Expanded Metal needs U Edging

[Westexbbq]

Replacing the old, tired and worn out grill grates in my old NB silver smoker that I use only for charcoal grilling these days, and got a perfect sized sheet of expanded metal, 1/2" x 32" x 16", A36 mild steel 13 Gauge. Now all I need is the U edging to finish the ends all around just to make it a bit more rigid.

Is stuff like this available at say Home Depot or perhaps a good old fashioned hardware store?

I'll appreciate any feeback, info advice or ideas.
Thanks,
Wes

[IamMadMan]

Some metal suppliers can bend it on the break for you at a small charge.

[azken]

Look for a sheetmetal/AC shop nearby they could probably take a few minutes to do it

[seattlepitboss]

Suggest you take a short cut. Cut some pieces of flat bar and lay them flat to form a frame the size of your desired cooking grate. Weld the joints and sand flat. Cut your expando and lay it over the top. Use your MIG gun to shoot the wire so it hits the flat bar towards the end of a diamond, then run the puddle up into the expando.

Grates like this are quite rigid and plenty strong enough, while being thinner (lower profile) than the traditional ones made from 3/4x1/8" angle iron frames.

If you are dead set on U-metal I'd simply clamp two thin pieces of flat stock over each edge of your expando and plug weld right through every few inches. You'll have to sand the plug welds flat, but the edges will be safe and it will be nearly as strong.

seattlepitboss