Where do you buy your metal stock?

[dragoneggs]

I have a fab shop friend who orders anything I need for less than I could get it for and I get to dig in the drops and pay scrap price. Just lucky I guess.

Yes you are... I poked around at a couple fab shops near me and they were proud of there scraps. They pointed to a spot out back for me to pick through and there was nothing worth using other than for practicing on.

 

[Thomas]

I am luck to have steel supplier 15 miles from me and they got it all also fab shop.

 

[mikester]

I'm wondering where folks typically get their stock metal pieces from for projects? In the past I've purchased small pieces from Menards or Home Depot and I have a machine shop not too far away that sells most common stuff (angle, flat, pipe, etc.). I either buy full lengths or sometimes they have cuts from projects they've done. They can cut stuff for me but obviously that's more expensive. They sell the steel by weight. It's not a bad option but they have limited hours and are not open Saturdays or after 5pm so it makes it tough to get there for me.

I looked into some online sales places but, as expected, freight costs are gigantic for the small quantities I'd need.

Is there some other type of business that tends to stock and sell standard types of steel that I should be looking for?

Thanks,
Rob

Start buying by the ton and in stock 20, 22, 24 or 40 foot lengths. Buy your stock in bundles or by the container NOT onesies and twosies. Ask the vendor where the volume price breaks are.

Use your fork lift to unload from the flat bed trailers.

If you insist on buying small then enjoy your expensive hobby. Or wait for Walmart or amazon to provide you free shipping.

 

[ruffdog]

From the Milwaukee area, I've ordered online at Speedy Metals Online Industrial Metal Supply and they have done well for me.

Speedy Metals Online Industrial Metal Supply

They will cut stock to the length you want and package it nicely for shipping.

 

[dragoneggs]

Start buying by the ton and in stock 20, 22, 24 or 40 foot lengths. Buy your stock in bundles or by the container NOT onesies and twosies. Ask the vendor where the volume price breaks are.

Use your fork lift to unload from the flat bed trailers.

If you insist on buying small then enjoy your expensive hobby. Or wait for Walmart or amazon to provide you free shipping.

Of course that isn’t practical or even feasible for many of us.

 

[BigBlue1]

Start buying by the ton and in stock 20, 22, 24 or 40 foot lengths. Buy your stock in bundles or by the container NOT onesies and twosies. Ask the vendor where the volume price breaks are.

Use your fork lift to unload from the flat bed trailers.

If you insist on buying small then enjoy your expensive hobby. Or wait for Walmart or amazon to provide you free shipping.

My projects would never justify that quantity. If I get a 20' piece it usually lasts quite a while. My biggest project so far has been my welding table. But I do try to buy a full piece of what I'm needing so I build up.

Rob

 

[TractorGuy]

We also have a welding supply company that stocks metal. They typically have a minimum size which just limits them to one cut. Anything that is produced in 20' lengths they will only sell whole or cut in half.

I also go to a welding shop that treats me pretty fair and sometimes one is lower than the other so I generally call both for pricing before going to town. The welding shop will sell me any size I ask for but sometimes the supplier will sell me twice as much for what the small piece I need would cost from the welding shop. In that case I buy the minimum and keep the left over for future projects.

I used to go to a production fabricator that gave me the lowest price but they have been less customer friendly and want to charge an hour minimum shop time to cut even one cut.

 

[coxhaus]

I buy my steel from a metal building supply house. They seem to have the cheapest steel prices. They sell it in 20 foot lengths. I take my battery Sawzall and cut it to fit in my pickup. It is like $20 a stick for 1 1/4 inch steel tubing. I have taken my 18 foot trailer.

 

[redheelerdog]

Large steel suppliers (mine is Pacific Steel in Billings, MT) and also recyclers are the best place to buy steel. If you have a trailer get 20' sticks of strap, angle, rod, etc. and plate.

Smaller pieces, called drops are usually in a rack or bin to buy as needed and you can call and ask them if they have drops in a certain size, usually they will know.

If you have them cut or shear plate, bar, angle, etc. to size for you its a considerable extra cost and usually for me about a 4-6 day wait.

I can't stand TSC or HD for steel, the markup is astronomical.

 

[coxhaus]

I agree on TSC steel high mark up. I just needed to buy some 3/4 inch allthread and TSC was $27 for a rod. I bought it else where for $8.99. I wanted grade 8 but I could not find. One of the big supply houses in Austin Texas wanted $30 something a rod for grade 8 so I passed. I little too high.