where to buy steel

[deathmobile]

I am new to welding and just bought a hobart180. I'm looking to get a large 4x4ft piece of 12ga or so for a project I started on my jeep. I also would like to build a table to weld on eventually to, so I'll need some square or round tube and a big thick piece of steel to support at least the weight of a transmission (duel use table).

Easton, PA would be close to me, but I'm having trouble finding a place that will deal with a residential hobbiest...and I also have no clue what costs what. Any help would be great.

I'm going to explore the rest of this forum and hope to learn as much as possible from it

[wb4rt]

I buy specific items for my projects at a local industrial supply. I did not set up an account for the first year or so, but I should have done that right away. You need to call around and see what prices you get quoted, there will be a pretty wide range. This supplier will make one cut per piece so I can haul it in my small truck. If I buy a couple sticks of 20' angle iron I have them cut it at 10' or occasionally 12' or so to maximize the lengths needed for my project. They will deliver, usually the same day, for a small charge so if I am buying several pieces I let them deliver.

There are 2 scrap yards that will let me look around and purchase items from them for around $.25/lb. I have actually found exactly what I wanted a few times and also picked up good items to practice on. Some scrap yards will not sell to the public.

I hope that helps.

[weldbead]

i am very lucky that in my town is a scrap yard that sells steel at a dime a pound
i also scarf stuff thats being demo'd on construction sites tghat i supervise

[tresi]

Maybe I've just been lucky or it's the area I've lived in but I have yet to find a suppler that wouldn't make at least 1 torch cut per piece and sell ten foot lengths. Sheet steel is a bit different. Many places will sell only full sheets. Many welding or fab shops that have a shear will sell cuts of sheet metal provided it's something that they keep on hand.

[deathmobile]

thanks so far.

i'm going to start making some calls to some local suppliers. I need a big square of 12ga for a project and something like a big piece of 3/16 to make a heavy duty table to support transmissions.

[tresi]

Originally Posted by deathmobile

thanks so far.

i'm going to start making some calls to some local suppliers. I need a big square of 12ga for a project and something like a big piece of 3/16 to make a heavy duty table to support transmissions.

Actually the 12 gauge will support transmissions give a good angle iron or tube frame. Find a good piece of heavy plate like 1/2 to 1"at a scrap yard because no that you have a welder there will come time that you need to give something the heat and beat treatment. You might faint at the price of a new sheet of plate.

[farmersamm]

Place I buy from sells any length, slightly higher for cuttoffs. Half sheet minimum on sheet.

Picked up 4 sticks of 3" 4lb channel for $41 per stick today. It's finally starting to come down. Around 50cents a pound if I read the weight right on the ticket.

Time to get to the things I gotta do. And maybe start buying for stuff that's coming down the road.

[deathmobile]

Originally Posted by tresi

Actually the 12 gauge will support transmissions give a good angle iron or tube frame. Find a good piece of heavy plate like 1/2 to 1"at a scrap yard because no that you have a welder there will come time that you need to give something the heat and beat treatment. You might faint at the price of a new sheet of plate.

hmm...when you say scrap yard, what exactly do you mean. I didn't know you could buy steel from them, I have always brought old scrap (precious metals) to get money, but didnt see anyone picking anything up from there

[paweldor]

You can try Weld Shops. Some will sell to the public. If you need short, light stuff, some hardware stores carry that. We have a supplier here in Harrisburg that sells to the public. Too far for you to travel though.

An Industrial Salvage yard is a good source of heavier stuff. Frank Sahd Salvage in Columbia, PA has lots of stuff. Again, too far from Easton.

Let your fingers do the walking. Try the yellow pages. Call every scrap yard around Easton, and over in NJ.

Good Luck.

[deathmobile]

thanks

wish someone more local to me could just say something like..."go here ----"

I'm going to start with suppliers first. There are only auto salvage yards near me, no where local to pick up a nice piece of 1" or anything like that.

[Ken Dennis]

Originally Posted by deathmobile

hmm...when you say scrap yard, what exactly do you mean. I didn't know you could buy steel from them, I have always brought old scrap (precious metals) to get money, but didnt see anyone picking anything up from there

This would depend on the scrap yard!
Some will allow a person to go into the yard and scrounge around, and others will not, some scrap yards keep an eye out for usable pieces and will set them off to the side for sale, or for use in their own shop but might sell it if asked.

The scrap yard here where I live is owned by an old friend of mine that inherited it when his dad retired, and he will set stuff aside that he might think I can use, and if he gets a bunch of good stuff in at once, he gives me a call to come take a look at it, otherwise I will go there and just poke around, never know what you will find, on one of my last visits, I found a complete Brinly cultivator for garden tractors that was in decent shape, grabbed it for the $.25 a pound, it was around 75#, cleaned it up and resold it for $150.00.

Ken.

[ronbo]

I got steel from Easton Iron & Metal scrap yard in the past but haven't been down there in a while. They don't like to cut anything unless you take it all. There's a scap yard in Tatamy where I got some things but I went there about 2 weeks ago and they were almost empty. Barron's welding in Palmer Township is another source I have used. Good Luck this area can be tough. There was a place in Hellertown, I went to alot but they don't sell to the public anymore. There is another scrap yard in Phillipsburg you might check the yellow pages. Good Luck RON