Opinions on unusual satoshi mesh..

My fiberglass is curing as I type this and I am hoping to finish my satoshi grille before the weekend. I want to use a grille mesh with smaller holes than what others use. I want it to allow airflow however be harder to actually see through. I notice with the grillcraft mesh, and custom car grilles mesh, that from certain angles you can still see right through it.

I found some perforated metal sheets locally that have much smaller holes however it is a weird design. All I could find on it says it is simply called "Lincane" pattern. It looks a little decorative however once painted black I think it will look much better and will be harder to see through due to the smaller holes. Posting a photo below of the pattern and want others opinions of how you feel it would look...thanks. By the way the metal is at Lowes and costs 24 dollars for a 36 x 48 sheet. It is not the same grille from Lowes that I have seen others use.
http://www.accurateperforating.com/images/patterns/large/O010.jpg


Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

Forgot to add that the metal is pretty thin and has a little flex to it. When I cut a smaller section for the actual grille it may improve however if not I may simply double stack 2 sections if I can work it that way.

Can anyone give me an idea of how sturdy (thick) the mesh is that others use? If I can not get this to work I will most likely use the cheaper stuff from customcargrills however I am really wanting to buy locally to save time. My other reason for wanting to use this pattern is you have to see it in person to actually see how hard it is to see through.

From the right angles I have seen photos of others grilles that look great....then from another angle it looks like there is nothing covering the opening at all.

 

My fiberglass has cured and set up pretty well now. I am going to try and finish this by the weekend and will try ang get a few pics once I get the perforated sheet in place.

 

looks kinda cool, be sure to post some pics!

 

I will get a few pics later this week. I am mostly worried about the toughness of the metal as again it is thin. It does not bend when I hold it straigh out with one hand however if I tried to I could fold it in half.

I feel that small rocks or road debris would put dents in it if it was struck hard enough. I actually am thinking about using the thicker grill from Lowes that looks like the barbeque type stuff and placing a backing sheet of the thinner stuff behind it.

I know the grill craft stuff is top quality but honestly it is just a metal mesh and I feel 200 dollars is crazy to pay for such a simple item. If I have to order online I plan to use the 40 dollar customcargrill mesh and maybe some screen mesh behind that to make it harder to see through.

 

The sanding is the hardest part and I have not even started on the chrome surround yet....surely not a weekend project but very fun none the less.

 

If you use this grill material, watch your temperature gauge, especially on hot days. It looks like it might reduce the airflow through the grill area and might cause overheating. Otherwise, should look good when painted black.

 

I never really thought about airflow however you may be correct and I am now a little worried. How much does the actual grill opening effect temp.? is it really a big factor? There are very many holes in this grill mesh however they are very small so I do not know how much air will move through to the radiator

 

I dont see that really affecting the temp to much, maybe alittle less airflow but you never know untill you try it.

 

Well I do not have very much money invested in this however I do have much of my time and effort put in....hate to scrap the project so I am going to try this stuff first. If it restricts airflow too much I will order the 40 dollar mesh from customcargrills however no way will I pay 200 dollars for some simple mesh from grillcraft.

 

that stuff looks kinda funky imo. looks like some kind of decorative screen from hobby lobby or something.

 

Yes it does have a touch of decorative look to it and it is pretty thin.....best thing I feel it has going for it is that it is hard to see through. I think a coat of satin black or maybe gloss will help blend the pattern and when fully mounted with a color matched grill it may look better....I hope.

 

just keep going man. youll never know until your done and its on your truck.

 

x2 exactly what i was thinking

 

When I did mine, I used a woven type of stainless mesh then painted it black. Im guessing around 1/4" holes. When I cut it to size I was able to compress the material to make the holes close up...like a scissor affect.

I made my grill from an old filter screen from a cement sift.....

 

Lookin good!

 

check this out


http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/92647-satoshi-mesh-material.html

 

Hey Robocop , that screen pattern is meant to look like the caning in the seats of old chairs , probably where " Lincane " comes from , looks interesting . I wondered if it would sound like 100 kazoos out front when you are rolling down the highway though .

Keep us updated when you go for a spin ,

OZ

 

Oz if this thing sounds like a Kazoo after all the work I have put in to it I will beat it with a hammer......now I really am worried.

I searched all the threads before starting this mod and did find the Lowes Link to that mesh. I really wanted that mesh as it looked perfect for what I wanted. I searched Lowes site and entered the part number for my entire state and it said "price unavailable"....I visited my local Lowes and the part number would not even register on their system.

Once I finish all the bondo and sanding I may simply switch to some other material if this Lincane stuff does not work well.

 

Robo , didn't mean to get you uptight , it may work great and I like the look ,

let us know how it works out