connor bachmann Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 I've been using expensive short lengths of mild steel from True Value for the past 6 months. Where does one find cheap mild steel in the US? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonefishin Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Look up "Ornamental Iron" in the Yellow pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 If you need small amounts, online there are a number of suppliers what ship, shipping hurts though. I use Speedymetals.com and have had good service. You can look in the phone book and call people who sell materials or use materials. A shop may sell scrap at scrap rate, or even give you metal that is too small for them to use. They may also order in extra to sell to you as a small markup, which will be less than the hardware store. You can also get scrap suspension parts from mechanics in the area, and some scrap yards resell material. Remember to leave the places neater than you arrived. Wear proper safety gear, be polite and do not have children with you. Provide small gifts for the service, especially for free metal. A 6 pack of beer or two 12 packs of soda can go a long way. Dough nuts and ironwork will also be typically welcome. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 My local structural steel place will let me go through the scrap bins (not all of them will do that) -- and of course they'll sell me new material from the rack, if I need something in particular. Depending on what I find in the bins, they may or may not give me scrap price. If it's something small, sometimes they'll just tell me to take it; I guess it's not worth their time to write it up. My phone book also lists these guys under "iron & iron works" and "steel distributors and warehouses." That's for mild steel. For spring steel, I've gotten stuff from spring shops and auto junkyards. If I need known tool or alloy steel, I generally order it. (Sometimes you can find pretty good deals on eBay.) Fastenal can get you oil and water hardening drill rod (O1 and W1, as far as I know). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 I've gotten several tons, (yes tons!) of short lengths of A-356 from an ornamental iron fab shop. They had to pay to get their scrap bin emptied and so I asked at the office and got to go through it on a regular basis leaving it neater and well arranged so they could put more into it. I would make trinkets for the office and NOT interfere with production, wore PPE, etc. I even picked up some real wrought iron once when they were replacing an old fence in the historic district that had been hit by a car! Out here I buy my new steel at the local windmill repair and construction place about 1/3 to 1/2 cheaper than buying it at a lumber yard. For oddball stuff I wait till I visit the city and go to a steel yard, like Pipe & Metal Sales in Las Cruces NM... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 depending on where you are your local steel yard would be the place ... my local supplyer will delever if its over 300$ in materials .. fairly easy to order that much..and the price is usually half of those convenience racks at the hardware stores... also check for local scrap / salvage places sometimes good deals to be had... good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 Cheap, expensive, half as much, too much. So what are you guys paying for new steel? I'm paying right around fifty cents per pound for A-36 hot rolled flats from my steel supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 Make friends with your local fab shop. Find out how they like their coffee, beer, doughnuts or sandwiches. Politely ask if they have any scrap drops you can have for a nominal fee. You will probably get more steel than you know what to do with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted December 26, 2010 Share Posted December 26, 2010 Cheap, expensive, half as much, too much. So what are you guys paying for new steel? I'm paying right around fifty cents per pound for A-36 hot rolled flats from my steel supply. I'm paying on average .70 a pound for 1/2" square and round and about .80 for channel, but I live in the Midwest. I'm assuming I'm paying more for shipping than folks closer to the mills or the coast where the imported steel comes in. However, the distributor I found locally is miles cheaper than the steel fabber I was buying from. I have to buy full lengths but they cut it in half for free so I can haul it home in my pick-up. On the other hand, the fabber will sell me any length and no cutting fee either an no minimum. If I catch the cutter in the right mood, I can sometimes get short (dumpster sized) pieces for free if I'm buying a good variety and he doesn't want to drag out a new piece for one short cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forgemaster Posted December 27, 2010 Share Posted December 27, 2010 Cheap, expensive, half as much, too much. So what are you guys paying for new steel? I'm paying right around fifty cents per pound for A-36 hot rolled flats from my steel supply. Hey Grant, so its Xmas day and you are discussing steel prices on the net. Man you really need to get other interests. We are at present paying $2.00AU per KG for 4140 as rolled black here, and I noted the other night that our $ is now equal in value to yours. I don't buy much mild at the moment but I think we are paying about $1.60AU per KG for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donaven Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 So most blogs and forums say "just go down to the local junk yard". The problem for me is that I am living in Germany and my German is not the best. Does anyone know where near Kaiseralautern I can find cheap steel. If not does anyone know what the German words for scrapyards, metal dealers, etc are? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamptroll Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Use the google translator, it should give you some Idea of what words you want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Use the google translator, it should give you some Idea of what words you want That and a phone book may be helpful. I get some spring steel from a local auto wrecker and bone yard. The local scrap yard is closed to the public. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Anyone doing "wrought iron" railing should have a pile of nice scrap. Don't go empty-handed, bring a hook or paper-weight or even doughnuts. Be sure to let them know you are an aspiring blacksmith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Hey Grant, so its Xmas day and you are discussing steel prices on the net. Man you really need to get other interests. We are at present paying $2.00AU per KG for 4140 as rolled black here, and I noted the other night that our $ is now equal in value to yours. I don't buy much mild at the moment but I think we are paying about $1.60AU per KG for that. Well Phil, it was actually Dodge who posted on Christmas Day. I posted on Thursday the 23rd right after finishing my 12 hour shift! Had to quit early as that is "A Man's Christmas Shopping Day". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Grant, A 12 hour shift! I would speak to my union rep. You probably put in more than 40 hours a week too? Regards Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Donaven, are you associated with the US Armed Forces? If so let us know as there are places on a base and people who can often get you scrap metal to work with! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Farrar Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 K-Town.... Assuming you are US Military..... Ray Ordnance Barracks has a cannibalization yard/DRMO where you can take parts off scrapped vehicles. Also, every motor pool has a scrap metal bin - just talk to either the Motor Sergeant, a maintenance team chief, or the machine shop/welding shop NCOIC. They can hook you up good - often with cutoffs and other scrap from perfectly good known quality steel. If these aren't an option for you, check into a car repair shop somewhere and ask where the local junk yards are. Many repair shops run their own small junk yards as a side business over there. Last time I was in K-Town was 2004 so I don't remember any specific places for ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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