Im really new to this but already love this craft. That being said im living in a very small town and am having trouble getting matierials to work with. I recently got like 20 leafsprings form some old cars and a bucked of railroad spikes. So i have some metal to work with for awile. Thing is im trying to price material but the quotes im getting locally seam really high. Whats a good price for stock? Also if anyone knows a good price for 18g sheetmetal i would be intrested.

for simple mild steel bar stock I'm paying 70 cents a pound for hot rolled mild steel. But if I order from the place 30 minuets down the road I can get it for 35 cents a pound for bar stock, but since I don't have a car I loose that benefit with having to have it delivered. I don't do much with sheet metal so I don't know if it's sold by the pound. Speedymetals has what seems to be good prices with good selection. good luck

Hello, yes, believe it or not steel IS very pricey, although not neccessairly more than furniture grade wood... blame what you want, but the cost of everything is up. Im lucky and have a great steel dealer(both new and scrap) nearby, try your local junk yard or put an ad in the local paper saying that you'll haul away metal junk for a very cheap price(just make sure you can follow through), failing that lowes, homedepot, and tractor supply all sell steel, although the selection is limited and the prices can high. look in the phone book for scrap yards. hope some of those help, good luck

Mark

acoop
Go to the top of the forum page and click on user cp
click on edit profile
go to the bottom of the page, enter your location, and save.

We would like to know where in the world your located.

rfb
Can you add a state or country to your location. Fairplay as in where?

I'm on the west coast so were getting decent deels on chineese steel. Or at least that is where my supplyers are getting their metal, in from china via the port of LA/Long Beach.:D

I'm on the west coast so were getting decent deels on chineese steel. Or at least that is where my supplyers are getting their metal, in from china via the port of LA/Long Beach.

San Luis Obispo eh? Cool, I used to own a lot on Lake Nacmiento, lo those many years ago.

Frosty

acoop

We would like to know where in the world your located.

rfb
Can you add a state or country to your location. Fairplay as in where?

the peoples republic of maryland

Sabastion, if you will search this: "Where do YOU get your steel?" you will get 3 pages if good info on this subject. I purchased a piece of 1"plate approx 24"dia. for $0.15lb today. That is what scrap is selling for here. (They buy it for $0.05lb) New is higher, duh, but depends on what you want/need. Anyway, do that search I suggested and if you still have questions holler back, we'll help.

Sabastion, Hoopeston is not too far from Kankakee if I remember right. I know some of my gun buddies go to Hoopeston for their gun shows. There is some dealers on the north side of Kankakee on rt. 50--Belson being the biggest & costing more. I have been fortunate enough to be able to scrounge sheet metal from old combines--belt covers mostly. Tie rods--shifting rods etc. is good round stock. Local cemeteries usually have a pile of easels for flowers that are a good source of smaller round thrown off to the back of the yard just waiting to be asked for. Got any fabricating shops close by?? Truck repair buddy is a good supply of heavy springs and truck axles. Look around--ask and you can be suprised how much will be "donated" when you tell them you're blacksmithing. Good luck.

Thanks for the info, hoopeston is close to Kankakee so im ganna try there. I cans seam to find a scrap metal dealer near me, we have a auto junkyard and thats about it. ganna see if i can get leaf springs from that guy cheap. Ill look for that other link as well.

The one near me is primarily known as metals recycling center rather than a scrap yard.

I buy my steel at a Windmill business, they keep stock in for building and repairing the towers, making tanks, etc and are a *lot* cheaper than the lumberyard in town. Since they get a cut in price the more they order they are pretty happy to sell it to other folks.

My best souce was back in Columbus OH where I found a medium sized Ornamental Iron fab shop that used to let me raid their scrap bin for free, lots of "short" pieces, sheetmetal, etc all nice and new---except for the real wrought iron fence parts they were replacing after a car hit it...