where to buy steel ?

Hi guys,

First of all, happy father's day to all you dad's !!!. I've been a long time lurker here but now I need some help. I'm getting ready to start helping a buddy start doing some fabricating on a Twin Turbo V6 Chevy S-10 project. Does anyone know of a good supplier for sheet, square, and round metal in the Chicago area ?. Thanks.

Ed

 

I am in Florida but I usually get my steel from a local welding shop. There is no shortage of them plus they are willing to sell scraps of steel cheap.

 

Your local "yellow pages"will list steel suppliers.....

 

Happy Father's Day too! Wife is making me a special breakfast as we speek (type).

Try these sites.



http://www.suppliersonline.com/Default.asp

http://www.metalsdepot.com/index.phtml

http://www.onlinemetals.com/

http://www.principalmetals.com/properties/step1.asp

 

I've dealt with metalsdepot.com a lot and I keep coming back.

 

In Chicago you can probably do real well from several sources. Try to find someone who will let you scrounge the cut-off,shear drops ect. I buy very little new off the rack stuff,as I scrounge scaps from where ever.
One way that works locally is the place I sell my scap will let me take stuff back out ,there always seems to be loads of new short and bent pieces there.

Buying steel and haveing it shipped in usually costs more but I guess there is the convience factor best of luck

 

I don't know anything about Chicago, but there is no lack of steel supliers here in Silicon Valley. I can't believe it's hard to get there.

 

I live in the Seattle area and will be putting together a sheet metal buy for several guys. What I found out is if you buy a lot, 6000 to 8000 pounds, it gets a lot cheaper. If fact, the deal I'm putting together will ship from Los Angeles to Seattle and will be cheaper than if we could find the stuff in this area.

But if you call around in your area, you'll probably find a quite a difference in price, between the suppliers. Another thing you might try is a surplus place that has used steel.

 

Most good scrap dealers will set aside the good stuff and sell it by the pound. One local scrap dealer sets aside prime pieces of steel, aluminum and stainless that a lot of the local guys check through on a regular basis.

I get most of my steel from a local ag equipment mfg who also runs a steel yard.
I usually pick out pieces that ended up on the floor that day when I need steel for gussets and they have usually treated me pretty fair on tubing when I buy it.

I would think that there would be no end to places to buy steel in the Chicago area depending upon what you want.
I like others do suggest looking through or asking for rems when you can to avoid cut charges and often they will give a bit of a discount on the rems to get rid of them. Somewhere between full size piece and scrap price but without cut charges.

 

Thanks for the suggestions guys. When I went through the yellow pages and called the steel dealers most of them were just sales offices. They either did not want to deal in the small quantities or their prices to have it shipped in were ridiculous. Your suggestions were a big help. Thanks again.

Ed

 

hey if your still looking for a steel place in Chicago, well depending on where you live in the city. Im from the southside and get all my steel from AAA steel in schererville, Indiana 219-865-8500. If your looking for scraps or something out of the ordinary you can walk through their warehouses, real cool guys who work in there, the salesmen can be a bit of a stroke sometimes but still you get what you want

 

I used to do business with Central Steel & Wire back in the 80's.
Maybe they're still around Chicago.

 

ask around the metal scrap yards-- as some of them will sell "scrap" steel that they have to you. you'll be surprised how many people drop off brand new steel to the scrapyard that "fell off the truck." that is how i buy my steel in san jose. i figure better for me to get it, then to have brand new steel scrapped and sent to china...

-scott noteboom