jason0012 Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 I have been trying to source tool steel with limited success. It seems a lot of folks around me use Alro, but my contact with them has left me with serious sticker shock. I would like to find a reliable source for 4140, 5160, 6150 or similar. I have some scrap sources which are fine for my own shop tools but for product use I would like to have new stuff. Is 4140 really $28 a pound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 There is a list of suppliers in the knife making section. https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/31605-supplier-list/ I've never priced 4140 new as I have about 400 pounds of sucker rod that's 4130 according to the markings on the threaded portion of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 I don't know what part of Kentucky you're in but in northern Kentucky there's a place called Boone Steel in Walton that I use that will sell small amounts to the public. Their selection of tool steels is a bit limited but they have common tool steel alloys. The phone number is (859)493-0111 and they also have a website. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Moose Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 You might try industrial metal supply. Thats were I order my 4140 & 4340. Alpha knife supply for new blade material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Moose Posted November 24, 2019 Share Posted November 24, 2019 Correction... Indrustrial metal sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 $28 a LB? That seems a bit high. Do you go to Alro or did you get a quote for delivery? I know their delivery is outrageous. Last week i picked up a 2 1/2" round of S-7, maybe 3#. A 2"x 1" piece of A-2, 2# or so and a piece of 1018 3/4" x 1 3/4" about 5#, all for under $10. There is also the Metals Supermarket. One in Lexington, Louisville, and Cinci. Never used them so i can not give an opinion on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluerooster Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 All the suppliers within reasonable driving distance only carry mild steel. Nothing hardenable by usual means. There is one place that also carries 4130 but it's tubing for race car frames, and they price it like platinum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 That is typical pretty much everywhere. You might ask a small machine shop if you can piggyback an order for fancier steel on one of theirs. (And if they have any drops of what you want.) I tend to get my HC at the scrapyard for stuff I'm willing to test/guess and at blacksmithing conferences where there may be folks sell drops of things like S7 and H13 for tooling. For bladesmithing a lot of my friends use the NJ steel Baron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinDoc Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 I have been trying to find a place to get tool steel, whether is A2, O1, W2, it doesn't matter. I want to get experience working with it as well as make punches and such from them. I have not found a place that sells round stock that doesn't give me sticker shock yet. NJSB sells bars, but I did not see rounds. Metal Supermarkets wants over $100US for I think it was 8' of O1 @ 5/8's diameter and it would take a month to get. I have not had a chance to stop by my local Alro Steel just yet, but their website isn't proving promising. I've read various threads here where people mention fab shops. I believe there is a medium sized one down the road from my work on the south end of Columbus I could swing into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Check local machine shops for "drops". Also keep an eye out at Quad-State for folks selling small amounts of tool steels---the good deals are easy to see; blacksmiths will be roiling about them like sharks in a feeding frenzy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinDoc Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 I want to go to Quad-State since its only like 45ish minutes away. Is it happening this year? When I last looked on SOFA's website, the timer wasn't running and I couldn't find an confirmation on it. I will look again real quick. Edit: I stand corrected. If you google Quad-State SOFA, it takes you to the 2020 link and not 2021. The 2021 does indeed have a timer so looks like its a go. Looks like I will be going! Edit #2: Now that I think about it, I could stop by and ask Adlai if he happens to know a local source or would possibly even have a small bit I could buy off him. If anything it will be fun talking to him again. He was such a nice person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Ask him about the Poi Latkes before you decide on his alignment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinDoc Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 I feel like there is another good story behind that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Say Thomas: Would a well meaning joker be Chaotic good? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinDoc Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Chaotic neutral is the best. Never know what they will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 I think Adlai is sliding towards Chaotic Chaotic....Yes there is a story involved.---About a sort of tiki themed Hanukkah party. Keeping sanity points was not an option! (Egad I've known Adlai for around 30 years now!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinDoc Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 You have known him for nearly longer than my existence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 5 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: Yes there is a story involved.---About a sort of tiki themed Hanukkah party. Were fortunes read with taro cards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 *NEVER* ask about the coconuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Sindoc, the Alro here in Dayton sells drops. Much cheaper than buying new. You cannot how ever get 8', but i have bought pieces big enough to make hammers and bottom/top tools out of. Actually i have seen pieces in there big enough to use as anvils, but really 6" thick x 20" round of S-7 is a little beyond my scope of using. They dont list the drops on line you have to actually go there and look and see what they have. They will also have brass, aluminum, nylon, etc. Alro does mostly manufacture supply so a lot of what they have on hand will be specific for the area. But they do handle a lot of tool steels so you will find them. I believe that the metals supermarket also sells drops that you can go in and look through but i have never been there. About quad state, our governor says all Covid restrictions will be lifted on June 2. So i am making plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinDoc Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 The Metal Supermarket in Columbus was very tiny. Nestled away in a commercial strip. I need to swing by the Alro over in Hilliard and see what they have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.J.Lampert Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 one i have found that so far goes unmentioned is onlinemetalsDOTcom (you know what i mean) can they lift the us canada border ban ill meet you all at quad state (if i could get down there) M.J.Lampert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 I've seen a number of Canadians at Quad-State, Darrell Markewitz for one; and one year we had a fellow from New Zealand back in the old Keen Junk days. VICopper from the US Virgin Islands; shoot we're smiths we'll let most anyone in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 13 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: we're smiths we'll let most anyone in! even hobbits wearing felt hats with antlers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 As long as they are wearing aloha shirts and lederhosen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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