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Stupid disappearing post issue again... Please move to correct thread.

 

You looking for a mill, or simply a place where you can buy materials?

I'm a bit north of the city in Bucks Co. There's a number of places in Warminster that sell steel. I've deal semi regularly with Met-L-Center. In the same industrial park is McKnight Tube and Steel. though I haven't dealt with them personally. I forget the name of another place that sells steel in that industrial park right now. There's also 3 or 4 small to mid size fab shops in the same industrial park. I've gotten material quotes from Pennsylvania Steel in Bensalem in the past. Out towards Schwenksville, there's Hoover Steel. I dealt with them several times when I used to work out that way. Stainless, there's Penn Stainless up in Quakertown. Alum, there's Peirce Alum in Warminster.

I get a lot of my small stuff over in NJ up in Lambertsville at Finkles Hardware. They have a good selection and don't mind dealing with someone who wants to browse and think about what they may need, and they will sell by the foot at a reasonable price. They are often a bit less than Met-L-Center, but add in the extra drive and toll on US 202 with my bigger truck, and it's usually a wash cost wise unless I need a lot of stuff. I do like supporting them as they are one of the few old time hardware stores left in the area and I can always count on them to have all sorts of "odd" plumbing parts etc in stock if I'm in a bind and can't find it else where. I've also made the run over to Joseph Fazzio's in Glassboro NJ fairly often. The "new" store will sell you just about any steel you want by the foot. The "old" store next door is full of all sorts of surplus, used tools, stuff they buy at auctions and resell etc. It's a "dangerous" place. I usually find all sorts of things to spend money on I really didn't plan on. I usually figure it's at least a 1/2 day trip just to wander the isles and see what sort of "goodies" I can find cheap. Racks and bins of sockets, hammers, tools, vises, all sorts of misc hardware, wheels and who knows what. They also have a smaller store down near Wilmington that has a smaller selection of steel and used tools. I've been there several times as well, but the Glassboro location is just about as far, but is a bit easier for me to get to from where I'm at.

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Use the Yellow Pages, the paper book not internet search! Call a steel supplier, NOT mill, the mill makes the steel, suppliers sell it. ;) Anyway, call one close to you and ask. If who you call either doesn't carry what you're looking for or isn't the closest the person you talk to will tell you who is closest or carries what you want.

The telephone has a LOT of advantages over the internet. The internet is too impersonal people don't answer beginner's questions in emails but they will for a human voice on a phone. Be polite, tell them you don't know exactly what you're looking for and thank them for their time. You'll be amazed how much people WANT to help nice folk.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Also check Craig's List for your area... some steel scrappers and suppliers will advertise there regularly.  Farm sales are a great way to stock up your salvage pile!  Sometimes the scrap piles will go for way less than scrap prices at such events!

I bet there is plenty of steel in the Philly area!

 

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Fazzios in newark, DE  has mild in any size imaginable they have a jersey location also and I believe they have medium/high carbon and tool steels but I haven't been to that location yet to check it out. But the deleware location has the best prices around available in 5 , 10 and I think 20 foot lengths and they will cut a few for free then a buck a cut for more , but I have never been charged a cut yet.

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Steel mills will sell directly to you; 20,000 pounds was the minimum last time I checked one out and it was a small remelt place.

For blade steel I would look up Aldo the NJ Steel Baron

For mild steel for ornamental work, you would look for steel dealers in the yellow pages AND CALL AROUND  they often differ in prices for certain items and which one has the best price on an item may change over time.

Now does it have to be on the web?  Must you pay extra for that?

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One thought about using the Yellow Pages.   In some places they don't really amount to much these days.   In the last few years I have discovered that there are many businesses that don't advertise in the yellow pages or similar books provided by other carriers than ATT.  However, I would expect that in the Philadelphia area there would be several active retail sources. 

 

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There is also the oddball places; like I buy steel locally at a Windmill repair place, they sell retail as they get a discount based on how much they order and so larger orders save them money.  They are also 2 miles from my shop and the next place for new steel at decent prices is 50 miles away. The local lumberyard also carries some steel in 20' sticks but they are 1/3 to 1/2 more expensive and 6 miles away to boot.

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