Getting Started with Welding - Tips on acquiring metal?

[keith204]

A new Hobart 140 is sitting in my garage and I am eager to put it to use. I have some projects up my sleeve that are part of furniture and home shelving sorts of things, so I'm looking for things like angle iron, square tubing, flat iron and other things I'm butchering the names of.

Off the bat, I see that the borgs are very expensive compared to the local machine shops.

Are there any particular tips for shopping for metal? For both practice as well as actual real finished projects?

 

[Thumper68]

Google steel suppliers in your area. I buy in full lengths either 20 or 24 feet and full sheets 4x8 or 6x12 for the best prices.

You are better off finding a mom and pop place if you can and get to know them and what they carry in stock.

If I call and order by noon on Mondays or Wednesdays he will get my order on the next days shipment and I get a better price, I also pay cash for the best price.

 

[wasfuzz]

We have a large Metal Supplier/Fabricator in our area, the have a retail store with good prices and they have a "scrap room" where every thing is .20 a pound. All new steel, just short pieces 8' or less, drops, etc. See if you have some thing similar in your area.

 

[strength_and_power]

Where are you located?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[keith204]

a bit north of Springfield, MO

 

[Thumper68]

Here is s quick google search of suppliers in your area. Don't be afraid to go in a talk to them.
https://www.google.com/search?q=steel+suppliers+sw+mo&oq=steel+suppliers+sw+mo&aqs=chrome..69i57.6633j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... I buy quite abit from scrap yards,....

Haul in a load of my scrap, 'n go home with a load of somebody else's scrap,...

Dumpsters are another hidden goldmine,...

 

[ratdoggy]

Ayuh,.... I buy quite abit from scrap yards,....

Haul in a load of my scrap, 'n go home with a load of somebody else's scrap,...

Dumpsters are another hidden goldmine,...

If you ask nicely and bring donuts......

 

[ishiboo]

Our main steel supplier here is Alro. I sometimes look at the steel on Craigslist, and most of it is priced higher than what I can get it for new there. Their drops are priced unfortunately at the new steel price, however they do have dumpsters inside where they put cutoffs from the saws/etc. which are priced close to scrap, and there are sometimes good deals in there.

 

[larry_g]

In your quest take time to learn what different metals are available and which are basically unweldable without special processes. Stick to mild steel to learn so that when you have some bad welds you don't have to suspect the metal as being the problem.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[matt_i]

If you don't have one, its also time to buy a horizontal bandsaw

I have rolled with Alro and Metal Supermarkets and McMaster Carr if you need small pieces. The best deal I got from weld/fabrication shops and asked them to add full stick quantities to their next order. Busy shops will get steel almost every day. And, they have the volume discount that a small 1 person shop doesn't. They don't have to touch the steel other than to unload it and so the pricing is close to pass-through other than they have to charge tax on retail sales. If you can make a friend there it can work very well.

 

[ishiboo]

If you don't have one, its also time to buy a horizontal bandsaw

I have rolled with Alro and Metal Supermarkets and McMaster Carr if you need small pieces. The best deal I got from weld/fabrication shops and asked them to add full stick quantities to their next order. Busy shops will get steel almost every day. And, they have the volume discount that a small 1 person shop doesn't. They don't have to touch the steel other than to unload it and so the pricing is close to pass-through other than they have to charge tax on retail sales. If you can make a friend there it can work very well.

That's a good point, and one I never thought of trying.

Quantity discounts when I buy stack up VERY quickly on just a few pieces... so I usually buy everything I can anticipate needing at once. For example, I have a project coming up where I need 4 X 4 X 3/8 A-36 angle to make right angle brackets. If I buy one, the price is $201. If I buy two, that drops down to $168. If I get four, that drops down to $134 a piece... which WELL is over a free full stick at that price.

 

[MO-Iron]

Wheeler Metals in Springfield has good prices and will sell common sizes in 10' length.