gas check material--is one better (or worse) than another??

[handyman77]

New to the game and starting to order supplies---any help would be appreciated.

[fcvan]

There are different types of material and different vendors have material that is hard or soft. I make my plain based checks out of soda can and Amerimax Aluminum flashing measuring .0105 thick, and am ordering some that is .0078 thick. A buddy sent me some checks he made using lithograph plate and they look good. He swears by the stuff. My regular gas checks are made with Amerimax flashing that is .014 thick, and that stuff is great. You can go to Yonky's site, Coil and foil, and he sells rolls that are pre cut. Yonkey is a vendor here. Good luck!

[handyman77]

much appreciated

[DukeInFlorida]

You should size the raw material for the caliber of the gas checks.

I use .010/.012 thick material for 22 caliber gas checks
I use .014 thick material for 30 caliber gas checks
I use .014 thick material for 44 mag gas checks
I use .022/.023 thick material for 50 caliber gas checks.

It is NOT one size fits all.

[Mike Hughes]

Duke, where are you getting the .022/.023 material? I have been making .50 checks, but have had trouble finding anything that thick. I am currently using .018 Amerimax roof gutter and a layer of .004 soda can.

[handyman77]

Duke---that is something I did not think of---thanx---HM77

[Forrest r]

If your going to buy material (flashing) from a store make sure you check the thickness of it. Ans also check to see how soft it is. Simply check a corner of the roll of flashing you look at. The corner should easily bend back & stay bent. If the material seems hard to bend or feels springs as you slowly bend a corner or you let go of the corner & get a twwwwwaaaaannnnnngggg as the material snaps back. Leave that material along, it's too hard & will make terrible checks & have a hard time crimping/staying on the bullets.

In my area I went to 4 different hardware stores looking for gc material, looked at over 100 rolls from different mfg's, differet sizes, different thicknesses. After all that I ended up with 3 rolls of material that were soft enough to use & 1 of them was .008" thick that I don't use. But I figured I buy it & keep it around, you never know.

Good luck

[yonky]

Mike, I have 3/4" x.020" in 3003 hh coils, let me know if I can help. Ian

[tjones]

Is one better that the other? Received my Freechex III 357 and it came with white backed .008" aluminum samples fm: yonky , but also .009 brass which made the most beautiful flawless checks I've seen in a while. What is the white coating? I'll keep it inboard to be safe. Obviously brass not an issue. tj

[Sagebrush7]

Is one better that the other? Received my Freechex III 357 and it came with white backed .008" aluminum samples fm: yonky , but also .009 brass which made the most beautiful flawless checks I've seen in a while. What is the white coating? I'll keep it inboard to be safe. Obviously brass not an issue. tj

TJ , Charlie probably sent you some .008 used Litho plate that Jeff and I sent him. Comes blue, black,red and yellow. Turn the ink stain inside. Cheaper than brass and easier to work with.

[yonky]

Is one better that the other? Received my Freechex III 357 and it came with white backed .008" aluminum samples fm: yonky , but also .009 brass which made the most beautiful flawless checks I've seen in a while. What is the white coating? I'll keep it inboard to be safe. Obviously brass not an issue. tj

TJ, the sample you had from Charlie is defiantly from me, it's painted one side as its used for cosmetic reasons its the white strip you see on suspended ceilings it is formed around the steel section that's why it only needs to be painted one side.btw Charlie recommends putting the white painted side on the inside of the check.

[shadowcaster]

Make sure you take your micrometer with you when you hunt up GC material. You will find surprising differences even from the same manufacturer.

Shad

[fixit156]

Duke what brand of material are you using for 22 gas checks
I use .010/.012 thick material for 22 caliber gas checks

Thanks