Cost of steel?

[DaBear3428]

Steel is so ridiculously overpriced, i stopped doing plasma projects last year. On one project the price doubled WHILE i was doing the project.

on one gate project, we were quoted something like $800 for a stinking 5”x5” x 8 foot 1/4” post for a gate.

a few years ago that was a closer to $200 .

yea that was what i was finding but the local steel supplier gave me a high but non-crazy quote.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I have a small machine/fabrication company not far from me. For my DYI projects, I can generally find what I need in their cut-off/left-over rack that they'll sell pretty reasonably.
Maybe you can find a place like this. Good luck.

 

[ArlyA]

I have a small machine/fabrication company not far from me. For my DYI projects, I can generally find what I need in their cut-off/left-over rack that they'll sell pretty reasonably.
Maybe you can find a place like this. Good luck.

That is just what I do.

 

[2manyrocks]

I paid a visit to my local scrap yard last week. He said scrap prices are wayyy down and two scrap yards in nearby towns have closed up. Looks like he has been selling off material pretty hard himself to keep the cash flow going, but it means that he no longer has the inventory of useable scrap he once had. He also said one problem is that the piles of scrap metal available for him to buy have also been decreasing in the last ten years. So my go-to source for affordable metal seems to be drying up.

 

[Cub 7275]

I agree and understand but when you are planning a 4X8 welding fixture table, you need the big pieces lol. I might think about 3/8s plate but that is not the scope of this conversation, my thinking is that i find the place that has the best value on a known commodity (4X8 1/2 inch) I can then trust their prices (within reason). I will look into the scrap yards for drops and smaller pieces but that is a random supply and not the best way for me to plan.

Have you considered looking for used tables? At work we have 3 platforms 5' x 8' that are 1" thick and have a stout support structure underneath. The owner got them really cheap when a company was shutting down. They are flat enough that I suspect they were originally ground flat after the support structure was welded on. We put legs on one to use as a layout table.

Years ago at another company we made a 4 x 8 welding table with 1/2" plate and were disappointed at how out of flat the 1/2" HRS was. That company also picked up a used 6' x 6' cast fixture table with square holes that was great for laying out weldments.

 

[stuckmotor]

That is just what I do.

I was talking to a machinist about obtaining cutoffs and he said he'd only found steel that way one time and someone had pulled it from behind a work bench.
Other people have all the luck.:'(

 

[Fields_mj]

I'd contact the nearest welding/fab shop so long as you have a way of getting it home from there. For rough estimates, I use places like MetalDepot.com to figure out what I should budget, but my local welding shop normally sells it to me for at least 10% less. I'm normally buying angle iron, channel, and/or 2" square tubing for various "projects", and I make sure that I'm buying in at least 8' sticks (normally 10' or 12') so that the shop isn't having to put much labor into it. Everything is delivered to them in either 20' or 24' sticks. They don't mind cutting it in half for me so I can put it in the back of the truck and take it home (3 miles down the highway). I had one project where I needed the ends cut at 22.5 deg to form an arch. I had them cut everything to size for me so that the angles were right. I think he charged me an extra $30 to make the cuts (8 cuts all together). If he was a drinker, I would have thrown in an extra case of beer just to say thanks.

 

[DaBear3428]

Have you considered looking for used tables? At work we have 3 platforms 5' x 8' that are 1" thick and have a stout support structure underneath. The owner got them really cheap when a company was shutting down. They are flat enough that I suspect they were originally ground flat after the support structure was welded on. We put legs on one to use as a layout table.

Years ago at another company we made a 4 x 8 welding table with 1/2" plate and were disappointed at how out of flat the 1/2" HRS was. That company also picked up a used 6' x 6' cast fixture table with square holes that was great for laying out weldments.

yes i have and will continue, but none have come up even within 200 miles. as to the flat part i'm prepared to add adjusting bolts to the underside to post construction level it.
planning on doing round holes for fixturing.

 

[DaBear3428]

I'd contact the nearest welding/fab shop so long as you have a way of getting it home from there. For rough estimates, I use places like MetalDepot.com to figure out what I should budget, but my local welding shop normally sells it to me for at least 10% less. I'm normally buying angle iron, channel, and/or 2" square tubing for various "projects", and I make sure that I'm buying in at least 8' sticks (normally 10' or 12') so that the shop isn't having to put much labor into it. Everything is delivered to them in either 20' or 24' sticks. They don't mind cutting it in half for me so I can put it in the back of the truck and take it home (3 miles down the highway). I had one project where I needed the ends cut at 22.5 deg to form an arch. I had them cut everything to size for me so that the angles were right. I think he charged me an extra $30 to make the cuts (8 cuts all together). If he was a drinker, I would have thrown in an extra case of beer just to say thanks.

that is what i have been doing but the online places were giving me crazy stupid prices like i said before. one of the local suppliers gave me a high but not crazy number the other day so i'm a little more comfortable now. and i can do 24' sticks i have a trailer and pallet forks for the tractor that can handle 2000lbs.

 

[kluttzy]

I agree and understand but when you are planning a 4X8 welding fixture table, you need the big pieces lol. I might think about 3/8s plate but that is not the scope of this conversation, my thinking is that i find the place that has the best value on a known commodity (4X8 1/2 inch) I can then trust their prices (within reason). I will look into the scrap yards for drops and smaller pieces but that is a random supply and not the best way for me to plan.

You might go with thinner plate and brace the underside with material from the scrapyard. 1/2" plate is HEAVY.