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I Forge Iron

buying metal


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21 minutes ago, Houjous said:

I am in northern CT

We won't remember that once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show it. I can't help with steel suppliers in your area but I'm sure members near you will chime in. As a last resort you could check some of these near you or order online, depending on what kind of steel you want.

https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/31605-supplier-list/

 

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It's a paper collection of people and places LOCAL to you; indexed by category that is NOT overwhelmed by paid ads that have nothing to do with your area or what you are interested in.  As such it may be MUCH better a place to search than on-line!  It also does not take your personal information and sell it to other commercial users legit or otherwise.   

Grabbing a copy of the last paper yellow pages for our area was a big help until it gradually "times out".

Remember too that there may be hidden sellers out there: some smiths buy drops of alloy steels from local machine shops and I can buy A-36  from the local Windmill Sales/installation/repair company---closest to my smithy and 1/3 cheaper than the lumberyard in town!  (This is the sort of thing you learn by meeting smiths local to you:  "Where do you get your coal?" and "Where do you buy your steel?" are probably the two most common phrases used when two smiths meet!

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I know you were were speaking facetiously (All the vowels in the English language in order!  For Welsh you have to add a w as they made that a vowel after the Irish stole all their other ones...probably done by my direct ancestors...)

However we keep getting people here who think that the internet is the best way to do *everything*---like learning a blacksmithing technique or finding local stuff---(I never understood asking folks in Austria and Australia where to find stuff in Bosquecito NM...)  So I point out that folks may be ignoring a much better resource just to remain glued to a bit of fancy sand, some rare earths and a battery!

 

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I used to get annoyed at public demos when folks came up and told me they knew all about blacksmithing because they had done it in a  game on their computer.  Now I just hand them a hammer and a piece of stock and beg them to show me something...haven't had a one that had actually learned how to smith  while learning "all about it"!  It can be amusing if you keep extreme watch to make sure they don't hurt themselves or others.

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29 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

internet is the best way to do *everything*---like learning a blacksmithing technique or finding local stuff---(I never understood asking folks in Austria and Australia where to find stuff in Bosquecito NM...

Now come on Thomas don’t be like that,

I know that you can tell me exactly we’re to find a 500 pound Peter foster budden anvil right here in peavine Oklahoma that will only cost me $5 bucks an a box of cracker jacks! And the owner will deliver it to me and set it up so I won’t have to do anything! :lol: 

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Houjous, I live out on the left coast, but I found a local steel supplier using Google. Read the reviews on Yelp if you can. It gives you a general idea of who and what you're dealing with. Some places aren't friendly to walk-ins. 

The steel comes in 20' sections. Some places will charge you to cut it, others tell you you're on your own. If you own a pick-up with a rack you don't have to worry about it. I don't. 

I found a decent supplier run by a Chinese family.  Very friendly and helpful. They even provide a chop saw out front to cut your steel down if needed. 

Every place is different. 

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I always take a hack saw to the steel yard. Do NOT ask about having sticks cut in half to transport at the COUNTER! The counter guys HAVE to charge per cut. Ask the yard hand collecting loading your stock. I've only ever been one place that didn't ask ME if I wanted it halved and that  was a new guy "foreman". I said O K A Y, got my hack saw tape measure and soap stone and started cutting them by hand. Right there on their loading dock while my pickup was blocking it.

The foreman started sputtering and the hands laughing. The yard dogs shooed the new guy back to the counter and whacked my stock. 

Don't ask at the counter, ask the yard dogs. They don't account for little stuff, so long as you're not asking for 10ea. 24" cuts, it doesn't go in the book. A 10' piece weighs half as much as a 20' piece so you're forcing them to carry half as much weight. <GASP, you BEAST!>

I do almost NO hunt / find  searches online. I LOVE the yellow pages, talking to the receptionist is ALWAYS more productive than trying the "contact":rolleyes: button on the site. I've come to know it as the "ignore me please" button. The receptionist usually knows more about what and were a company has and does than the boss, let alone the 3rd. level office hand answering/ignoring contact messages. "Contact" REALLY means "contact us if you're looking for rail car loads. 

The receptionist can tell you if: the company handles / does what you want and who to talk to if they don't, she knows if it's in stock or when it's expected, transfer your call to the guy in the company who can really help, etc. The receptionist is your best friend or worst enemy, treat him/er like a demigod. If you go into the office in person a little hand forged gift is always in order and a good investment in PR. Make a masculine and feminine gift and use the appropriate one. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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5 hours ago, pnut said:

Always check the remnant bin too. That's where most of my stock comes from.

Agreed, unless I need a large quantity of something specific (e.g., the two 24’ sticks of 1” square tube in 14 gauge that I ordered yesterday for a custom job).

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