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• HiHo Junior Member
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  #1

  Where Does Everyone Buy Their Steel

  01-03-2007, 07:51 PM Was wondering where everyone gets their steel to make all these nice projects that I see on this board. Most listing in my local phone book seem like they wouldn’t want to deal with a small time welder. My local Home Depot or Sears Hardware in Phila, PA sells angle, for example 2”x2”x4’ @1/8” thick, for about $13. Seems like alot but is that comparable to what you guys pay? And unfortunately, I can find box shapes or C-channel in those places. I see there are a couple of online retailers - one of which is www.allmetalsinc.com - that would seem to work perfectly for me but it seems expensive considering shipping. Thanks. Tags: None
• metallurgy Senior Member
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  #2 01-03-2007, 07:54 PM I went to a scrap yard and it costed way too much (for me), but cheaper than what you said.. Metallurgy

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• kinelbor Member
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  #3 01-03-2007, 08:12 PM I get mine from a local steel supplier. They do any amount, companies could special order stuff or I could go in and buy a foot of something. Prices there are about $0.60 hot rolled $0.70 cold rolled. 1x1 thinwall square tubing is $1 a foot. I find that Lowes and HD are about a 400% markup or more over where I get mine.

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• rvannatta Senior Member
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  #4 01-03-2007, 08:25 PM Originally posted by metallurgy View Post I went to a scrap yard and it costed way too much (for me), but cheaper than what you said.. Depends on where you are, but we get ours in Portland, OR in a couple of places. Lots of steel is sold in small amounts. Shucks when US STeel had a warehouse in Portland we bought steel there. Many times the little guys can buy out of the scrap bin. the usually have a good price on the scrap pile (relatively speaking) they cut orders and piecethat is left over hits the scrap bin--- though it may be exactly what you want. If you are buying roundstock to work in your lathe etc. we go to Pacific Tool Steel in Portland. --- the specialize in all types of round stock and many machiniest buy to order and if you need 6 inches of round something---they will cut it for you. We buy the plate and angle at a place called "the steel yard" on col. Bvd in Portland and they sell in any quanity you want on your truck/trailer/pickup/shopping cart the cut pieces for a price -- and then keep the scraps but charge you for the whole plate if it is a plate cut.... Unless you buy out of the scrap pile. www.vannattabros.com/shop.html Miller Bobcat 225G Miller Spectrum 375 (gone) Lincoln Pro-Cut 80 Miller Big 40 (going--going...) Lincoln Vantage 400 welding rig at: www.vannattabros.com/truck51.html

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• DetailerDave Senior Member
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  #5 01-03-2007, 08:41 PM I get mine from a local steel warehouse/supplier. And lucky for me, I happen to work for the company that owns it! I get everything for cost, that I don't manage to get for free.

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• 84ZMike Senior Member
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  #6 01-03-2007, 08:50 PM I am always at Lowes, Home Depot, and allot of warehouses etc.....try looking in the back next to the dumpsters etc......I have found some metal etc that could be used for projects....all you have to do is ask......most times the shipping /recieving manager is happy to see it taken away. Mike George W. Bush saving your butt whether you like it or not! If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace. Thomas Paine Fear is temporary, regret is forever HH210 w S.G. Victor/Uniweld O/P Dewalt Chop Saw

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• Hotfoot Senior Member
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  #7 01-03-2007, 09:08 PM For bedframes, shelving, etc. the local Thrift Shop gets a lot of "donations" they don't want or need. tell them what you are looking for, and they wiill probably let you load up stuff og your choosing for free. I get alot of stuff from my local one...but I also buy a lot of cheap rusty junk from them on a regular basis. They have to have people come haul the other stuff off to the dump, so they don't really care who gets it (usually...unless Good 'ol Bubba has bonded with them and gets it all). I buy all my new bar, strap, angle, square, etc.from my local Meuller Steel Buildings. they are well stocked, friendly, and beat the socks off the other 'metal yard' around here...so it may help to look at similar businesses in your area. Call and price a piece of one (it'll probably be 20' piece, so ask if the first is free-which it is at my Meuller's), and then call some others so you can compare. Mutip[le cuts to fit it in acar will cost more, the 10'er's carry nicely nestled on my F150's headache rack. "Good Enough Never Is"

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• Jim-Tx Senior Member
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  #8 01-03-2007, 09:27 PM Meullers just took over my local supplier, Hirchfeld Steel, here in Abilene. I haven't been out there yet, but I hope they are stocked on the stuff I use like small rounds, tubing, flats, and angles. About 99% of what I do now is ornamental so I don't use big stuff. Jim Miller MM 210 Miller Dialarc 250P Airco 225 engine driven Victor O/A Lots of other tools and always wanting more

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• c25 Senior Member
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  #9 01-03-2007, 10:37 PM First call every scrap metal place in your phone book and ask if they sell recycled steel to the public. Most don't but you will find one or two that pulls the good stuff aside to sell tube, plate, billet, etc to the public at a per pound price. Don't ask if they have 2x2x.120 angle iron, finding out what they have today is your job and is half the fun. Find some local businesses that work with steel, walk up to the receptionist or manager (he's usually easy to spot) and ask if you can raid the scrap metal bin (be polite). If he says yes and you go there on a semi-regular basis find out what kind of beer he drinks and bring a 6 pack every few trips. After making friends at the places above you'll probably have the name of some people at the new steel yards, if not just walk in to your local yards and ask them to sell you steel. No one says no to cash, and if they do just find another place to go. I try and make my orders at these places big so it's worth my time to deal with them and thier time to take my order.

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• Perry Senior Member
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  #10 01-04-2007, 12:31 AM I live in East Texas and just started welding. I asked around and was told that Jennings scrap yard was the best in the area. I went to the scrap yard and they were very friendly. The guy behind the counter said they have an open yard. Racks of new metal right outside the office and the yard to the right of that was piles of scrap. They make the first cut on each piece free so that it can fit in your truck or trailer. I bought several pieces of new material and a piece of used plate. They cut them to size and loaded them into my truck. All I had to do was take it home and start projects. Lowes, Home Depot and Ace Hardware were about 450 % higher in price. Regards, Perry

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• ZRX61 Senior Member
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  #11 01-04-2007, 01:22 AM I had a pile delivered this morning from Pattons. Asked them to call me before delivery... so the doofus driving the **** truck called me from the other end of my driveway... Prices were: 2x .120sq tube $99.0 for 3x 20ft sticks 1x2 120 rect tube $85.80 for 3x 20ft sticks 1x .060 sq tube $18.90 for 3x 20ft sticks .75x .060 sq tube$14.10 for 3x 20ft sticks & $60.60 for a 20ft stick of 2x .25 sq tube Making a bedframe from the 2x1 & 2x2 .120 tube. Cut 6 pieces from one of the 20ft sticks 2x2 this afternoon & ended up with 1in of scrap... Guess I shoulda made each piece 1/8in longer & end up with 1/4 in scrap...maybe next time.... MM210 Syncro200 Spectrum375

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• rmack898 Senior Member
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  #12 01-04-2007, 04:24 AM HiHo, If you are in Philly then you need to take a ride across the bridge and go to Fazio's in Glassboro, NJ. It's an amazing place and you need to plan on at least 2 hours to go through the place and even then you won't see it all. I just looked at my last invoice and a 20' stick of 1-1/2" x 1/8 angle MS was $11.95 I make a trip there at least once a month and it is over an hour away for me, I'm sure it's only about 20 ninutes from Philly. Mac ______________ MM135 MM251 Dynasty 200 DX Hypertherm 380 Can't have enough tools

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• whateg0 Senior Member
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  #13 01-04-2007, 12:24 PM I get the majority of my steel from a welder out west of Wichita. He keeps a pretty good selection in stock and will sell me whatever quantity I need. I try to buy enough at one time to make it worth his while to stop what he's doing and take care of me. Aluminum I get from a surplus store here. With all the aircraft mfrs here, they have a great selection. Recommendation: check local fab/welding shops, scrap yards, and then steel suppliers. Oh, and sometimes the convenience of HD or Lowes makes the outrageous prices worthwhile. Dave Still building my new old truck - see the progress! http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/65...-coe-idea.html http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtal...ad.php?t=27017 Square Wave TIG 200 - Woot! MM180 SP125+

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• taylorkh Senior Member
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  #14 01-04-2007, 04:16 PM After visiting a couple of scrap yards within 20 miles (one did not sell retail and the other was not keen on having anyone poking around) I headed home and was about ready to get some prices from a supplier the next day. As I turned off the highway onto my country road I saw a little sign pointing to "Wise Recycling". I had seen the sign before but had no idea what the were/did. Turns out they recycle all sorts of metal. The manager said "sure, look around - if there is anything too big let me know and I will load if for you" So I looked around for a while. Just like a candy store! Only a mile from the house!!! I went back the next Tuesday (Tuesday and Thursday mornings are slow times - better to poke around and not get in the way). I loaded some various angel, channel, square tube etc. Went to the scales - 198 pounds. Back to the office (I hadn't asked about price) and one of the yard workers grabs the calculator and computes $198.00 - so I ask where they would like the metal stacked. The lady who runs the office took away the calculator, ran the dude out of the office and computed $19.80. That's more like it. 10 cents/pound - can't buy beans for that these days. Today I went back - needed some thin angle - found a bunch of 5' long pieces of 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 14 gage - the corners were already miter cut! Also some flat 14 gage strips 4" x 5' and a few 10 gage galvanized disks about 7' diameter - stamped with 0 - 180 degrees marks - from -the local satelite disk maker I guess. All this was brand new! Then I poked around some heavy stuff - found a piece of 2" x 3" X 1/4" wall tube - just shy of 7' long - heavier than I wanted but brand new and stamped USA. Another 160# of metal to play with. I computed the cost of the tube to be $4.70 - new retail is $70+ I should have picked up a half dozen more. I could easily stack 5 tons of steel in my yard - not that I would ever use it. The place is Wise Recycling in Clayton, NC Just off HW 70 about 2.5 miles East of the HW 42E intersection with HW 70. 919 553-9009

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• boilerman Senior Member
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  #15 01-04-2007, 05:45 PM Originally posted by HiHo View Post Was wondering where everyone gets their steel to make all these nice projects that I see on this board. Most listing in my local phone book seem like they wouldn’t want to deal with a small time welder. My local Home Depot or Sears Hardware in Phila, PA sells angle, for example 2”x2”x4’ @1/8” thick, for about $13. Seems like alot but is that comparable to what you guys pay? And unfortunately, I can find box shapes or C-channel in those places. I see there are a couple of online retailers - one of which is www.allmetalsinc.com - that would seem to work perfectly for me but it seems expensive considering shipping. Thanks. ok...the big thing i see here is that you are assuming they won't do business with you ...try calling ..you'll be surpised....if you need more listings go to anywho.com and fill in the business part....there is a pile of steel distributers in the philly area I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it be sure to check out http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/index.php?

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