Question for fabricators

[theoldwizard1]

Fabricators know that steel and aluminum are basically sold by the pound, so the shape does not matter (unless it is a special shape or alloy).

Does anyone one know the current going price is (per/lb) for mild steel and 6061/6063 aluminum ?

 

[dogdog]

I had a similar questions, try to look for some scrap coupons for welding practice...
So in for the info

 

[LXCam]

A couple weeks back alu was $3.80~ lb at my place. I didn't pay attention to what steel was. Ouch.

 

[Mark_17]

The shape of the raw material will effect pricing- sheet/plate/bar/tube/pipe.

Quantity you buy and specs bought too will effect pricing as well. Pretty difficult to give a blanket answer.

 

[dr_clyde]

Price can vary widely based on vendor, qty and alloy, as well as treatment. My prices are pretty much tailored to me, and won't be very useful to anyone else.

 

[PugetDude]

The shape of the raw material will effect pricing- sheet/plate/bar/tube/pipe.

Quantity you buy and specs bought too will effect pricing as well. Pretty difficult to give a blanket answer.

Tubing and pipe cost more per # than hot-rolled shapes like angle and barstock. They're produced from cold-rolled steel that is rolled into a coil, then slit, rewound, shipped to a rolling mill, mounted on an uncoiler, rollformed, welded, weld skived, cut-to-length and then stacked and distributed for sale. Hot rolled shapes don't require all this secondary (value-added) processing.

 

[dr_clyde]

For example, sheet and bar are very different prices, as well as hot vs cold rolled for a given alloy, and 2 tons is priced way different than 2 sheets.

 

[ez-duzit]

What kind of wizard are you if you need to start an entire thread to get a price, rather than simply Googling it?

 

[dr_clyde]

What kind of wizard are you if you need to start an entire thread to get a price, rather than simply Googling it?

You can't really google this kind of stuff if you want a fair price. Online metal sellers are by and large hugely overpriced. Quotes from local vendors are really the only accurate way.

 

[ez-duzit]

...Quotes from local vendors are really the only accurate way.

He won't get those here either.

 

[Stuart in MN]

If steel and aluminum are like copper wire, the price varies on a daily basis.

 

[PugetDude]

He won't get those here either.

He might... local metal supply/junkyard sells scrap steel pipe/bar/structural shapes for 50cents/lb... New steel is a lot higher.

 

[matt_i]

I disagree with the "pure pound" stuff. 1018 cold rolled round in 1/4" diameter (even in full bar lengths) sells at a price considerably higher than its "by weight" price unless you are buying tons of it.

I used to think cold rolled was reasonable around $1.00/lb in full bar lengths. Aluminum probably 2.5 to 3x, I don't buy enough to even know it offhand.

But, the prices of steel have shot up considerably, based on some shocking quotes I got for my day job, its not an ideal time to buy right now.

If you get a delivery from Alro its around $60 flat fee (may be more).

If they have to include a wooden skid to keep sheetmetal flat during transit, they charge for the pallet but I can't say exactly how much.

For little bits and pieces its going to be much higher, to the point that saving money is probably wasting gasoline.

 

[4 FN 27]

$3.62 per pound today is our Contract Price. Not sure what the minimum is.

 

[BukitCase]

My supplier is Ram Steelco, in Salem/albany/portland - it's about 40 miles one way, they deliver (next day) for FREE if the order's over $100. I pick the whole bundle off their truck with my backhoe and they drive away...

Couple months ago tube, angle and flats were averaging $.70-$.75 a pound - I checked with 'em a couple weeks ago, it's $1-$1.10 a pound now (mild steel - I don't do aluminum much at all)...Steve

 

[dogdog]

$3.62 per pound today is or Contract Price. Not sure what the minimum is.

that looks like a good price, I just check online metalsupermarket... for 48x96x.125 6061-T6 cost $411 62lbs of alumnium @ aprox $6.63/lb... ouch
Not sure if going to store would be cheaper... Ebay scraps cost about the same too that is weird...

 

[bad_idea]

Local yard to me will sell steel by the foot (2' minimum). Two weeks ago it was $0.95 per pound for new steel.

 

[Muggzy]

I just paid $0.60/lb at R.S. Phillips Steel for drops of up to 36" of all kinds of shapes. Got a mix of some different thickness sheets and some hot and cold rolled bar as well. Gonna go back for some 1/4" wall x 4" square tube once I figure out a base for my grinder stand.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[4 FN 27]

that looks like a good price, I just check online metalsupermarket... for 48x96x.125 6061-T6 cost $411 62lbs of alumnium @ aprox $6.63/lb... ouch
Not sure if going to store would be cheaper... Ebay scraps cost about the same too that is weird...

This morning:

Supplier #1: $3.33 per lb, no minimum landed on my dock.

Supplier #2: $3.38 per lb, 1000 lb minimum, landed on my dock.

Keep in mind we purchase about 600,000 pounds a year of Aluminum, 6 million pounds of CRS and 500,000 pounds of Stainless. This gives us a slight advantage in purchasing power. Nothing like John Deere might have.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The shape of the raw material will effect pricing- sheet/plate/bar/tube/pipe.

That has not been my experience !

Quantity you buy and specs bought too will effect pricing as well.

That I will agree on ! 6061 in any common extruded shape should be about the same price per pound. Clearly there will be a discount for large orders.

 

[theoldwizard1]

$3.62 per pound today is our Contract Price. Not sure what the minimum is.

Steel or aluminum ? What alloy ?

 

[theoldwizard1]

Keep in mind we purchase about 600,000 pounds a year of Aluminum, 6 million pounds of CRS and 500,000 pounds of Stainless. This gives us a slight advantage in purchasing power.

"slight advantage" ?

 

[theoldwizard1]

I am trying to get a very rough estimate of the cost of making an aluminum 2 axle, 7000 lb capacity trailer. In 6061 I would need at least 400-500 lbs 3x4, 0.170, extruded I-beam material.

 

[4 FN 27]

Steel or aluminum ? What alloy ?

6061-T6 Sheet

 

[kkroger]

Price per pound varies also based on now many pounds you are buying... My vendors generally bottom out at 2000# of any one thing... and 100# vs 2000# changes the price per pound dramatically....

 

[Sjfab]

Www.discountsteel.com has all the prices online. Ins tore they are cheaper but the online prices are retail

 

[NUTTSGT]

that looks like a good price, I just check online metalsupermarket... for 48x96x.125 6061-T6 cost $411 62lbs of alumnium @ aprox $6.63/lb... ouch
Not sure if going to store would be cheaper... Ebay scraps cost about the same too that is weird...

I used them once to buy some aluminum sheet. If was good priced but the other stuff was slightly higher than the local places.

https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/metals/

 

[dogdog]

I used them once to buy some aluminum sheet. If was good priced but the other stuff was slightly higher than the local places.

https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/metals/

Haven't tried them or notice the last years aluminum price but ouch.... I guess that project is going to the back burner for a while... and I am not even trying to order 500LBs... like thewiz wants...

 

[Blain]

What kind of wizard are you if you need to start an entire thread to get a price, rather than simply Googling it?

Starting a thread when all he has to do is call his local steel supply and ask.

 

[PugetDude]

Starting a thread when all he has to do is call his local steel supply and ask.

New here?

 

[gtae07]

Starting a thread when all he has to do is call his local steel supply and ask.

Which is a huge pain in the rear. You have to know exactly what you want in size and quantity (and without even having a list to look at and pick from), comparing a range of different options is extremely cumbersome ("so what about *** instead? Oh, that's too much... do you have anything like this? What's that in inches? Oh, not that either..."), and you tie up a person on the phone who rapidly gets irritated with you because you aren't calling up with a list of items and quantities in the format they want it, don't already have an account set up for pickup and delivery, and aren't ordering by the semi-truck load.

I really hate having to "call and get a quote" when all I'm doing is getting someone to look up on a computer screen and see what a price would be. I can do that for myself, and would infinitely prefer to do so at a time that is convenient to me and with the luxury of seeing all of the products and their prices, and being able to comparison shop at my leisure.

 

[BD1]

You may consider buying the trailer. If your trailer needs specific details for your use than fabricating is best. By me, it's difficult to beat the price of a manufactured trailer.
I found prices vary from supplier to supplier as stated. Depending on suppliers on hand stock may influence price. Some sell as 20' lengths and others by the ton. Good shopping.