The Irony of Material Shopping

[Glenn Brooks]

I've been pricing Imported steel from China at $800/metric tone, (.40/lb) delivered in the U.S., yet the local steel supplier charges between $8 and $10 pound for the same product. Something is very wrong within the U.S. Supply chain...

[Harold_V]

Back in the year 2003, I ordered and took delivery of two steel beams, used in the construction of our home. They were beams produced by Nucor, and cost 32¢/pound.

While I realize that those prices are exceptional, especially in today's market, the very idea that you are being quoted more than $7/lb is obscene. Rule of thumb, at one point in time, was 50¢/ pound for steel, with $1/pound considered a reasonable guideline for fabrication, including material.

If your needs are large, you'd be best served by finding a different source, one that may sell rems. In that case, the purchaser who paid for the cut has generally paid a higher price for material, allowing for the rems to be priced accordingly. May not be true in all cases, however.

I remember, with fondness, when I used to buy both aluminum and stainless rems for only 75¢/pound, and that would include certs (if necessary).

Harold

[ctwo]

Interesting Steve! I didn't know they were across the border too. Wonder if it's just on-line or brick and mortar too. My store is right across the road from my work, talk about convenient.

There was a genuine brick and mortar metal supermarket here in California, but they must have closed recently. I've gotten some things off their scrap pile for only half an arm. The other place don't care where it comes from, it just goes on the scale and you pay for each cut.

I guess I'm glad there are places that will sell to private individuals and some without onerous minimums, and that it's just a hobby.

[BadDog]

It sickens me to remember the days when I could buy clean steel and build things cheaper than I could buy wood to build the same things (where appropriate). And I think it was about 6 years back that I needed some brass for mainly ornamental bits of a project. The cost of the brass material alone made me lose interest in the project, at least in that more desirable (to me) aesthetic form. Then I found that HF was selling brass drift/punch sets rather cheap. Add in the ubiquitous coupon, and my project was back on track with material left over! I marveled then how I could buy a finished product, shipped from China, and repurposed by turning at least half of it into waste (scrap) chips, and in the end came out ahead on cost. And in spite of being nominally purposed as a punch/drift set, I believe it may have been leaded brass, it turned beautifully, which was expected considering the obvious results producing the product.

I now find I border on hoarder for anything metal that might be repurposed, and spend (waste) far too much time cleaning paint and such to reuse. I was fortunate (smart? lucky?) enough to have laid in a supply of my main build structural steel needs. This was originally targeted for another off-road rig project that never happened. Roll cage, bumpers, susupension, and so on, along with throwing in general square/strap in likely useful sizes to have on hand for brackets, shop fixtures, whatever. All together it was expensive, but got me well into the free delivery range. Prices had already gone up, and I had received several warnings about price increase, so I felt fairly good about laying in a supply. Shortly after that prices started up and kept going. Now I'm reluctant to use what I have because I know what it will cost to replace it. So I go the scrap piles and cut/grind/clean to avoid using the clean steel, when I should be using up the clean steel (etc) and then falling back to the pile (hoard) when exhausted, but I can't. It's a sickness...

[f350ca]

I just purchased some 2 X 1 1/2 X 1/4 angle, retail from a steel supplier at $1.18 a pound. Doesn't seam long ago it was 50 cents

Greg

[Patio]

If you are any where near Wichita KS. to the "The Yard". They are a surplus store that is a hobbyist dream store. They have all kinds of raw material. Wish they were closer to me!
http://www.yardstore.com/

[RSG]

They can be pricey alright, I recently needed a foot of 1 3/4 x 1 1/2 bearing bronze, they wanted $80 to bring it in, the competition down the road did it for $47.

Greg

This is true if you have to get them to order things in. I usually make do with what they carry in that case. For what I make I don't find their prices to be out of line. If I ever get into a larger shop I'll do as a follow reel build I know does and buy it in 4' lengths and cut it on my own band saw. He pays almost half what I do.

[tornitore45]

Now I'm reluctant to use what I have because I know what it will cost to replace it. So I go the scrap piles and cut/grind/clean to avoid using the clean steel, when I should be using up the clean steel (etc) and then falling back to the pile (hoard) when exhausted, but I can't. It's a sickness...

I thought it was crazy, but am glad to see is there are others with the same disease.
I have boxes and bins sorted by metal first, and shape
Round
Flat
Angle
Tubes/Pipes
SQ RECT HEX
Shorts D > 2 x L
Bent Brackets

[ronm]

Worst thing that ever happened here was the local scrap/surplus/steel yard guy retiring & selling out to a big company-(Pacific Steel)...used to be able to hunt around the yard, they had bins w/ brass, Al, cutoffs ,drops, etc., at good prices...no more, you can't get past the office, & no remnant bins, you pay full price + the cutting charge. I've resorted to ebay for the last couple of Al pieces I needed-found them pretty reasonable.

[earlgo]

There is an advantage to living within a few miles of a McMaster-Carr warehouse. You call them up, place an order for the exact alloy needed, pay with plastic and then pick the item up 1 hour later at will call. And for $10 or $15 extra, it will be delivered to your door if it won't fit in your Tesla.
The material is always clean and/or oiled (if steel) and the smaller items are bagged.
One pays a bit more but the price is offset by not having to rummage around in someone's junk pile for some unknown material, pay and then do a cleanup when the piece is finally in the shop.

For example a chunk of 1/2" x 4" x 12" 1018 steel is $27 and a similar chunk of 6061 is $21.
It is a bit pricey but sometimes just being able to start clean is good.

--earlgo

[Harold_V]

While not necessarily related to raw stock, I have made numerous purchases from McM Carr, thanks to their reasonable shipping fees and extraordinary stock of shop related items. Yeah, they aren't the cheapest, but they have always filled my needs, unlike other sources, and they ship almost immediately. They have earned my respect.

Interestingly, about a year ago I needed some Phillips truss head sheet metal screws, #4, 5/8" long. It was cheaper to buy them from McMaster Carr and have them shipped than it was to buy them from Fastenal, picked up in town. What made this even more attractive was that the screws from McMaster were stainless (which I preferred for the application), while those from Fastenal were steel, zinc plated. If you've ever compared prices between those two metals, you know stainless is usually a lot more expensive.

Harold