SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Senior Airman John McKenzie, 4th Equipment Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance journeyman, cuts metal patches for an aircraft replacement part at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., Feb. 12, 2010. To cut the patches, Airman McKenzie uses throatless shears, a cutting tool that makes straight and complex cuts in sheet metal. Airman McKenzie hails from Roseville, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ciara Wymbs)

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SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Senior Airman John McKenzie, 4th Equipment Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance journeyman, fabricates metal on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., Feb. 12, 2010. To fabricate sheet metal, he uses a sanding machine to trim it down and make the edges smooth. Airman McKenzie is from Roseville, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ciara Wymbs)

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SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Senior Airman John McKenzie, 4th Equipment Maintenance Squadron aircraft maintenance journeyman, drills holes into an aircraft part to remove damage on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., Feb. 12, 2010. He will use the holes to secure a new piece of sheet metal with fasteners to patch the damaged area. Airman McKenzie hails from Roseville, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ciara Wymbs)

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One layer at a time

Published Feb. 12, 2010
By Senior Airman Ciara Wymbs
4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Sheet metal is one of the fundamental products used in metalworking. It can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes and sizes and the thickness can vary significantly. The names for extremely thin pieces are foil or leaf, and pieces thicker than six milimeters is referred to as plate. The thickness of sheet metal determines its gauge. The gauge of sheet metal ranges from eight gauge to 30 gauge, the higher the gauge, the thinner the metal. Sheet metal has applications in car bodies, airplane wings, medical tables, roofs and many other things. Historically, an important use of sheet metal was in plate armor worn by cavalry, and it continues to have many decorative uses.