I buy my steel from a iron business because when you buy steel farm store
I usually pay for a 6ft piece as much as a 20 foot piece just curious

I buy from a steel supply yard that also sell scrap as well as new. That was if I need a short section I buy by the pound and if I need a lot of a certain size I buy the new stuff.

I had always bought from a steel supplier in the next town, but recently I stopped in a local welding shop to see if he had something I needed quick. He told me that he had a contract with a big supplier and would sell to me cheaper than the other folks. Even if it was the same price, it saves me a 30 mile round trip.

A steel supplier is the only way to go for new stock. For resources( Junk ) I visit my local scrap haulers on a regular basis.
Finnr

I used to buy it at the local lumber yard---20' pieces but $$$; then I found out that a local Windmill Repair, restoration and construction company would sell steel a lot cheaper than the lumber yard and a lot more choice in crossections too.

The bigger the buy they make from the wholesalers the cheaper the rate they get so we both profit from it, (and it's only a couple of miles from my house) Closest big box hardware store is 50 miles away.

Of course my latest steel acquisition was from a lead I found at the fleamarket where I bought several hundred pounds of "scrap" from a family trying to clean up their homeplace. it included wrought iron, old mining steel and mining trolly mini rr spikes, cost me under US$20 total. Bought my wife's Christmas present from them too. A large "antique" punched brass hanging lamp---they had it for over 50 years, a magnet doesn't stick to it, etc. She has to polish it up though---I get to bring in the extension ladder and hang it in the great room in front of the solar clerstory windows.

The local recycling center does only copper, brass, Al and stainless if they get any regular steel they are willing to sell it to me for about a penny a pound---but they don't get much!

We have two steel scrap yards in town. I go there. I can get new steel from them if I want, or scrap at around 35-45 cents a pound.

are you guy's talking about blade steel or just steel steel? and can you get high carbon steel at a steel yard?

You mean you can ... buy steel?

Last year, I was given- okay, I had to go get- about a third of a ton of 3/8" steel rod in 20' sticks.

On top of that, I'd already had a half-acre of junk... er, fine treasures, out behind the shop. We've been into cars and recreational packratting for years. Before I ever got a forge or anvil, I had half a dozen axle shafts, three or four whole truck leaf spring packs,an assortment of coil springs, chunks of old chain, lots of angle and strap iron...

I'm pretty sell set for a while. Now I just need to learn what the heck I'm doing.

Doc.

Speedymetals.com Is where I go.

I buy my steel from a steel supplier in the local city. I have a car hauler and will pick up 1 to 3 ton at a time(depending on what I'm low on). I order it ahead of time, have them load the order with their crane then drive home and put it in my racks.

I buy my steel from a steel supplier in the local city. I have a car hauler and will pick up 1 to 3 ton at a time(depending on what I'm low on). I order it ahead of time, have them load the order with their crane then drive home and put it in my racks.

What would a typical order consist of?

I know it depends on the project but what do you get in a 1 ton load?

How many pieces of 1/2" X 1 1/4" x 20' long in a ton?

These questions are for everybody...not just mtforge.

We have Alamo Iron Works - one of the biggest distributors in South Texas. Prices are usually better than anyone else in the area, although there are a few things they are not competitive on. One is CRS sheet, which I buy from Pyndus.

I usually buy what I need for a job and don't keep a wide selection in stock, maybe a stick or two of common sizes, like 3/8" or 1/2" square. At the rate I've been going lately, I probably spent about $750 this past year in steel.

are you guy's talking about blade steel or just steel steel? and can you get high carbon steel at a steel yard?

I haven't looked for tool steels too much at the yard, I've just used old leaf and coil spring when I needed something with more carbon. But.. I know one of steel yards had a good selection of tool steels. One young employee was having fun showing my friend and I around, and he pointed out a huge pile of short tool steel sections. I filed it away as a source for when I want to make a hammer..

Several times a year I offer smiths a chance to go dumpster diving in my scrap bins where they can purchase scrap at the same price that I get for it which is cheaper than they can get it from the scrap yards.
Plus im blacksmith friendly and lead any of the afflicted individuals around the place and point out all kinds of possibilities.

I purchase about 1 to 1 1/2 million dollars a year in metal and have a large amount of drops and such.
I send a dumptser about 40 ft long filled to the brim to the scrap yards every month
Needless to say I dont have any problem aquiring metal to work with ( i have tractor trailers delivering it daily.

Mike Tanner

1.5mil of steel? what do you do man?

I mostly buy from a steel yard, they sell all new steel and tools and also used tools, equipment, etc, but if I want specific stock like tool steel and such then I have a guy I know who owns a machine shop so I have him order it or sometimes he'll have xtra that he will sell me.

welder19

I don't know what he does; but he does a LOT of it!

Depends, if it is a machine/fabrication shop, then yeah, that's a heck of alot of steel, but if it is for steal structures/buildings, then that's not so much.
Especialy with the price of steel these days :mad:

welder19

Kevin D.... 47 pieces would be just over 2000 pounds.

A cubic foot of mild steel weighs approximately 490 pounds. This translates to about 0.2835 lbs per cubic inch. One of your reference bars weighs about 42.5347 lbs.

I find this very useful, you might do so too MatWeb - The Online Materials Information Resource

My son just started working part time in my steel supply place ,,, am now hopin' on some " good " prices ( ie employee discount ) instead of the Joe off the street ripoff price :)

I buy steel from a local supplier that buys from the mill. This supplier takes excellent care of me and i am lucky to have him. It is about 8 miles to the supplier so I plan accordingly. I am a small shop. I keep bar, rod and square and sheet stock to support the business I have.

I buy most of mine from a local supplier about 6 miles down the road. In the past I have gotten good "teardowns" from where I work and I always keep an eye out for freebies.

John

Yeah its machine/fabrication

Mike