Just for the record, though I am retired, I can still buy steel at a discount through my welding shop, it usually amounts to about a 15% discount over the average walk in guy. I usually buy from the same warehouse, and those guys run a truck about a block away from me every weekday. If I get something delivered, the truck stops by here as its going past. Sheet steel is usually delivered on a wood pallet wrapped in cardboard (the cardboard is great pattern making material). When I picked up the last load at their warehouse, it also was on a wood pallet and covered with the cardboard. With that in mind, $75 to make 2 extra turns and spend 5 minuted unloading is a pretty stiff delivery charge. One more little point, the steel warehouse buys steel in bulk with large quan***ies at a time and they pay $$$ based on the then current prices. As they sell off their inventory and buy the next load, they pay the current price, weather its higher, or lower then the last time. At that point, all the current in stock inventory, and the new load coming will reflect the new price. Want to hear sticker shock? I ordered steel for a job once and apparently got it at an old price. Then 3 days later, I needed another piece (things changed on that job), and the new piece was at a new price, nearly double what the other piece cost! That was the day I got the education on how they priced their steel. After that point, I usually bought an extra piece of steel when I was doing a bigger job. I retired about a year and a half ago, and I'm still using up some of those extra pieces of steel. The pile is getting smaller, but now the sticker price for steel is shocking. Gene
That's like the gas companies play their yo-yo pricing game around here! Their orders are about three months out but if somebody in a far off land farts then the international "crisis" that results increases price immediately. Someone in a far off land has a good day and it takes weeks for th price to decrease!
I ended up paying $125 out the door for 2 - 4x8 sheets of 18ga. Not too bad. And about the tariffs, sometimes you have to step back and take care of your own, even if it's not easy or popular.
I haven’t bought any new steel in years. For sheet metal, I have cut apart household appliances, washers, dryers, stoves, etc. some you can use, some you can’t. Been pretty lucky on channel and angle, I’ve picked up a piece here and there for years. Have about exhausted my stash though, so I may have to buy some next time I need to build something. I’m cheap, I’ll fool with old used stuff instead of going and buying new if I can.
You guys think you have it bad . I went to a garage sale because he had a complete rolling Chevy truck ch***is with engine and 2 transmissions . 80,000 miles .Including some other parts . He wanted $500 , I said $300 . We laughed and agreed on $350 delivered. He showed me a garage he built and said he was tired of working on old cars . Made it into a man cave. He had 5 sheets of 20 gauge leaning up . I said for sale? Yep. $5.00 for the five sheets.
If you type in "Stainless" on Facebook Marketplace you can sometimes find panels or parts that are available from old restaurant equipment and stuff. Then cut it to fit what you want.
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