Sources For Steel

[rake60]

Sometimes I overlook the obvious.

All the years that I worked in area machine shop, they bought their steel from a local
steel supplier. The stock was purchased in 20 foot lengths.

I am making a lot of small parts for the production machines where I'm working now.

I told the president of the company that I needs a few feet of different diameters of
stock to make some of those parts. He said they had an account at that steel supplier
and I was to go get what I needed. So I tried that.

I went in and asked for 5 feet of 1" diameter 1018 round, 3 feet of 3/4" 1018 round
and 3 feet of 5/8" 1018 round. The man at the counter said the saw was in use, but
they'd have the order ready for me in about 10 minutes.

10 minutes and $50 later, I'm on my way.

I was paying shipping costs to buy 1018 steel when I could have been buying it locally
at a lower price. I guess we should all check the phone book for a local steel supplier
before point and click.

PHONE BOOK.... How Archaic!

Rick

 

[dsquire]

Rick

How true it is about the phone book and the buy local. There are companies next door that have been here for years just waiting to give you good service if you ask. Like you said, no shipping and no waiting until it gets shipped in.

Hope your having fun making chips again. :bow:

Cheers

Don

 

[woodnut]

I found these guys a while back.

No account needed and no order to small!!

http://www.metalsupermarkets.com/

I don't have a metal band saw yet so all my cutting was by hand until I found these guys

Today I bought 4- 5" pieces of 2" x 1/4" angle and 24" of 3/8 CR round for $10 cash and in less than 10 mins. Well worth the money concerning how long it would of taken me to cut down the pieces my hand.
You can get quotes through their web site usually the next day.

The only thing they don't seem to have right now is copper tube

John

 

[rake60]

I should have offered a plug for my home town distributor.

We call it Mean's Steel here in this little town of Punxsutawney PA.
Here's their web site: http://www.osfs.com/steel/steel-home.html

Rick