​I wasn't questioning why or suggesting you use something else, I was just saying what I use most. Your horse bottle openers speak well for your ability and choice of stock.

Frosty The Lucky.

​sorry, I didn't intend to mean that.

Edited April 20, 201511 yr by Ethan the blacksmith

 

​sorry, I didn't intend to mean that.

​Relax Ethan, I was apologizing to you for a non-issue mistake. It doesn't matter which way it, if there was an it went. It's all good between friends. Yes?

Frosty The Lucky.

If anyone lives near san bernardino county and looking for steel...

I know a guy in phelan who gives decent prices on whats in his yards...

From diamond plate steel to angle iron is what I see over there...estimate. 1 piece of angle 3" x 3" by 7 to 10 feet in length about 10 bucks. I'm sorry about my measurements I don't know how to desribe the size...but its almost 1/4 thick too. More you buy the better the deal gets too.

​

Frosty The Lucky.

how do you all type such interesting faces, all I have figured out is   and .

Edited April 22, 201511 yr by LastRonin

Now you've done it Ronin giving our old timer secrets to the new guys!

I don't know what your text window looks like Ethan but I have a happy face smiley in BW by the " marks at the top of the window. Left click on it and the menu Ronin posted drops down. Click on one and it's placed at the cursor location.

Frosty The Lucky.

Edited April 22, 201511 yr by Frosty

Isn't it great when someone isn't shy to ask!

 they are letting out our secrets!

I'm a cheap scrapper a lot of the time. Find a fabricator and pay 10 bucks, beer, and a little sweet talk to root around in his scrap bin. A lot of fabricators seem to work more with one stock or another. Rarely I can't spend 20 bucks or less and go home with a pickup bed of goodies.

Other good location for quarter inch round mild scrap is yard signs, and for some reason, old farms/barns.

Old electric fence posts are pritchel hole and chiping hammer handle size ( the sping handle fits them) and forge like 1018. New ones are rebar. Just knock of the wings

Charles I  left the wings on one and made that section into a dragon for my Daughter---fold forming the wings

 

But then I like to use everything but the scale---no wait I collect the scale and re-smelt it---I like to use everything but the ring of the anvil; shoot I own a Fisher....I'm cheap! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Edited April 22, 201511 yr by ThomasPowers

Your trully an inspiration, master Thomas

did you forge weld on legs? 

Edited April 22, 201511 yr by Charles R. Stevens

No I had legs from birth...

Sarcasm becomes you TP. 

Thomas, do you have any pictures. Not of your legs but of the dragon?

Dear Arkie and Frosty,

Well, excuse me for not reading every single thread on every topic and having missed the one of HR vs. CR.  I was not joking but merely trying to give a newbie some information that I didn't have when I started out.

George M.

Dragon is about 250+ miles away; I should be up there this weekend and can see if I can get a picture of it.

On 4/16/2015 at 2:13 PM, SpankySmith said:

Both Lowes and Home Depot have racks of 3' and 4' mild steel, mostly round but some square, 1/4" to 1/2" is about what my local ones carry.  If you're just looking for quick/easy access you can grab some of that, at a cost of course.  Or find a fellow local smith and hit up his/her scrap bucket.  Or find a local metals shop and with permission hit up their scrap tub.  

I'm sure someone on here with a whole lot more experience can give you a better answer, but when I order from my local steel supplier over in the next county I just send him an order that says, for instance, "1/4" mild steel round" or "1/2" mild steel square".   They carry both hot roll and cold roll and I typically just order whichever happens to be cheaper (though the difference is usually very minimal).   My limited experience is that these guys know what you want when you just say "mild steel."   At least around here where I buy the steel there is quite the little community of blacksmiths in the area, so they're accustomed to such requests. 

Also, don't worry because very soon you will inherit "The Eye" - the ability to be driving down the road and instantly hone in on a tiny piece of usable steel 1/2 buried in mud.  It will call to you.  I can't explain it, but you will start seeing steel everywhere.   

Who is your steel supplier "in the next county".  I'm in north Alabama and can't find a supplier with 1/4" square bar in full sticks.

On 4/16/2015 at 9:59 PM, arkie said:

If you are wanting new steel and not scrap, go to your steel supplier near you.  It is MUCH, MUCH cheaper to buy the full length pieces.  Around here, the 1/4" rd and sq normally comes in 12' lengths, the 3/8" through 1" comes in 20' lengths.  Most suppliers will cut them in half for 6' or 10' pieces at no charge.  If you need shorter pieces to fit in a car or SUV, take along an angle grinder and cutoff wheel and cut your own lengths yourself for free if they do charge for cutting.  CAUTION!!!!...take along your PPE if you cut your own...safety glasses, gloves (and face shield if you have one).

Take along a hack saw.

3 hours ago, Brazo said:

Who is your steel supplier "in the next county".  I'm in north Alabama and can't find a supplier with 1/4" square bar in full sticks.

The 12 foot bars are cold rolled.

Don't think anyone supplies hot rolled 1/4"

I used to be able to buy 1/4" sq hot rolled but the last couple of years I've only found cold rolled---of course I cleared out one steel dealers "bin" for that size and got a deal on underlength pieces that ended up matching the HR price...I've almost gone through the 90' I bought and it will be time to visit that dealer again...

On 4/16/2015 at 2:59 PM, Shamus Blargostadt said:

ok this is going to be a really dumb question.

If I want to buy some 1/4" square or round stock bars to start out forging some scrolls and other simple projects.. maybe tackle a set of tongs, what do I ask for at the Steel-R-Us store?  Just "I'd like to buy some 1/4" square and round stock" or are they likely to counter with, "well buddy what kind of steel stock you looking for? We got 01, 1060, CPM 10V, some D2, or how about some L6....etc.. etc.. etc.."

I just want to heat up some steel, smack it around, and learn how to make stuff.

 

Frankly you will have much more fun with 3/8"s or 1/2".

1/4" has so little mass that it only holds a heat for a few seconds,

You will spend all your time reheating unless you hit it extremely   hard and fast, not exactly beginner skills.

12 hours ago, Brazo said:

I'm in north Alabama

Welcome to IFI...I suggest you read this thread to get the best out of it. We won't remember your location after leaving this thread.

https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/53873-read-this-first/

 

On 4/4/2018 at 6:17 AM, Brazo said:

Who is your steel supplier "in the next county".  I'm in north Alabama and can't find a supplier with 1/4" square bar in full sticks.

Hey Brazo, I'm largely offline, finishing up school, but just happened to visit the board for a minute today and saw this question.  There's a steel supplier over in Athens, google "Limestone Steel."  Also, if you haven't already, be sure to visit the Athens Forge, you can google that group too, very active, great group of smiths in north Alabama.