Suppliers for variety of Metal stock?

[DiskDoctr]

I am looking for a supplier(s) of steel, aluminum, plastic, and even other metal stock.

I need box, angle, tubular, rod, sheet, etc. Most of it small, except for the steel.

I am prototyping with the small stuff and building tractor stuff with the large stuff.

By small, I mean things like 1/16" thick 3/4"x3/4" angle at 3'-10' lengths.

I have been going to Lowes, TSC, MSC, etc but the selection and pricing isn't so good. I am looking for a wholesaler/OEM for the business. Also would like a place where I can drive to go see the materials (no showroom necessary, I've been in lots of machine shops /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif). I am in Western PA, about 45 miles East of Pittsburgh and don't mind driving up to about 4 hrs one way for the right place. After that, I'd have to get it shipped.

Small quantities at first, about 15-20 per order, then more as things progress. In about 6 months, I'll need a large quantity of a variety to stock the new building.

I figured since there are so many self-fabricators and professionals on here, you all would have some good suppliers of materials.

So Antie up! Who is your favorite/best supplier for raw materials?

Thanks!

-JC

 

[Inspector507]

DiskDoctr
Lots of raw materials, steel, brass, aluminum, etc on eBay under the Business/Industrial heading. They especially have lots of the small stuff

 

[GeneD14]

Check out http://www.mcmaster.com/ they have everything you need and alot more. Our engineering dept. uses them fpr a kinds of specialty materials.

 

[boustany]

Try

www.metalsupermarkets.com

They have retail locations all over North America including Pittsburg and Temple, whereever that is.

Usually you can find cheaper, but there are pretty good and cut stuff for yah, etc..

 

[Larry_Van_Horn]

DiskDoctr,
I would suggest that you look in the phonebook for steel suppliers in your area. We have one in Rochester called Rochester Steel Surplus. I can just drive up and walk through the warehouse pulling whatever I want off and throwing it on the scale, and pay by the pund regardless of stock. Seldom leave with less than 500 pounds /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif. I can't imagine buying steel from anywhere that I couldn't pick it up - shipping would kill me.
Larry

 

[MadReferee]

I would let my fingers do the walking thru the Yellow Pages phone book. Look under Steel Distributors/Warehouses. Or call some machine shops or fabricators and ask them who their supplier is.

You should have no problem finding several suppliers within 1 hour of you. Most suppliers will sell small quantities if you pick it up and some will actually deliver small quantities.

45 miles east of Pittsburgh puts you beyond Murrysville but before Indiana off rte 22 right? There used to be a supplier out that way on rte 22. There was also a bulldozer graveyard out that way too.

 

[RonR]

Doc,

We are fortunate to have a nice surplus store here that deals in used metal. In the past several years, they have expanded their lines of metal and have a great selection of heavier stuff (angle, I beams, flat, round, etc). They charge by the pound for most of the stuff, so the price is good. Most of it is new 20' sticks, but it is stored outside, so it is rusty, which is not a big deal for me.

If you can find a place like that, you can save some $$$.

This place will do one free cut on a 20' stick, so you can fit it in a pickup.

Best wishes,
Ron

 

[SPIKER]

check welding fabrication in the phone book, let them make up the light gauge stuff on a break, and buy the drops form them. we sell stuff that way a lot. sell it cheaply too. but if it has to be handled much cost goes up. but often we cut and bend all the parts needed for soem guys project and usually at a price that he could not even buy the raw materaisl for and they are all to size ...

Mark M

 

[PineRidge]

Larry is giving you good advice. We have a few local steel suppliers as well that buy up large or small lots and then sell it by the pound. I have visited them to buy a short piece for a particular project or on occasion for a large lot. The prices fluctuate with the market and are really hard to beat. They come in well under the retail stores and have a much, much better selection. The biggest in my area is Summit Steel Supply.

 

[DiskDoctr]

Wow, fast responses!

This is exactly the type of info I am looking for.

Feel free to continue adding, even for different areas, as this can be a good resource for others, too.

Thanks!

-JC

 

[Tomcat]

Here is another source for small quantities of metal stock.
www.onlinemetals.com

 

[bgott]

I have a company a couple of blocks from me that builds steel railing that will sell me metal out the door. They even let me dig in their scrap box. If you have time to root around your local scrap yard is a good place to look. They will sell you metal by the pound and you wouldn't believe the goodies they have lying around.

 

[v8dave]

I whole heartedly support the suggestion to look up a surplus metals house. They are always in the "industrial" areas of large towns. They buy from the fabrication shops in these areas. No fab shops, no surplus.

You ask about steel but, I've also bought aluminum and brass at these places. Buy it by the pound mostly, although some specialty stuff is priced "as marked."

Some of these places will have piece parts for sale as scrap metal. For instance; about half of the shops I frequented had a bin/barrel full of caster wheels. Another had aluminum, heat sinks--brand new--as scrap.

Don't just do business with just one if several are available. Visit them all, you will get a feel for what type of metals/forms/shapes each specializes in and be able to more reliably get material at the spur of the moment.

You need to visit frequently as their stock changes constantly. One place had a large stock of 1/4" aluminum diamond plate. I kept looking at it each trip, but, by the time I decided that would make good decking for a car trailer, they had sold it all out.

They are great for hobby and one-off projects. But, you'll likely find they won't be able to fill any production quantity orders, especially not repetetive orders of the same stock. You need the jobbers for that stuff.

Drive your truck, bring rope, braces and a tape measure. Wear old clothes and gloves because you are going to load it yourself, get down and dirty and have a ball. There is no such thing as a quick trip to surplus metals store, You've got to look at all their stock.

Dave

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

We have a couple very good ones here in town. I've had real good luck getting steel and other metals from them. One will even cut (rough with a torch) smaller pieces off for me so if I just need a 2' x 2' piece of 3/4" flat stock and all they have are 2' x 10' pieces it's not a problem. They don't charge for this, either.

The other place may well do this, too. I've just never needed to ask there. They also buy scrap. I've taken things in there to sell and found something I wanted and they've just loaded it on my trailer after they off load my scrap so that when I weigh out I'm effectively 'buying' it for the scrap price they pay. Needless to say, I think that's a great deal. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[texbaylea]

For the small stuff, look for a magazine called "Home Shop Machinist" It is full of ads from metal suppliers specializing in small orders and small size stuff.

Good Luck
Vernon