Where to find the cheapest metal

[Flexibel_kampfe]

Where is the best place to find the cheapest metal... I have noticed that Home Depot is quite expensive... And I dont want to order over the net... because, well... then shipping is expensive...

Thnaks

 

[T-man]

there should be a metal supplyer in your area

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

Not that I know of...

 

[BugMan1960]

Look in the phone book or google it and your zip code...

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

I found a place within decent proximity... just waiting to hear back if they do pickups... Yarde Metals... I am not sure if any of you use them... The prices on their drop box caught my eye... since thats all I really need... since the bench will take a beating...

 

[KieranM]

what type of metal, brass, aluminium, stainless steel, bright mild steel, silver steel, mild steel....

 

[r_chez_08]

I would just go to the local metal retailer, as they are likely to be competitive with their prices

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

what type of metal, brass, aluminium, stainless steel, bright mild steel, silver steel, mild steel....

I am looking mainly for mild steel... something that I can weld together with a basic MIG setup(which I am soon to get...hopefully)

 

[newrider3]

The only steel you can get at Home Depot/Lowe's for cheap is black gas pipe (a good substitute for round tubing if you're in a pinch or just really cheap) and thinwall EMT conduit (galvanized; so you have to grind that off before you weld it, better for light duty stuff like bicycle projects). For stuff like square, angle, plate etc, you need a good metal supplier, or just use whatever you can scrounge from dumpsters, or beg from fab/machine shops. If your school has a metals program, you can ask the instructor who they order their steel from aswell.

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

Please do remember that:

Some of us, such as myself and others here are gifted enough to live in an industrial or ex-industrial area, where there is a store that sells nothing but bearings, and a store with nothing but belts, of course there is a store that sells nothing but metal.

 

[KieranM]

Kenny your just lucky, ebay is my friend for chains, bearings and anything like that.

 

[newrider3]

Most every city will have a bearing or metal supplier. They are just very often prohibitively expensive. Like $50 for 15' of 1" square tube, or $100 for a 60 tooth sprocket.

 

[jmauld]

Race car part supply stores have online availability and will ship metal to you in up to 8' sections.

Here's one:
https://lefthanderchassis.com/categoriesproducts.asp?idcategory=252

I don't know how they compare pricewise to a metal supply shop, but they are cheaper than the local H.D. and Lowes.

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

The only steel you can get at Home Depot/Lowe's for cheap is black gas pipe (a good substitute for round tubing if you're in a pinch or just really cheap) and thinwall EMT conduit (galvanized; so you have to grind that off before you weld it, better for light duty stuff like bicycle projects). For stuff like square, angle, plate etc, you need a good metal supplier, or just use whatever you can scrounge from dumpsters, or beg from fab/machine shops. If your school has a metals program, you can ask the instructor who they order their steel from aswell.

Can you weld galvy outside w/o heavy metal poisoning? I really dont want HMP... but grinding thinwall would be just asking for trouble...

 

[KieranM]

as well as being harmful to weld ( galvanised steel) its also hard to weld due to the zinc coating. weld it if you wish but wear a quality mask not one of those cheap sheets of paper that they call masks lol

 

[DirtTrackRacer_07]

i have heard that when welding galvinzed tubing you can drink a cup or two of white milk and wait about 30 minutes it will coat the inside of your stomach and keep you from bein poisoned from the gasses that the galvinzed puts off.im not sure if it works or not but i do it just for safe measures. it cant hurt nothing anyway and the high quality mask is a really good idea for welding stuff like that. ive welded galvinzed before and got light headed afterwards

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

i have heard that when welding galvinzed tubing you can drink a cup or two of white milk and wait about 30 minutes it will coat the inside of your stomach and keep you from bein poisoned from the gasses that the galvinzed puts off.im not sure if it works or not but i do it just for safe measures. it cant hurt nothing anyway and the high quality mask is a really good idea for welding stuff like that. ive welded galvinzed before and got light headed afterwards

What other type of milk is there(I know theres butter milk, but its not really drinkable)... lol... not one I would drink for certain...

 

[DirtTrackRacer_07]

there chocalate milk and its brown lol but any kind should do as long as its white. it was just something that one of my dads freinds told me he had to do when he had to weld galvinzed stuff on semi trucks so if he was made to do it i suppose it mite help a tid bit. i ant tryin to sound like a smart mouth or nothin.

 

[KieranM]

when welders wanted to make money, they went around to farmers and asked if they wanted any gates welded up. gates were galvanised though, so they needed a way to avoid the zinc coating effecting them. in the morning they would drink a glass of milk, normal milk, they went on there day welding the gates fine. when they came home they went to the bathroom and vomited the milk and whatever else up. the milk caught all the zinc, but as a result of this practise many of those welders are now in bits due to vomiting on a daily basis. not good to do to say the least.

 

[DirtTrackRacer_07]

would it hurt you if you didnt throw up? stupid question but im curious...lol