New to buying steel -what to ask for at supplier

[Mark @ Everlast]

I've done a couple of welding projects, but have worked from plans with a material list. I have just gone in with my list to the only supplier in town and ended up with what I needed. This time, I'm doing my own design (a snow plow sub-frame) so I have to do my own list. I know I'm going to need some flat plate so do I just ask for thickness, width and length or are there standard widths? What are some of the standard terms I should be using - when is a piece a plate and not a bar? So if I need a couple of feet of 3/8" x 4"W steel, what do I ask for? Just trying not to look too stupid...

I haven't seen a direct answer to your question yet...sooooo....

6" and under in width is considered flat bar here....which is about as wide as you can get before you need to start considering buying plate and have it chopped to width. 4" is definitely flat bar.

 

[Shield Arc]

That's interesting, never really thought about it so I had to pull out the book. Every steel supplier must be different. The steel supplier I mostly deal with carries up to 2" x 8" flatbar stock length of 20-feet. But they have stock of "Hot Rolled Strips", up to 3/16" x 12" stock length of 20-feet.

 

[lhfarm]

This has been very helpful. I did draw up a sketch of my original idea and it wasn't going to work. So I'm back to the drawing board, but with a much better idea of materials I'm going to need.

Thanks,

 

[moored4]

This has been very helpful. I did draw up a sketch of my original idea and it wasn't going to work. So I'm back to the drawing board, but with a much better idea of materials I'm going to need.

Thanks,

Just curious but what are you planning on building?

 

[jmc]

This has been very helpful. I did draw up a sketch of my original idea and it wasn't going to work. So I'm back to the drawing board, but with a much better idea of materials I'm going to need.

Thanks,

Back in the good old days before Bloomington lost its big steel users, it was more efficient to design around what you could find at the salvage yards than finding a particuliar stock size after the fact.

 

[lhfarm]

Just curious but what are you planning on building? [/SIZE]

I have an FEL mounted snowplow and I want to move the connection to the back of the QA, like foggy1111 did here http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/225458-front-end-loader-snow-plow-2.html However, I have a multi-use QA plate that I've welded a HF 3pt QA to the front, so I wanted to be able to remove as much of the backside hardware as possible when I'm not using the plate for the snowplow. I'll post pictures in another thread as I get further along.

Back in the good old days before Bloomington lost its big steel users, it was more efficient to design around what you could find at the salvage yards than finding a particuliar stock size after the fact.

Kroot, the big recycling and salvaging yard in Columbus has a brand new big new steel facility. I've never felt comfortable wandering around either. The staff has always been nice to deal with and I'm sure if I go in with a plan they will help me out.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Our "best" steel supplier is also a manufacturer of very large logging equipment (well they do repairs, custom builds, bla blah blah).

I have stopped telling them what I want and have just taken a good set of drawings in and had them tell me what I want. They have re-engineered a number of things for me, saving me money and time. They seem to enjoy working with the less experienced client and are always happy to throw in their ideas.

Carl

 

[jake98]

I'm working in Port Newark, NJ this week, and I hear there's great yard there. Gonna try to get there tomorrow. Big wreck on 287 this morning, took me 2:30 to get to work. Saw the helicopters over the interstate and knew it was time to bail.

 

[jmc]

I have stopped telling them what I want and have just taken a good set of drawings in and had them tell me what I want. They have re-engineered a number of things for me, saving me money and time. They seem to enjoy working with the less experienced client and are always happy to throw in their ideas.

Carl

That's ideal. Do they like free donuts?

 

[jmc]

Kroot, the big recycling and salvaging yard in Columbus has a brand new big new steel facility. I've never felt comfortable wandering around either.

I don't blame you: http://www.kroots.com/images/oldkroot01.jpg

Thanks for the tip though. I'm going to come over there and check them out.