Don't forget local fabrication shops. There are no steel suppliers within 60 miles of me, but a local shop makes farm equipment, and sells steel to the public. I always check their discard bin for shorter pieces!
I work at a small welding shop. We get deliveries of steel every other week, and we have helped out people locally by adding whatever they need to our orders. It can be a massive savings for them, and it's really no trouble for us.
Among the most valuable 10 minutes I've spent attending CZcams University learning how to weld. I feel more than confident enough to walk into my local steel supplier and fake it 'til I make it. Thanks Doug!
I needed some beefy angle iron a while back, found a 3ft length at a local chain store for $37.50. Called the local steel yard, and was quoted a 20ft joint for $78. The steel yard even offered to cut to my lengths required at no additional costs.
Cold rolled steel is not annealed unless ordered as such. In fabrication this may not matter much but remember that Cold roll is highly stressed internally from the forming process. If Cold roll steel is machined the material will wiggle and squirm as the stresses are relieved. The main result is warping of thin sections cut from thicker plate or bars of steel. Annealing or stress relieving avoids this problem.
100% spot on. I asked one of our university's welding instructors where I could buy from a supplier, and he gave me a name before I could even blink. It was that easy. I compared prices with our box store, and the markup was just like you said.
30 years ago, I used to work for a local steel supplier in sales. Despite only doing this for four years, I learned a lot and found my aquired knowledge to be very beneficial later on in life for a variety of home projects. Your video remnded me of those old days and found your explsination and presentation to be spot-on. BTW, I still find my old Ryerson and Central Steel & Wire supply catalogs to be very helpful when i need steel. Great video!
Very good explanation. Not to muddy the waters but.....Pipe is used a lot in general fabrications, not just for liquids and gases. Case in point: most industrial hand rails/guard rails are made from 1-1/4" pipe. It fits the code diameter requirements and is cheaper than tube. Your steel supplier should have it and they will call it "pipe size tube". It will not be coated with lacquer (as is regular pipe) and will also not be threaded on the ends. But it will be sold in 21 foot lengths, where tube is usually sold in 20 foot lengths. And...most "process" piping (such as ink in a printing facility or hydraulic oil in a manufacturing plant will be "plumbed" with tube so that the system can be designed/manufactured to handle the characteristics of the fluid such as the pressure, volume, acidity, etc. that the piping will need to handle. It takes years to pick up on all these quirks of the metals industry. (40 plus years experience here.) Thanks again, good video.
Thanks for adding the extra info. Sometimes its hard to include every little detail and still keep peoples attention. The comment section helps to fill in the blanks for sure.
In my area this is referred to as structural pipe. It usually does not meet the certification requirements for schedule pipe. It is often used in construction for posts. Great point as is typically much cheaper.
man i learned quick, but i had an absolute angel for asteel supplier, when i was new to the game i went in and asked for a tab but i said can i borrow x dollars, this lady started to pick up her purse to pull cash out and give it to me, i said no no no i need steel it more valuable to both of us that way... the gesture of getting her purse though, ill never ever use anyone but her for my supplier
My local supplier charges $5 per cut and you have to come back usually the next day. They do offer 10 or 12 ft lengths for the same price per foot. BTW a prius can fit 10ft lengths with the hatch closed, passenger seat down and material resting on the dash.
The biggest obstacle for hobbyists, or just non commercial buyers, is the steel yard doesn't want to deal with you. Even if they sell to the public, you're considered a nuisance. When I lived in Phoenix, I finally found a supplier that was always cool to me every time I walked in, whether I was buying $30 off the rem racks or needed $300 in material for a project. Since I moved to the Denver area, I can't find a supplier. Even the LWS around here are manned by a-holes. I've been here going on 3 years and haven't welded a single project.
Hey man, you did a really great job with this video. It was really concise. Just bought a welder after years of contemplating. I am a woodworker but I wanted to dabble in metal. I appreciate this information.
Welcome to welding! If you're doing MIG try out some of the new flux core wire. It works pretty well. Solid wire with shielding gas is always cleaner, but that flux core stuff works well outside especially if there's a breeze where gas can shield as well. Usually push with gas, drag with flux core. I'm no expert just a hobby welder. Have fun.
Thanks, Doug. My first buy was "whatever is standard for this project"... The guy at the steel supply was nice enough not to roll his eyes but I felt the "Ugh, another noob" vibe. They were cool, tho, and the next time I knew a bit more. Specificity is the name of the game with metal. Thanks for sharing your pro tips, they're invaluable.
Cold rolled is formed cold, there as the hot rolled is shaped when hot nothing to do with annealing or heat treatment, heat treatment is post processing after forming process.
Just keep in mind if you buy at a steel yard and your material is going to 20 to 24 foot lengths sheet steel will be 4 ft by 8 ft so you need a trailer or truck to haul it home or pay extra per cut.
yup, my local steel place charges $5 per cut so sometimes it's cheaper from the bigbox if I only need a small amount, plus the pieces will normally be straighter. I can get good deals if I can find something useful in their remnants rack though.
Also you have extruded tubing and welded, so one will have a seem inside (as the outside will be ground smooth), so if you want sliding pards you don't want this seem inside, as it's a pain to remove
Did this several years ago 1: cheaper pricing and cropping service 2: delivery to my site 3: For small orders I price leverage my bigbox store down to steel suppliers price 4: Asked steel supplier their scrap yard contact, called, mentioned steel supplier, asked for access large scrap sections my steel supplier doesn't do. Now I have access to steel of any heft or girth at great pricing.
Sometimes recycling scrap years may have what you need. I am in the San Francisco Bay Area. If I need a bunch, I buy from a wholesaler in Fresno, a 180 miles away. It is delivered to my door the next morning for a twenty dollar delivery charge. Far cheaper than any local supplier.
Very helpful knowledge. The last part was a nice finish to the video. I work in new residential AC electrical warehouse and get asked dumb questions as well
Truth. I bought like a 4 or 5’ piece of steel at Lowe’s to practice welding (hey, I was in a rush). Then I took it to work and spent 20 minutes cutting it into welding practice coupons. I just got done placing an order for 12 feet bar of flat stainless, cut into 24 blanks for not a whole heck of a lot more. They’ll call me when it’s ready to pick up.
Pipe is based on the id of schedule 40 I believe meaning schedule 80 of the same diameter will have a smaller id. The purpose of this is so threads or but welds are interchangeable.
I get my stuff at work, we build garbage containers of every shape and size. I can get a veriaty of cut offs of all kinds of different steel at a bit more than what they get for scrap SWEET 😎
Also ask your steel supplier to see their 'drop room'. Drops are the waste side of their sheer. Our yard has an entire drop room, where the drops are sorted and marked at various sizes. Very nice. Tell the cashier that you're buying drops, not sheered sheet. Thanks for the video, got here from your rusted content.
As a machinist I have heard and used the word stock many times to describe what was wanted even by some metal suppliers. IE: 3/4 round stock, hex stock, square stock... that us common for solid material and like you said pipe or tubing for those needs. Nice video but you might want to mention the different types/grades of mild steels and other metals as well as annealed/normalized or hardened. There is a lot of different types and it can get confusing especially for someone that is newer to metal work. Thanks for sharing this info 👍
Some recycling companies will keep remnants and sell to the public per pound. Most fab shops I know will always use drops down the road so they don't really discount prices.
Thanks for the valuable information Doug. I'm an Old guy (67) about to start Hobby welding and was surprised when I got to the Big-Box Store and saw the costs of Angle and Square pieces... There is a Metal Scrap Yard less than 2 miles from me and I will be checking with them to see if they sell their scraps to Private buyers. I've also been buying small metal objects from thrift stores to cut up myself for some practice or Project pieces... Thanks again-- Jake
My supplier has the warehouse open to public. Its nice when working on a project to put hands on the material. They charge by weight and material and extra to modify. The standard lengths. Box store is well over 3x the cost. Though handy id you are already there and need just a 3' stick.
I really really appreciate you making this video. As a carpenter I know there's terms and jargon that was always a mystery to me regarding metal material. Can you do a short video how you build those bad ass doors? Are they always barn sliders or do you swing them too? I was thinking instead of building them you could get commercial metal doors and rust them as needed.
Even better option: Find a shop that stocks and be nice and friendly. I get mine from a mobile welding company. I just bought a 2' x 3' sheared plate of 5/16 for $62 lol. In my area everyone calls remnants "drops"
Yupp. Accurate info! Personally I get most of mine from the local shop scrap pile. Ocassionally order 20 or 24 foot pieces. Most of my projects don't need any particular shape. Most are scrap welded together just to support something else. Do appreciate the info tho.
I have owned and ran a small welding shop for over 25 yrs. I have gotten a kick out of customers bringing there own materials in my shop that they have recently purchased from the big box retail stores. I tell them how much it would have cost from us...just so they are aware..... Next time they come in they purchased it from us. Yes I'm still making some money off of it. Mainly because I'm purchasing larger quantities. Thanks for the video. I hope many listen and give there local welding some business. Treat them with some respect and they'll save you $$ every time. It's why most of us got in to the business to begin with. To fight the throw away world and super inflation.
Shout out to Rose Metal Products in Springfield MO keeping me stocked with steel for my projects at a reasonable price! They also brake/fab longer pieces of sheetmetal when I need it!
The way i would call that order is.. I need 1 stick of 1 inch Square tube 16 gauge P&O either 20' or 24' or cut in half You dont call out decimals only gauges anywhere 28 to 7 gauge after that its fractions. You dont call out cold rolled in sguare tube products only pickeled and oiled " P&O" or black "with oxide" Always ask for P&O in 16 gauge you will be lucky if they have it in 14 gauge mainly because its usually so much cleaner to work with by wiping down with a degreaser or acetone black you have to scrub wuth scotch brite to get clean. The only time i specifically call out cold rolled is in sheet or bar You. Square or round bar in cold rolled is very accurate in size shape and straightness and nice to work with but now its expensive. Thats how i been doing it for 30 years
Thanks a lot man. Really looking forward to sharing the steel yard with a bunch of amateurs. There's a reason why big box stores are more expensive. The hassle of dealing with those customers makes the profit go out the door.
Went local steel supplier several years ago ..4x4x1/4 angle iron ..$134 a stick ...thought I was going to faint . Was building a trailer hitch ..found a Reese class 3 hitch all the hardware powder coated $93 free delivery . And I didn't have to spend the day scrambling around in the drive way . What a deal !
Great video. I know a lot of people don't know where to go to pick up steel. Until your video I had no idea that the big box stores were selling steel. I've seen some of their smaller stuff but nothing that grabbed my attention. I am very fortunate. One of my closest friend in this world owns a large welding business and has locations across the state. He mostly uses gas welders and they are all stick welders in all of his rotation. I fix his machines and do some welding when it comes to technical things. In return I don't have to buy any metal I don't even need to have my bottles refilled. Whenever I need something I ride to the location that's closest to his in my house. I understand he has ever asked me to do is not take enough steel to build a good size shed. I also was lucky that he used to have a brake machine at the one location. One of his employees had taken the big forklift and nailed it. He did so much damage that it would happen easier to buy a new one. They never used it that much right now get that service from the steel yard. Just like you said you need to ask different steel yards that what I call places that sell steel. I really like your video so much so that I definitely hit the like button and I most definitely hit the subscribe button. I really like how you broke everything down on what to look for when buying steel.
Buy the 20 or 24 foot length and cut it in half so you accumulate the round/square that you want. If you have a variety at home you can build anything with a welder and a grinder. Get a plasma torch if you do lots of cutting.
Metal supermarkets sells to public they are awesome they have a 10'break ,10'shear plasma machine beams angles flat bars sheets of all kinds alum , cold,hot galv,stainless. And even cut whatever your need even a 1/8 piece they even fabrication awesome place to go
Good info. Don't forget get to ask about seconds. Normally alot cheaper. Alot of the time the its just damaged from shipping and handling. They just want to get rid of it.
Thank you for your generosity to share your art techniques. It’s like attending a paid course in metal art. So it felt like decency to support your channel! I simply saw it as a course fee as it gave me so much useful knowledge. Thx again and have a peek in your patreon list and you’ll find my real name there. K rgds/A Sweden
Great presentation! Box stores can be a cheaper source if you look into the Electrical department. They have round tubing EMT and conduit in 10 foot lengths in a variety of diameters if you don't use it for pipe. The conduit ends are straight threaded, not tapered, and will leak, the wall thickness is less. Its still very useful and they have pre bent 45 and 90 degree pieces available. In the same rack is steel Uni Strut and 10 foot lengths of 1/2'' Allthread that is much cheaper than the 3 foot lengths.
Exhaust "pipe" roll bar "tube". Watched a "way smarter than me" engineer find out the hard way. Steel workers were mad as hell. I watched all day while they tried to fix his huge computer stand.
Doug very well said there. Great advice thank you so much. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Very helpful video. Thank you can't wait to see ur next videos. Fab On. Weld On. Keep Making. God bless.
This is all information that I already knew, but the way you explained it for people who don't know much about steel was perfect. I've just subscribe cause I'm always trying to learn new techniques in steel works..
Great video! As a tradesman picking up welding as a hobby I really appreciate it. I know what to ask for when I walk into a HVAC or plumbing supplier but no idea going into a metal supplier.
My local steel supplier keeps bankers hours... Mon - Fri 8-4 closed on weekends. Not a great option for someone who works for a living and plays with steel on his time off...
Thanks for the info, I have a project that needs steel or aluminum ( needs testing ), and knowing the pricing helps a lot. My needs are simple, overall, but not being in the business, this video really cemented things in my mind.
Also, make sure you ask around for five-sided hex stock. This is material with a minor production defect and they sell it at almost half price. Thank me later :)
Since hex stock has six sides by definition, I am not sure what good asking for pent stock would be. We did use a custom five sided bar stock for some fire hydrant valves once though. :-)
Hmmmm, Apparently you have not tried to buy small quantities in CNY. The metal suppliers have made it tough to buy stock from them. When you factor in the added time to go to the supplier cutting charges etc. the price discrepancy starts to evaporate.
In my area we have Queen City Steel, the people as well as the owner have very little people skills. As far as his “remnants” are concerned, he charges the same as though it was being cut from the original, even if it has been outside for over 3 years and rusted. Ask me how I know. I mainly go to his yard to pick through the scrap pile, his scrap pile consists of contractors dropping of dump truck loads of used steel construction debris. That pile pretty much sits next to his remnants pile. So, yeah, I keep an eye on it. Every once in a while I’ll ask how much something costs, then we get into a “debate” over the price, I have only gotten him to concede once. He tells me every time I ask about a piece, “I can’t give it to you for a lower price because it came out of our shop from a full pipe, sheet” , etc… it is what it is… The reason I go there is because he’s the only steel supplier within miles. I’ve tried quite a few things over the past few years to “soften” them up, nothing works. It’s too expensive for shipping for me to purchase from online suppliers. Anyway, I thought I would mention that I thought the video was great, very informative!!! However, one thing about the video that I noticed was missing was the difference between ferrous and nonferrous metals. Many people who are just starting out may not know what that is as well as what it means. Maybe in a follow up video.
@@chrishayes5755 that’s a great idea 👍 I’ll do that very thing. I could use all the help I can get when it comes to these guys. As a heads up, I was being very polite when referring to the guys attitudes that work there due to the nature of this platform, and the fact that I still have to go there. You never know who sees these videos and reads the comments…🤣😂 By the way, even as far as their scrap pile is concerned, let’s just say that they aren’t very forgiving when it comes to the prices that they sell that stuff at, even though they get it for next to nothing.
@@ArtfullyRogue Thats amazing! Have fun during the build! I started to put videos on the bus build if you're interested. Hopefully there is something for you as useful as your video was for me.
Yeah, great, but many of us live in areas that don’t sell to the public, and if they do, many of us don’t have cars, so we need to get it shipped. Shipping often costs more than the metal, aluminum, steel or stainless. I usually end up buying a bunch of 8 foot pieces as the shipping per piece goes down the more you buy. Cold rolled has more processes so it costs more. But cold rolled has much more stress. Like wood, if you machine one side, the cold rolled will bend whereas the hot rolled rarely will. For weekend warriors who need a piece here and there, big box stores, if they have that large display you showed, are better. You can just go and usually get exactly what you need, plus screws and whatever you need for your project. If it’s a simple project, that’s a no brainer. But if you’re building something complex, the amount of material might be a lot more than you expect. If so, you will spend a small fortune at a big box store.
Don't forget local fabrication shops. There are no steel suppliers within 60 miles of me, but a local shop makes farm equipment, and sells steel to the public. I always check their discard bin for shorter pieces!
great suggestion
If they have steel and sell steel to the public, are they not a Steel Supplier?
@@starhawke380 I would say not, if they don't sell bundles or gross amounts
I work at a small welding shop. We get deliveries of steel every other week, and we have helped out people locally by adding whatever they need to our orders. It can be a massive savings for them, and it's really no trouble for us.
Among the most valuable 10 minutes I've spent attending CZcams University learning how to weld. I feel more than confident enough to walk into my local steel supplier and fake it 'til I make it. Thanks Doug!
Glad it was helpful Matt
I needed some beefy angle iron a while back, found a 3ft length at a local chain store for $37.50. Called the local steel yard, and was quoted a 20ft joint for $78. The steel yard even offered to cut to my lengths required at no additional costs.
always try to support local companies vs megacorps / multinationals 👍love the local scrap yard
@@chrishayes5755 Some are great to deal with and some are rip offs that charge more than new steel prices..
Cold rolled steel is not annealed unless ordered as such. In fabrication this may not matter much but remember that Cold roll is highly stressed internally from the forming process. If Cold roll steel is machined the material will wiggle and squirm as the stresses are relieved. The main result is warping of thin sections cut from thicker plate or bars of steel. Annealing or stress relieving avoids this problem.
Teaching a man to fish in a concise fashion, thank you. You have earned my CZcams subscription
Thank you very much. It is greatly appreciated
100% spot on. I asked one of our university's welding instructors where I could buy from a supplier, and he gave me a name before I could even blink. It was that easy. I compared prices with our box store, and the markup was just like you said.
This man is the metal Jesus. Thank you very much for the info!
haha 😄 you are very welcome. I'm glad it helped
30 years ago, I used to work for a local steel supplier in sales. Despite only doing this for four years, I learned a lot and found my aquired knowledge to be very beneficial later on in life for a variety of home projects. Your video remnded me of those old days and found your explsination and presentation to be spot-on. BTW, I still find my old Ryerson and Central Steel & Wire supply catalogs to be very helpful when i need steel. Great video!
Very good explanation. Not to muddy the waters but.....Pipe is used a lot in general fabrications, not just for liquids and gases. Case in point: most industrial hand rails/guard rails are made from 1-1/4" pipe. It fits the code diameter requirements and is cheaper than tube. Your steel supplier should have it and they will call it "pipe size tube". It will not be coated with lacquer (as is regular pipe) and will also not be threaded on the ends. But it will be sold in 21 foot lengths, where tube is usually sold in 20 foot lengths. And...most "process" piping (such as ink in a printing facility or hydraulic oil in a manufacturing plant will be "plumbed" with tube so that the system can be designed/manufactured to handle the characteristics of the fluid such as the pressure, volume, acidity, etc. that the piping will need to handle. It takes years to pick up on all these quirks of the metals industry. (40 plus years experience here.) Thanks again, good video.
Thanks for adding the extra info. Sometimes its hard to include every little detail and still keep peoples attention. The comment section helps to fill in the blanks for sure.
In my area this is referred to as structural pipe. It usually does not meet the certification requirements for schedule pipe. It is often used in construction for posts. Great point as is typically much cheaper.
man i learned quick, but i had an absolute angel for asteel supplier, when i was new to the game i went in and asked for a tab but i said can i borrow x dollars, this lady started to pick up her purse to pull cash out and give it to me, i said no no no i need steel it more valuable to both of us that way... the gesture of getting her purse though, ill never ever use anyone but her for my supplier
All my steel shops sell everything at 20’ length and charge $5 per cut. I bring my cordless cut off wheel and cut them in half in the parking lot.
My supplier will do one cut for free for hauling purposes
@@ArtfullyRogue all of a sudden my supplier looks more like a thief
Suppliers here do one free torch cut
My local supplier charges $5 per cut and you have to come back usually the next day. They do offer 10 or 12 ft lengths for the same price per foot. BTW a prius can fit 10ft lengths with the hatch closed, passenger seat down and material resting on the dash.
The biggest obstacle for hobbyists, or just non commercial buyers, is the steel yard doesn't want to deal with you. Even if they sell to the public, you're considered a nuisance.
When I lived in Phoenix, I finally found a supplier that was always cool to me every time I walked in, whether I was buying $30 off the rem racks or needed $300 in material for a project.
Since I moved to the Denver area, I can't find a supplier. Even the LWS around here are manned by a-holes. I've been here going on 3 years and haven't welded a single project.
Can you share the name of the place you liked in Phoenix?
@@jamesthomas4080 Southwest Steel Sales.
Deer Valley Rd and I-17.
I end up buying a lot on eBay, because believe it or not it's cheaper than hardware stores and at least they aren't jerks like local suppliers.
never had an issue with my suppliers
Hey man, you did a really great job with this video. It was really concise. Just bought a welder after years of contemplating. I am a woodworker but I wanted to dabble in metal. I appreciate this information.
Welcome to welding! If you're doing MIG try out some of the new flux core wire. It works pretty well. Solid wire with shielding gas is always cleaner, but that flux core stuff works well outside especially if there's a breeze where gas can shield as well. Usually push with gas, drag with flux core. I'm no expert just a hobby welder. Have fun.
Thanks, Doug. My first buy was "whatever is standard for this project"... The guy at the steel supply was nice enough not to roll his eyes but I felt the "Ugh, another noob" vibe. They were cool, tho, and the next time I knew a bit more. Specificity is the name of the game with metal.
Thanks for sharing your pro tips, they're invaluable.
The way you relayed this info was easily understandable and comprehensive. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Cold rolled is formed cold, there as the hot rolled is shaped when hot nothing to do with annealing or heat treatment, heat treatment is post processing after forming process.
Your one of the coolest customers I've ever dealt with bud! You've always been a great guy to deal with, keep up the great work!
I appreciate that Brian, thank you
The key to cheap steel is live in Australia.
Over here you can ask for downgrade (rusty offcuts) if you are really strapped for cash
Just keep in mind if you buy at a steel yard and your material is going to 20 to 24 foot lengths sheet steel will be 4 ft by 8 ft so you need a trailer or truck to haul it home or pay extra per cut.
yup, my local steel place charges $5 per cut so sometimes it's cheaper from the bigbox if I only need a small amount, plus the pieces will normally be straighter. I can get good deals if I can find something useful in their remnants rack though.
Also you have extruded tubing and welded, so one will have a seem inside (as the outside will be ground smooth), so if you want sliding pards you don't want this seem inside, as it's a pain to remove
EXTREMELY HELPFUL!!! I’m a newb just learning. Now, I just need to rewatch it a couple times and TAKE NOTES!!!!
Thanks again!
Glad it was helpful!
First time I've ever both liked and subscribed based on 1 video. Very well laid out, simple and to the point, easy to understand, ad toward the end.
Did this several years ago 1: cheaper pricing and cropping service 2: delivery to my site 3: For small orders I price leverage my bigbox store down to steel suppliers price 4: Asked steel supplier their scrap yard contact, called, mentioned steel supplier, asked for access large scrap sections my steel supplier doesn't do. Now I have access to steel of any heft or girth at great pricing.
Sometimes recycling scrap years may have what you need.
I am in the San Francisco Bay Area. If I need a bunch, I buy from a wholesaler in Fresno, a 180 miles away. It is delivered to my door the next morning for a twenty dollar delivery charge. Far cheaper than any local supplier.
Very helpful knowledge. The last part was a nice finish to the video. I work in new residential AC electrical warehouse and get asked dumb questions as well
Truth. I bought like a 4 or 5’ piece of steel at Lowe’s to practice welding (hey, I was in a rush). Then I took it to work and spent 20 minutes cutting it into welding practice coupons. I just got done placing an order for 12 feet bar of flat stainless, cut into 24 blanks for not a whole heck of a lot more. They’ll call me when it’s ready to pick up.
Right on
All these years and I never realized tubing is measured OD and Pipe ID. Thinking back it makes sense. Thanks for the tips.
Pipe is based on the id of schedule 40 I believe meaning schedule 80 of the same diameter will have a smaller id. The purpose of this is so threads or but welds are interchangeable.
Clark iron and metal, Murfreesboro TN. Scrap is $0.25 per pound and new steel is reasonable. I love them so much.
I get my stuff at work, we build garbage containers of every shape and size. I can get a veriaty of cut offs of all kinds of different steel at a bit more than what they get for scrap
SWEET 😎
Also ask your steel supplier to see their 'drop room'. Drops are the waste side of their sheer. Our yard has an entire drop room, where the drops are sorted and marked at various sizes. Very nice. Tell the cashier that you're buying drops, not sheered sheet. Thanks for the video, got here from your rusted content.
Excellent, thanks for the added tips Craig
As a machinist I have heard and used the word stock many times to describe what was wanted even by some metal suppliers. IE: 3/4 round stock, hex stock, square stock... that us common for solid material and like you said pipe or tubing for those needs. Nice video but you might want to mention the different types/grades of mild steels and other metals as well as annealed/normalized or hardened. There is a lot of different types and it can get confusing especially for someone that is newer to metal work. Thanks for sharing this info 👍
Some recycling companies will keep remnants and sell to the public per pound. Most fab shops I know will always use drops down the road so they don't really discount prices.
Thanks for the valuable information Doug. I'm an Old guy (67) about to start Hobby welding and was surprised when I got to the Big-Box Store and saw the costs of Angle and Square pieces... There is a Metal Scrap Yard less than 2 miles from me and I will be checking with them to see if they sell their scraps to Private buyers. I've also been buying small metal objects from thrift stores to cut up myself for some practice or Project pieces... Thanks again-- Jake
How did it go?
Great info. Been doing metal work for 50+ years as a hobby and to fab stuff for myself and friends. Your info to the 'newbie' was PERFECT! 😍
All to often they have minimums that the home fabricator will never meet!
searched hours for this and found you i appreciate what you shared here
I'm really glad it helped
My supplier has the warehouse open to public. Its nice when working on a project to put hands on the material. They charge by weight and material and extra to modify. The standard lengths.
Box store is well over 3x the cost. Though handy id you are already there and need just a 3' stick.
I really really appreciate you making this video. As a carpenter I know there's terms and jargon that was always a mystery to me regarding metal material.
Can you do a short video how you build those bad ass doors? Are they always barn sliders or do you swing them too? I was thinking instead of building them you could get commercial metal doors and rust them as needed.
I do have a couple of door videos here on my channel. If I could find a steel door supplier, I'd consider using them for sure
I usually get a huge kick out of requesting a current market price for either adamantium or mithril when getting prices for steel.
Hahaha I'm going try that at my supplier
Ask for unobtainium next
you are a great teacher
I went to school to study Mechanical Engineering, but I think this video was more informative to learn about Metals
Wow thanks for the comment
Great Video Doug , Good Info . I've been Lucky so Far , Yard Sales , Plus trading with Friends !
Always Good too see you
Talk Soon Barry!!!
Thanks Barry
Even better option: Find a shop that stocks and be nice and friendly. I get mine from a mobile welding company. I just bought a 2' x 3' sheared plate of 5/16 for $62 lol. In my area everyone calls remnants "drops"
Great video, thanks for all the info, very helpful!
Glad it was helpful
Been years (30) just got a welder. Thanks for the update. Glad they are not calling it stock anymore.
It's been 30 years since you've welded? Welcome back to it :)
Problem is the local steel suppliers here sell in bulk only. They won't sell by the piece.
That does make it more challenging
I am fortunate to live near a major metal supplier has an "outlet" warehouse with a huge selection of alloys, shapes and sizes. Good info Doug.
Yeah having access to more options is great
Thank you so much for making this! Subscribed!
Thanks so much for the sub, it's greatly appreciated
Yupp. Accurate info! Personally I get most of mine from the local shop scrap pile. Ocassionally order 20 or 24 foot pieces. Most of my projects don't need any particular shape. Most are scrap welded together just to support something else. Do appreciate the info tho.
Right on Thanks Jace
I have owned and ran a small welding shop for over 25 yrs. I have gotten a kick out of customers bringing there own materials in my shop that they have recently purchased from the big box retail stores. I tell them how much it would have cost from us...just so they are aware..... Next time they come in they purchased it from us.
Yes I'm still making some money off of it. Mainly because I'm purchasing larger quantities.
Thanks for the video.
I hope many listen and give there local welding some business. Treat them with some respect and they'll save you $$ every time.
It's why most of us got in to the business to begin with. To fight the throw away world and super inflation.
man how much you spend buying bundles/grosses?
Shout out to Rose Metal Products in Springfield MO keeping me stocked with steel for my projects at a reasonable price! They also brake/fab longer pieces of sheetmetal when I need it!
Hey, thanks! Very helpful.
I like the big zipper in the background 😅
Thanks for watching
The way i would call that order is..
I need 1 stick of 1 inch Square tube 16 gauge P&O either 20' or 24' or cut in half
You dont call out decimals only gauges anywhere 28 to 7 gauge after that its fractions.
You dont call out cold rolled in sguare tube products only pickeled and oiled " P&O" or black "with oxide"
Always ask for P&O in 16 gauge you will be lucky if they have it in 14 gauge mainly because its usually so much cleaner to work with by wiping down with a degreaser or acetone black you have to scrub wuth scotch brite to get clean. The only time i specifically call out cold rolled is in sheet or bar
You. Square or round bar in cold rolled is very accurate in size shape and straightness and nice to work with but now its expensive. Thats how i been doing it for 30 years
Thanks for the info Brian
Best intro steel summary ever
Thank you very much
Thanks! Didn't know about the rusting difference with hot & cold rolled.
Glad to help
Thanks a lot man. Really looking forward to sharing the steel yard with a bunch of amateurs. There's a reason why big box stores are more expensive. The hassle of dealing with those customers makes the profit go out the door.
Went local steel supplier several years ago ..4x4x1/4 angle iron ..$134 a stick ...thought I was going to faint .
Was building a trailer hitch ..found a Reese class 3 hitch all the hardware powder coated $93 free delivery . And I didn't have to spend the day scrambling around in the drive way . What a deal !
Perfect! Always good to check out other options
Hitches are a commodity and you can't beat the value for the engineering and work put into them.
Great advice Doug. The scrap bin is always my ‘go to’ section!
For sure! that always my first stop.
Dude I modified a workout bench for 3 bucks worth of steel thanks to the scrap bin
found your channel by chance. watched a couple of your videos, but this video made me subscribe. honest, clear, great better than hgtv quality.
Awesome, thank you!
This was awesome.
Thanks
Nice and well done : ) thanks for the info!
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent video! It's always nice to learn from a professional so that I can talk to other professionals in a language they will understand.
Great video. I know a lot of people don't know where to go to pick up steel. Until your video I had no idea that the big box stores were selling steel. I've seen some of their smaller stuff but nothing that grabbed my attention.
I am very fortunate. One of my closest friend in this world owns a large welding business and has locations across the state. He mostly uses gas welders and they are all stick welders in all of his rotation. I fix his machines and do some welding when it comes to technical things.
In return I don't have to buy any metal I don't even need to have my bottles refilled. Whenever I need something I ride to the location that's closest to his in my house. I understand he has ever asked me to do is not take enough steel to build a good size shed. I also was lucky that he used to have a brake machine at the one location. One of his employees had taken the big forklift and nailed it. He did so much damage that it would happen easier to buy a new one. They never used it that much right now get that service from the steel yard. Just like you said you need to ask different steel yards that what I call places that sell steel.
I really like your video so much so that I definitely hit the like button and I most definitely hit the subscribe button. I really like how you broke everything down on what to look for when buying steel.
Buy the 20 or 24 foot length and cut it in half so you accumulate the round/square that you want. If you have a variety at home you can build anything with a welder and a grinder. Get a plasma torch if you do lots of cutting.
Industrial metal supply in SD and OC has a geed selection of cutoffs and scrap for DIY fabricators.
Superior video: organized, concise, no dopey music, presented well.
Very informative and well-organized. Thank you for sharing. 👍
Thanks for watching!
Also hex bar, rec tubing, c channel, I and H beam, the list goes on
so nice to get real information. too many years is faking my way through it.
perhaps a video on all the places one can find cheap or free metal.
Tube is also used for liquids and gases, particularly when fitted. Even high pressure precision ..tubing..
Metal supermarkets sells to public they are awesome they have a 10'break ,10'shear plasma machine beams angles flat bars sheets of all kinds alum , cold,hot galv,stainless. And even cut whatever your need even a 1/8 piece they even fabrication awesome place to go
Good info. Don't forget get to ask about seconds. Normally alot cheaper. Alot of the time the its just damaged from shipping and handling. They just want to get rid of it.
Thank you for your generosity to share your art techniques. It’s like attending a paid course in metal art. So it felt like decency to support your channel! I simply saw it as a course fee as it gave me so much useful knowledge. Thx again and have a peek in your patreon list and you’ll find my real name there.
K rgds/A
Sweden
Thank you so much 😀 Anders
Ty for the video, and yes steel in box stores are very high.
Great presentation! Box stores can be a cheaper source if you look into the Electrical department. They have round tubing EMT and conduit in 10 foot lengths in a variety of diameters if you don't use it for pipe. The conduit ends are straight threaded, not tapered, and will leak, the wall thickness is less. Its still very useful and they have pre bent 45 and 90 degree pieces available. In the same rack is steel Uni Strut and 10 foot lengths of 1/2'' Allthread that is much cheaper than the 3 foot lengths.
our steel mill has a minimum purchase of $300, that's a problem when I need a $20 part
Most definitely. I know some junkyards offer remnants, maybe an option if you have any in your area.
Dude, thank you. you just summed up so many things i was looking for. i appreciate it.
Exhaust "pipe" roll bar "tube". Watched a "way smarter than me" engineer find out the hard way. Steel workers were mad as hell. I watched all day while they tried to fix his huge computer stand.
A little knowledge goes a long way for sure and cuts down on costly mistakes
Doug very well said there. Great advice thank you so much. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Very helpful video. Thank you can't wait to see ur next videos. Fab On. Weld On. Keep Making. God bless.
Thanks Jared, you too!
This is all information that I already knew, but the way you explained it for people who don't know much about steel was perfect. I've just subscribe cause I'm always trying to learn new techniques in steel works..
I had to learn this stuff on my own a couple of years ago building a small cnc milling machine. Good information.
Great informative video. A piece of 2" round tubing will often slide inside a 2" round pipe. That might be worth demonstrating.
A lot of things he spoke about could have used illustration instead of just a video of him talking. Otherwise, it was very informative.
I needed this - thanks for a great video !!
Glad it was helpful!
Just what I was looking for, great vid
Very helpful. 👍
Glad it was helpful
There's a great little steel supplier in my city that is also a salvage buyer/scrapyard. They sell new uncut pieces as well as random scrap.
Very informative Doug, keep putting new content up and your channel will grow... I will continue to “like” and look forward to more.
Awesome! Thank you BJ
this is gonna help me a lot with “fixing” my komatsu D355-A
Excellent glad it help
Great video! As a tradesman picking up welding as a hobby I really appreciate it. I know what to ask for when I walk into a HVAC or plumbing supplier but no idea going into a metal supplier.
My local steel supplier keeps bankers hours... Mon - Fri 8-4 closed on weekends. Not a great option for someone who works for a living and plays with steel on his time off...
Thanks for the info, I have a project that needs steel or aluminum ( needs testing ), and knowing the pricing helps a lot. My needs are simple, overall, but not being in the business, this video really cemented things in my mind.
Very helpful! Thanks for making this! :)
You're so welcome! Thanks for checking it out!
Also, make sure you ask around for five-sided hex stock. This is material with a minor production defect and they sell it at almost half price. Thank me later :)
Since hex stock has six sides by definition, I am not sure what good asking for pent stock would be. We did use a custom five sided bar stock for some fire hydrant valves once though. :-)
Don't forget the three sided square stock while you're at it 😃
you know you really shit in someone cereal when they tried this right?
Havent seen a cool guy video in a wile ,thank you sir for your time and keep ‘‘em coming
Hmmmm, Apparently you have not tried to buy small quantities in CNY. The metal suppliers have made it tough to buy stock from them. When you factor in the added time to go to the supplier cutting charges etc. the price discrepancy starts to evaporate.
In my area we have Queen City Steel, the people as well as the owner have very little people skills. As far as his “remnants” are concerned, he charges the same as though it was being cut from the original, even if it has been outside for over 3 years and rusted. Ask me how I know. I mainly go to his yard to pick through the scrap pile, his scrap pile consists of contractors dropping of dump truck loads of used steel construction debris. That pile pretty much sits next to his remnants pile. So, yeah, I keep an eye on it. Every once in a while I’ll ask how much something costs, then we get into a “debate” over the price, I have only gotten him to concede once. He tells me every time I ask about a piece, “I can’t give it to you for a lower price because it came out of our shop from a full pipe, sheet” , etc… it is what it is…
The reason I go there is because he’s the only steel supplier within miles. I’ve tried quite a few things over the past few years to “soften” them up, nothing works.
It’s too expensive for shipping for me to purchase from online suppliers.
Anyway, I thought I would mention that I thought the video was great, very informative!!! However, one thing about the video that I noticed was missing was the difference between ferrous and nonferrous metals. Many people who are just starting out may not know what that is as well as what it means.
Maybe in a follow up video.
you need to watch haggling videos then REALLY make him sweat 😅🤣
@@chrishayes5755 that’s a great idea 👍 I’ll do that very thing. I could use all the help I can get when it comes to these guys. As a heads up, I was being very polite when referring to the guys attitudes that work there due to the nature of this platform, and the fact that I still have to go there. You never know who sees these videos and reads the comments…🤣😂
By the way, even as far as their scrap pile is concerned, let’s just say that they aren’t very forgiving when it comes to the prices that they sell that stuff at, even though they get it for next to nothing.
Great info. Waste not and save money at the same time.
So true
You produce an excellent video in all respects.
This is one of the best informative videos I’ve seen on CZcams! Awesome content, it is really helping for my bus build project!
Awesome, thank you! Glad it helped! I'm actually about to start my bus build as well. Raising the roof on a short bus :)
@@ArtfullyRogue Thats amazing! Have fun during the build! I started to put videos on the bus build if you're interested. Hopefully there is something for you as useful as your video was for me.
Thanks for the great info!
Yeah, great, but many of us live in areas that don’t sell to the public, and if they do, many of us don’t have cars, so we need to get it shipped. Shipping often costs more than the metal, aluminum, steel or stainless. I usually end up buying a bunch of 8 foot pieces as the shipping per piece goes down the more you buy.
Cold rolled has more processes so it costs more. But cold rolled has much more stress. Like wood, if you machine one side, the cold rolled will bend whereas the hot rolled rarely will. For weekend warriors who need a piece here and there, big box stores, if they have that large display you showed, are better. You can just go and usually get exactly what you need, plus screws and whatever you need for your project. If it’s a simple project, that’s a no brainer. But if you’re building something complex, the amount of material might be a lot more than you expect. If so, you will spend a small fortune at a big box store.