Thread: Suggestions on raw materials

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I have some ideas on what to have around the shop in stock for things I want to mod.You know angle iron,square tube,18 gauge etc.I learned when I had the last shop it was far better to stock small amounts of raw materials and I have a recycle steel place here in Roch that sells new material cut-offs and overstocks at a pretty good discounts.

So I am looking of suggestions of what to have on hand of the more commonly used materials.

We go through tons of flat stock in 1/8. 3/16, 3/8, and even 1/2 inch thick. There are generally a bunch of cut off pieces that range in size from maybe 3x3 inches to 12 X 12 inches. Great for making brackets and gussets. We also keep some of the same thicknesses in 1 inch wide to 3 inches wide for the same purposes.

If you go to most steel supply houses you can dig through their "drops" that are left overs and sell at a reduced price. We have one here in town that we would go in periodically and pick through these pieces and buy what we could use. But some idiot customer got hurt and sued them so now they have a policy that no one except employees can go to that area. No one wants to take responsibility for their own injuries, so they sue.

Actually, practically any piece of scrap you have laying around can come in handy at one time or another.

Don

Too bad you didn't live close by Gary. The local industrial supply shop sells "ends",all new shorts, up to 3' in length,tubing, angles, flats,etc. almost a ton in weight, delivered on a pallet to my door for 40 bucks. Brian

Try to get some chromemoly tube .058 wall - any size. With that wall size the inside is perfect fit for what od the id will be 1/8th less, for instance: if you have a piece of 1/2" od the id will be 3/8; a piece of 1" will be 7/8 id. The uses of this is endless, a perfect fit sleeve for a 1/2 bolt is a piece of 5/8 tube; a 3/4 shaft sleeve is 7/8 tube; to extend an existing 7/16 slide a 9/16 tube over it.
Dillsburg aeroplane works in dillsburg pa will ship you any size in whatever lengths you want, a 3' piece of about 5-6 different sizes would fix you right up.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

We go through tons of flat stock in 1/8. 3/16, 3/8, and even 1/2 inch thick. There are generally a bunch of cut off pieces that range in size from maybe 3x3 inches to 12 X 12 inches. Great for making brackets and gussets. We also keep some of the same thicknesses in 1 inch wide to 3 inches wide for the same purposes.

If you go to most steel supply houses you can dig through their "drops" that are left overs and sell at a reduced price. We have one here in town that we would go in periodically and pick through these pieces and buy what we could use. But some idiot customer got hurt and sued them so now they have a policy that no one except employees can go to that area. No one wants to take responsibility for their own injuries, so they sue.

Actually, practically any piece of scrap you have laying around can come in handy at one time or another.

Don

Used to raid their scrap bin all the time now its fenced and locked, they claim someone was hurt and didn't want a law suite on their hands
I figure it's just because the price of scrap went high and times are tough everywhere -even here in Ontario

Please kept the suggestions coming guys.I am putting a shopping list together.How about hearing from Jerry,Dave,etc.

"ends" and "drops" are where it's at if you don't need a lot of length. Most projects will use one or two long pieces with several shorter pieces. It's helpful to have all of the short pieces around for that. It keeps the raw-materials cost down and keeps the Chinese from melting down good usable steel.

Well you asked---got a pencil???

really everybody has given good info and one tip i would add would maybe get/keep around some small tubing that the i/d is tap drill size for rod ends--example--If I remember---1/2 tube .083 wall i/d is tap size for 3/8-24 thread---clutch linkage, brakes, etc. another thing--I wouldn't allow a piece of welded seam tubing in the shop---have strictly a/c 4130 or Mild DOM but no welded seam!!!!!and no , I don't do mild steel anything but do a lot of 4130 and stainless

And pick up a cataloque from a supplier---they are full of teck info, weights, etc

Gary, check out your local fabrication shops. They usually have lots of stuff to choose from.

im betting as you go along the building process you could use almost any shape/form of steel available.

Like alot of other guys have said go to a metal fab workshop and they will have all sorts of offcuts that they'll most likely offload for a cheap fee. we used to throw (recycle bin) naything about 2-3' or smaller and that wasdoing stainless-wish i was still doing it now purely for that reason!