Running Board Material

[Blondie_486]

The squares are raised.I am not sure of the correct terminology to describe the plate. It is not expanded metsl. I am thinking that perhaps the material was proprietory so the supply may have been limited. I am hoping that someone out there may have seen it on some othere piece of equipment that may be common in the area that I am in. Thanks for the help so far.

Byron

The plate you're after is tread plate. It used to be common in years past, I've worked with it before and even have a few customers who still have decks with it on. I'm not sure if it's available anymore or not though all of the tread plate I've used in the past 20 or so years has been the diamond pattern. I do remember when I was a teenager decking some mine sleds that went to the sulfur mines in Florida. That was also the project where the shop discovered what zinc poisoning was after I was hospitalized with it and nearly cost me my life.

I will try to ask around tomorrow and see if any of my suppliers have it or can get it. That is if my old-timers allows me to remember it by morning!!!

What thickness do you need and what is the approximate size of the squares?

[MrH]

I have seen some plate similar to the item you are referring to.We called it tread plate it was about a quarter of an inch thick and was used on thresholds ramps etc in textile mills way before diamond plate (100 years ago) (I am only 70). You could possibly research the OEM of your running boards via the Thompson Museum in Cleveland Ohio (I think) which I used for research when I restored a 1929 REO about thirty years ago I will check my notes and if I am incorrect I will post info. Have fun.

[MrH]

As a follow up to my thread, The Ohio Museum is now the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. Also take a look at or talk to people at the REOlds Museum in Lansing

[Blondie_486]

I checked with all of my steel suppliers this week. Only one of the sales people even knew what I was talking about, most were too young to even remember the stuff. The one guy I did talk to that knew what I was after said he hadn't seen any in a good 20 years or better. I even checked with Ryerson who can normally supply me with the hard to find stuff and no luck with them either. My best supplier though went out of business last week. This surprises me as I had just ordered from them 2 weeks ago and no mention of closing down. Another 40 or 50 people hit the unemployment line. I hope this ends soon!