, meirman
wrote:

This seems obvious, but if you don't mind, I wanted to check first.
Which is harder to bend for the same thickness, zinc-plated steel or
aluminum?

They sell 26 gauge steel at Lowe's, which according to one web page
should be .0179 inches thick.
The aluminum is .016 inches thick.

Anything much thicker would be too thick to fit.


I thought steel was stiffer, and one page says it is three times as
stiff,
http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:EUguRlm-7ugJ:www.bebop.com/old%2520web%2520text/pages/appliedmata101.html+aluminum+steel+stiffness&hl=en &lr=lang_en|lang_iw|lang_es
but I found some page on bicycle frames that seemed to claim that
aluminmum was, although I guess that is aluminum that is as thick as
it must be to be as strong as steel.
http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:7DA0YencvJYJ:www.epinions.com/content_1285660804+aluminum+steel+stiffness&hl=en& lr=lang_en|lang_iw|lang_es
But another webpage says that current alloys of aluminum are as
?strong? as steel.

I had this small sheet of something, I guess it is aluminum**, and I
made a bracket for a cup holder for my cup-holderless car.


**It conducts electricity, but isn't attracted to a magent. It's
silver color and came out of a stereo amp or something. 6" x 8" I
don't remember what it did there.

Thanks.

Meirman


Depends on the alloy for both and then with regard to bending or
resistance to bending you need to know the specific tensile strength
and yield strength.

I would venture to say if you are buying sheet material from Lowes,
aluminum would be the easiest to bend, but in those thicknesses
neither would be a chore. However, if you need strength after the
bend (ability to not loose the new shape) the steel may be better.