What should I do with all this steel??

[Ralphxj]

We are cleaning out the warehouse at our new building at work and I was able to get a bunch of steel that was going to scrap. The biggest thing is 60ft of 3x3 .5in angle in 10ft sections. It's HEAVY stuff (10 lbs a foot)!*@#$

I have been kicking around the idea of buying/building a trailer for firewood and thought this could be a good start. I would be looking at around a 10x5 trailer and would want to be able to mount a winch and a few other things for loading logs.

My question, should I use it for the frame of a trailer? I could use the plasma table to cut speed holes in it to make it lighter. Should I try to see if someone would trade it for something thinner to keep the trailer weight down? Should I bring more home and sell it all and just buy a trailer and modify it for what I want?? Not sure when the rest is going to scrap, but there is a few hundred feet more in 20ft sections still sitting in the warehouse.

 

[CNGsaves]

10 ft and 20 ft sections of 5 in angle iron sure sound like frame to . . .
. . . . . . tornado proof SHED !!

I'd wait until you get "all the goods" to decide.

You could build car hauler trailer with the longer lengths as well.

 

[BD1]

I would try to sell it first. That is thick ! You got enough machine to weld it ? That is overkill but have seen some done that way.
IF you prefer a lighter trailer maybe trade for what you desire.

 

[Ralphxj]

Hoping for a trailer that can carry 3500-4000lbs so I don't want something super lightweight. I don't have a welder that can weld it, but I can get it all mocked up and my neighbor has a bigger welder I can use.

My Jeep had a 7500lb tow rating, so a heavy trailer isn't a deal breaker, but thinking 1/4 or s9 might be more manageable?

What's angle this size worth a foot if I do sell it?

 

[mopar440_6]

Personally, I would try to trade it for a trailer or a lot of lighter steel to build said trailer. If you've got as much of the heavy stuff as it sounds like you do, you could probably get most or all of the steel or a nice heavy duty trailer out of it. Might even be worthwhile to go talk to a local steelyard and see if they'll take it in trade, pound-for-pound, for some lighter gauge stuff.

 

[bczygan]

Too thick, not tall enough and the wrong shape for a trailer.

A thinner angle with one leg substantially taller would work, but the most efficient shape will be a C channel or a rectangular tube.

Bill

 

[steel 35]

Hoping for a trailer that can carry 3500-4000lbs

The trailer might weigh that

 

[Ralphxj]

So what's a good cost for this stuff per foot if i post it for sale?

 

[Kensgarage]

So what's a good cost for this stuff per foot if i post it for sale?

That can vary dramatically over 100 miles. Call a local steel supply and ask what kind of credit they would give you. Use that to buy enough 4-5 inch channel and smaller angle irons to build your trailer.
Here loos to be four inch

 

[Nor'Easter]

Discount Steel sells 3x3x.5 for $11/foot. If you figured a local value of 1/2 that you might be able to work a deal with somebody. Problem is most large steelyards can't "trade" material because they have no record of paying for your trade ins, therefore how could they sell it and report the profit during tax time?

Same reason wrecking yards don't trade parts.

 

[Tucko]

We are cleaning out the warehouse at our new building at work and I was able to get a bunch of steel that was going to scrap. The biggest thing is 60ft of 3x3 .5in angle in 10ft sections. It's HEAVY stuff (10 lbs a foot)!*@#$

I have been kicking around the idea of buying/building a trailer for firewood and thought this could be a good start. I would be looking at around a 10x5 trailer and would want to be able to mount a winch and a few other things for loading logs.

My question, should I use it for the frame of a trailer? I could use the plasma table to cut speed holes in it to make it lighter. Should I try to see if someone would trade it for something thinner to keep the trailer weight down? Should I bring more home and sell it all and just buy a trailer and modify it for what I want?? Not sure when the rest is going to scrap, but there is a few hundred feet more in 20ft sections still sitting in the warehouse.

As far as scrap goes, it's not worth your time to take it in. Steel pays next to nothing in scrap value.

 

[bczygan]

I'd still bring it home to build some structural things for the shop and house.

Think about benches and shelving and racking and even some structural uses. Great for brick or masonry lintels and supporting brick in a BBQ or pizza or bread oven opening.

Double them and you have a hefty T shape that might span a good ways. Check the load tables.

Weld together for a 3x3 column.

If nothing else, raw material for machining whatever.

Bill

 

[2oolhound]

I'd still bring it home to build some structural things for the shop and house.

+++ Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. If you have a way to get it home and keep it dry I'd bring it all home. Run an ad in cl or locally. It may take a while but eventually someone who needs it will appreciate a deal or you can swap for other stuff you need. It doesn't take many trips to the steel yard before you can appreciate it's worth.

 

[Thumper68]

I would be all over that, bring it home and put it on the steel rack and wait for the uses to pop up.

Lately when buying steel I have been getting a extra piece or two to add to the on hand supply.

 

[Ralphxj]

The biggest problem with "bring it all home" is its not free from work, they are going to scrap it, so I need to pay at least close to scrap prices. Plus I have no truck, I had to borrowed a truck from work which isn't something I can do often.

I grabbed the 60ft I got when I brought a pallet 400ft of 1.5in steel pipe home.

If it was all free, it would already be in a pile behind the shop, along with the 500ft of 24ft tall Pallet Racking that got scrapped!!

 

[Thumper68]

Scrap is around $65 a ton at those prices I would still be bringing it home even if I had to go rent the truck/trailer.

 

[ishiboo]

Discount Steel sells 3x3x.5 for $11/foot. If you figured a local value of 1/2 that you might be able to work a deal with somebody. Problem is most large steelyards can't "trade" material because they have no record of paying for your trade ins, therefore how could they sell it and report the profit during tax time?

Same reason wrecking yards don't trade parts.

You sound just like the guy on Craigslist that's selling scrap steel with crazy per foot prices. My steel supplier (nationwide) is $6.67/foot for 3x3x.5.

Most large steelyards don't "trade" because it's not worth their time and they would loose money. The bigger problem is that steelyards deal with buyers who want to know for sure what the material is. Other companies take stuff in on trade all the time with no accounting/tax issues.

I would sell it on Craigslist and buy more usable material. It's definitely too heavy for a trailer, I know you want good load carrying capability but that requires taller profile sections not huge amounts of thickness. You could make it work, but it'll be a waste.

 

[ishiboo]

The biggest problem with "bring it all home" is its not free from work, they are going to scrap it, so I need to pay at least close to scrap prices. Plus I have no truck, I had to borrowed a truck from work which isn't something I can do often.

I grabbed the 60ft I got when I brought a pallet 400ft of 1.5in steel pipe home.

If it was all free, it would already be in a pile behind the shop, along with the 500ft of 24ft tall Pallet Racking that got scrapped!!

I'd still take it for scrap prices, even if you have to re-sell it.

 

[Richard D]

500ft of 24ft tall Pallet Racking that got scrapped!!

I had a similar thing here at work, we had enough pallet racking, both the 3" channel verticals and the 4" & 5" c channel spans(perfect for trailer building), along with some square specialty loading "carts" made of HEAVY angle to fill half our parking lot. I took home as much as I could because my boss was going to scrap whatever we don't use. All painted, too, so it's not rusting away. It's taking up a lot of space in my back yard, but it was too nice of material to let get "scrapped", which I almost equate to throwing in the dumpster.

 

[Ralphxj]

Posted the angle and all the steel pipe I have on a local Facebook BST site and might have found a new home for the pupe. Guy has a 14x5(?) BigTex trailer that he wants to trade. Needs a new axle. Waiting on photos, but could be exactly what I'm looking for!! Might even get to oeep the angle if he doesn't want it!!

 

[Richard D]

I wold think a 14x5 trailer that needs a $200 axle is not much of a trade. Do a Craigslist ad, I think you'd have better response. I never look on Facebook to buy stuff.

 

[Ralphxj]

I wold think a 14x5 trailer that needs a $200 axle is not much of a trade. Do a Craigslist ad, I think you'd have better response. I never look on Facebook to buy stuff.

I'll be posting it on CL after I see his trailer. He couldn't remember what the width was. The Facebook buy sell trade groups around here have 25k+ people on them, so the results are similar to CL.

 

[Richard D]

I just looked at what Big Tex trailers sell for new, I think you are getting a good deal after all. 400' of 1-1/2" sch 40 is only worth about $550 down here.

 

[Ralphxj]

I just looked at what Big Tex trailers sell for new, I think you are getting a good deal after all. 400' of 1-1/2" sch 40 is only worth about $550 down here.

If it's in good shape other then a bent axle I think it's a good deal. I was planning on building a trailer frame and buying the axle, fenders, wheels, tires and wiring, etc. This way I will only have the cost of the axle, and can save on the rest plus all my time.

 

[Nor'Easter]

You sound just like the guy on Craigslist that's selling scrap steel with crazy per foot prices. My steel supplier (nationwide) is $6.67/foot for 3x3x.5.

All that typing and the price I suggested selling it for is less than your supplier.

And around here scrap is stuff less than 1'. If you are bringing 10' sections to the yards you're doing it wrong.

 

[sberry]

Depends on design, that is used as part of trailer frames all the time.

 

[sberry]

But building a trailer is normally not very economical. I do believe big tex had some used angle design. You can do a trailer if you are in the trailer building biz or have all of it for free. Its about like building a log splitter, yes some guys build beauties but if you want to split wood look for a used one on Craigs list or buy new.
Trailers are very competitive and vary in design, built in low wage shops with tooling and wholesale steel. Some of them are really good, I have seen some good home brew deals too.