Where do you guys recommend finding alloy's? All my local suppliers only carry mild steel, or don't even know the alloy. Most websites I find for ordering seem way too fucking expensive, like more than twice what my local suppliers charge just comparing mild steel to mild. I'm mostly just looking for 40 series steel and 4 series stainless steel.
>>2848019>no backyard steelworksngmi
Find a local fab shop and ask to look in their drop bin or skeleton pile. I assume you don't need a lot.
>>2848043None of my local fab shops do anything but welding projects so they don't really have any alloy cutoffs. Machining is fucking magic to people in this area, if you can do heat treatment you are getting into black arts territory.
>>2848019I order from ALRO but they are local, no idea if you are close to a branch.
>>2848019Onlinemetals.com is where I usually order from. They usually send you a 10-15% email every month. Depending on the size you are looking for shipping can get expensive.>40 series steel and 4 series stainless steel.What are you wanting to do with it? Those steels are pretty different.
>>2848019in yankee land online metals is nicein leaf land knifemaking supply shops are a good bet for small pieceselsewhere my guess is as good as yours
>>2848261Gun parts mostly, plus the occasional custom part for cars. Guns use a lot of 4140 and 416 stainless cause they are easy machining and heat treatable. I have a huge pile of tools I've been acquiring for the past 20 years and I'm always looking for excuses to use them.
metals4u? I don't know where you are OPState a location.
>>2848019mcmaster carr, metal supermarket
>>2848408Bumfuck nowhere pacific north west. Seriously, the nearest actual city is 4 and half hours away.
>>2848458https://www.pmtsco.com/in portlandia and ship
Speedy metals or Online metals. Or google metal suppliers near you and see if there are any that offer specialty stuff.
>>2848417Both of those places are ripoffs.If you really want to get serious about metalworking, you need to find the old piles of materials from guys that have the hobby better getting out of it due to age Etc and buy that from them. Some guy was selling a huge Atlas Leath and material that I've missed out on that but a week or two
>>2848496Nice website Brad
>>2849039Shipping is what murders you. But if your local place doesn't have it what can you do?
On a related note, wtf is 3/8" ID tube so expensive?
>>2849240>But if your local place doesn't have it what can you do?Ask them to get it. Do zoomers not know how to ask for things?
>>2849039>Both of those places are ripoffs.Don't you dare slander McMaster
>>2848019hey anon! look for companys that are like family shops that make equipment like industrial baking equipment, custom trailer shops, something where what the company is making is "made in (your country)", and if it's a family owned business even better. go there and ask if they could potentially order some metal and you have no problem paying cash or paying a invoice.
>>2848261>Onlinemetals.comBased onlinemetals enjoyer
>>2849467>$20 to ship a $15 rod endI think that was the last time I took boomers' advice on anything. Now I just tune them out while I wait for them to die off.
>>2849477One thing good about McMaster Carr is there absolutely massive selection and variety. Its the most massive wide ranging selection of parts, materials, supplies, tools and products for various fields, disciplines and applications I've ever seen.And their shipping is lightning fast, at least that was in my limited experience of dealing with them for a few years, back around 2010 to 2013ish.
>>2849467If Wile E. Coyote hadn't been using Acme company, he would have been using McMaster Carr, that's for sure.
>>2849477I think the typical patron is a small to large company and is ordering hundreds of dollars worth or thousands of dollars worth of stuff in a single order.
>>2849477I use them multiple times a month and I don't find shipping to be that expensive, compared to some places, yeah it's a little higher, but I can order at 4:00 p.m and it will be delivered at 9:00 a.m. the next morning. That and there website is a godsend when trying to find stuff compared to other sites.Okay I just checked my last order and it was around $20 for the merchandise and shipping was $9, not terrible.
>>2849251None of my local places will do orders for anything less than a $3,000 purchase. This shit is really the only downside to living far from cities.
>>2848019What can your suppliers order? Many suppliers only stock carbon steel but can order a stick of whatever you want. Best visit personally at least the first time.
>>2848019If you are in CA, you can just steal anything you need as long as it is < $1000.
>>2848019I get my stuff from New Jersey Steel BaronSpeaking of, I need to get some material for a guard and pommel.
>>2850288it's funny how often boomers give advice on how to deal with businesses while forgetting that the guy on the other end is another obstinate boomer too
>>2849482He'd have to because McMaster Car would have driven them out of business, just like homo Depot is driven all the mom and pop hardware stores out of business across every Market they enter.
>>2853755Ps, I'm lucky to live a half hour drive from vancouver, and lots of metalworking shops here in Squamish where I live because there's a healthy construction industry growing on and they need a supply. Trouble is Triton Automotive is pretty expensive. A little pile of structural steel to make a full-time towing hitch post in my garage for my big expensive bike rack was nearly 50 bucks for one piece of sheet steel and a piece of tubular Steel
>>2853756My neighbor has a stick while there and I've got an outlet in my garage but I have to figure out if I can use it or not to weld this up. I think I better let a professional handle this.
>>2849467McMaster is fucking useless.
>>2853759Nice argument
Say what you will about their prices, but McMaster Carr's website design is amazing, I don't know why others like Grainer or MSC haven't tried to emulate it. I can find whatever type of bolt I need in 15 seconds, rather than spending 15 minutes on Amazon or going to Home Despot only to find out they don't have it. If it's on company dime I always use McMaster. If it's own my own I'll compare prices, but at least for anything other than basic bitch bolts McMaster is usually cheapest even with the shipping cost.
>>2853967Just talking about bolts. Yeah with metals McMaster is a ripoff unless you really need it tomorrow or if you just need 1 small piece. Midwest Steel Supply has really good prices though they don't have a huge selection of HSLA steels. I've typically used NJ Steel Baron before for knifemaking steels. Also you could check out Castle Metals - I recently came across them when looking for 7050 for work, prices were much better than competitors. Don't know what steel prices will be like, but they carry a pretty wide variety.
