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Steel is Expensive

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BJ42LX

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Dec 29, 2010
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WNY
I'm working on a project and need 6' of 1.25 square tubing, 0.065" wall.

Home Depot has 3' sections (which I can work with) for ~$18 each. Whoa.

I went to Klein Steel in Rochester, NY over lunch today. They have an extensive section of drops that you can pick or choose from, or order directly from the main stock. I didn't find what I was looking for in the surplus section. Much of what they had was big, thick and heavy. A custom order would have taken too long.

I ended up buying a 6' stick from Amazon for $17.70 with Prime delivery.

Anyway, people are always asking about steel so here's the Klein surplus price sheet.

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GABulldawg

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Jul 28, 2013
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Hamilton, GA
I just bought a 3'x4' of 1/4in plate, 3'x4' of expanded, and 1 stick (20') of 2"x2" angle and it ran me $185. All to finish my rolling welding table.
 
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iajonesy

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Iowa
Steel is just like anything else. It's cheap when you are selling and expensive when you are buying.

Mike
 
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Thumper68

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Duluth MN
I have had the idea for a few years to start a business buying usable used/scrap steel and other metals. Now would be the time to do it with scrap prices so low.

I may have to run an ad on CL and see what kind of response I get.

The scrap yard is paying around $40 a ton or $.002 a pound I think the scrappers would love to get $0.07 a pound for the usable stuff. And I could turn around and sell for $.25 a pound.

I don't know about all of you but I use a lot of smaller stuff and I don't really care if I have to do some clean up on it, hell I have to clean up the hot rolled anyway before use.
 
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Showkey

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iajonesy said:
Steel is just like anything else. It's cheap when you are selling and expensive when you are buying.

Mike
Click to expand...


And buying a hand full of pieces at the big box store is $$$$$$$$

Find a friend that works in manufacturing or weld fab shop that buys steel from a local supplier.......add your order to their daily or weekly order..........it's amazing how low the common steel angle, tube stick price is.

Shipping seems to kill most online "deals". Guess that's where prime can help.
 
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kerrynzl

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Tauranga, New Zealand
I don't know if OSHA would allow this in USA.

But in NZ a length of 32mm x 1.5mm SHS x 5500m is only $25-50
[ 1.25 x 0.65 SHS x 18' ]

I take a grinder and cut off wheel to the steel merchant and cut it there .
It is only furniture tubing so you could cut it in the car park with a hacksaw.

I can take it home in a car with the seat folded down

You are paying them for the convenience.
 
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sawbuck

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ct.
big box stores are a last resort,sundays and your stuck....you have to find a real steel yard ....
 
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Thumper68

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Duluth MN
kerrynzl said:
I don't know if OSHA would allow this in USA.

But in NZ a length of 32mm x 1.5mm SHS x 5500m is only $25-50
[ 1.25 x 0.65 SHS x 18' ]

I take a grinder and cut off wheel to the steel merchant and cut it there .
It is only furniture tubing so you could cut it in the car park with a hacksaw.

I can take it home in a car with the seat folded down

You are paying them for the convenience.
Click to expand...

I do that with thin stuff that a whole length 20' won't hold its shape on the truck rack.

I always buy full sticks much better pricing and the cut off come in useful in the future.
 
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PCustoms

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VT
Klein *****, never had luck purchasing from them in small qty.

Try Murphy and Nolan next time.

Right now I buy out of Albany, last order of 1x1x0.0625 came in at $25 per 24' length plus a $12 delivery charge split across the entire order.
 
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Spudland_Dave

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Mar 12, 2010
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Location
Maine
Steel is just like auto-parts....pricing depends on who you are. The internet has changed the game for consumers in autoparts and other easily shippable items, but Steel is obviously not in that category so you are at the mercy of what's locally available.

I'm lucky, I got a well stocked steel supplier real close by to my work who treats me well, only thing I can complain about is the 5.00/cut charge to cut bars in half for easier transporting...makes me want to get a cordless Portaband...
 
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Steevo

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I find that what HD gets for a 3' piece is almost always what I can buy a 20' piece for from our local steel supplier. Angle, tubing, flat bar, whatever.
 
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CubbyChowder

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May 16, 2013
Messages
175
.065" wall 1.25" square tubing runs about $1 per ft at the steel yard I go to, I just bought 60ft of it the other day. It's crazy how much pricing varies per supplier. I have two steel yards in my area, one thats 2 minutes away from my shop, and one that is in another town 35 minutes south from me (Santa Maria). Unfortunately my local one consistently charges nearly double what the one in Santa Maria does, which is completely ridiculous, so I'm always driving down to make supply runs. It's pretty annoying.
 
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PugetDude

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Mar 13, 2013
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Superstition Mountains, AZ
kerrynzl said:
I don't know if OSHA would allow this in USA.

But in NZ a length of 32mm x 1.5mm SHS x 5500m is only $25-50
[ 1.25 x 0.65 SHS x 18' ]

I take a grinder and cut off wheel to the steel merchant and cut it there .
It is only furniture tubing so you could cut it in the car park with a hacksaw.

I can take it home in a car with the seat folded down

You are paying them for the convenience.
Click to expand...

I think that's about the only thing cordless grinders are good for...
 
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03protege

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Sep 13, 2012
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Location
Louisiana
My metal supplier is pretty fair on pricing and they are willing to cut any full stick down to whatever you need if they don't have the available drop. Tradeoff is that all the drops are sold full price.

Thumper68 said:
I have had the idea for a few years to start a business buying usable used/scrap steel and other metals. Now would be the time to do it with scrap prices so low.

I may have to run an ad on CL and see what kind of response I get.

The scrap yard is paying around $40 a ton or $.002 a pound I think the scrappers would love to get $0.07 a pound for the usable stuff. And I could turn around and sell for $.25 a pound.

I don't know about all of you but I use a lot of smaller stuff and I don't really care if I have to do some clean up on it, hell I have to clean up the hot rolled anyway before use.
Click to expand...

Well that explains why when I drive through rural areas the scrap piles in peoples yards are mountainous, they must be waiting for the prices to rise again.
 
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kazlx

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Oct 30, 2012
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Tustin, CA
It's really not that expensive. I'd rather pay money for new steel and get exactly what I want than waste my time digging around for used bed frames and cleaning off **** that wouldn't be there in the first place.

I buy pretty much exclusively from IMS down the street and everything is fairly reasonable.
 
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G1K

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Feb 10, 2005
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Location
Buffalo, NY
The klein in buffalo has eliminated the drop section and now only take orders through the sales people - no more walk-ins. I was very disappointed when that happened.

It's worth it to drive an hour to Rochester to be able to pick through the rack.

Ryan
 
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PCustoms

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VT
BJ42LX said:
Thanks for the info.

Do they take small orders or have a drops section where one can pick and choose what one wants?
Click to expand...

It's been about 3 years but had no issues getting a quote, including some special order stock.

We did occasionally deal with them at work, but it was such a small volume (10 tubes in 5 yrs) that I doubt that greased the wheels any. Worth a call or e-mail.
 
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toms73novass

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Location
grand island, ny
G1K said:
The klein in buffalo has eliminated the drop section and now only take orders through the sales people - no more walk-ins. I was very disappointed when that happened.

It's worth it to drive an hour to Rochester to be able to pick through the rack.

Ryan
Click to expand...

I was bummed about that also. I have not found anyone else locally that has that, if you do pm me and I will do the same.... I heard that all the Kleins are going that route...
 
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zkling

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Jan 23, 2007
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It is a shame, as it really discourages people from tinkering and building things on their own in their garage. Compounded by the plethora of neighborhood scrappers that circle like vultures on trash night looking for anything made of metal.
 
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Spudland_Dave

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Mar 12, 2010
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Maine
zkling said:
It is a shame, as it really discourages people from tinkering and building things on their own in their garage. Compounded by the plethora of neighborhood scrappers that circle like vultures on trash night looking for anything made of metal.
Click to expand...

Look at it this way... I cant imagine a person couldn't make friends with some of those neighborhood scrap vultures and just offer 2x what the scrap yard pays for structural steel shapes in useable lengths that you could get all the scrap you could ever dream of for cheap, delivered to your door...once word gets out you pay 2x scrap price...every other one of those vultures will also come knocking.
 
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readhead

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Dec 8, 2012
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Durango, Co.
Make friends with the local fab shop. We usually scrap 8-10 K pounds a month. If you come by looking for drops I will sell it for .30-.50 a pound. Lots of times I just give it away since it was already paid for once. Last week a guy wanted some stuff that added up to about 20 bucks. He opened up his wallet and had a credit card or 8 bucks. I took the 8 bucks and said come on back anytime.
 
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NUTTSGT

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Northern Central Ohio
I found a place close to me, about 10-12 miles away. New steel, inside out of the weather,they cut it and the price is great. Heck of alot better than buying from the big box store.
 
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1low1

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Jan 8, 2015
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Location
Manitoba Canada
I work at a Large (but not a chain) Steel Service Center, luckily I pay very little or nothing for off cuts/drops. We are currently opening a small "store" open to the public as our main warehouse has a minimum order that has driven away A LOT of our smaller customers,not just garage/hobbyists . What I find expensive in the OP's price list is the shear set up of $25, unless the shear is a real inaccurate POS that is a 2 minute job.
 
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