Where is the best place to buy material from

Hello

As a member for around six months with a lathe and mill I have exhausted my supply of scrap material that I had aquired from my engineering days long ago.

I am just supprised at the cost of material today as the stuff I need was just thrown in the scrap bin.

I have looked on e-bay but postage puts the price up, so where do you members get brass, alu and steel from.

Thanks for any replies.

Hi Bob

Unfortunately there are no metal suppliers where I live so always have to pay carriage and as you say it does put the cost up quite a bit. I use ebay and some of the usual suppliers who advertise on this site but normally make up an order to gain best terms for carriage, it does pay to shop around but only use known suppliers or the grade/quality ordered cannot be guaranteed.

Emgee

Give a clue on your location and it will be easier to get ideas for suppliers. I have to do a 30 or 40 mile round trip to the suppliers I use so tend to stock up on a selection when I go.

Buying small quantities of metal is not cheap but is much better than a scrap bin. There four, five, six or so suppliers of metal to model engineers, bike restorers, etc out there. They do go to shows, autojumbles etc and their prices can be competitive. It is worth shopping around between them.

It is always worth buying more metal than you need. That way you will have a stock pile of metal with a known providence. Just make sure that you mark anything fancy like high carbon or alloy steels.

JA

As for suppliers, try College Engineering Supplies, Mallard Metals, Macc Model Engineerings Supplies and Nogginend Metal Supplies. I have used them all without any problems.

JA

Bob, do a bit of local research, look for steel stockholders, non ferrous stock holders, and find out where they are, then arm yourself with a couple of pictures of what you are going to build, then head into the trade counter/office and show your pictures, tell them this is what you are building and, ask for something specific or a rootle through their scrap bin in exchange for a contribution to their coffee fund. In my experience you have a good chance of getting something at a good price. The same applies to smaller engineering companies. If you pay for what you want you can always go back.

Chris Gunn

Try RapidMetals in Redditch, but they also do internet sales. They'll cut almost any alloy or material to the size you specify, buy what you want when you want it.

It's a fact of life that once you've forfeited Womblers Grazing Rights to the company scrap bin, making things in metal can get a bit of an expensive past time. I agree with the post above - make friends with a local scrap bin! But don't forget TANSTAAFL!

Rgds Simon

If you're rural, for mild steel try your local agricultural blacksmith - mine has large stocks of most standard sections, in a variety of grades, and sells it by length for a very reasonable price.

hi, the metal store is a good place to look, free carriage after 75 pounds and they delivery fast. metal4you is a second place to look. I buy a lot in one go as I hate buying the mark up for small bits of brass etc. michael

I've said it once but I'll say it again, first stop every time is Metal4U if they don't have what you require then try the other outlets.

Dear god, that takes me back. Seems that metals4u is on Sandbeck Way in Wetherby. Many's the time I made my way over there, like every working day for about 9 years.

Farnell Instruments is now long gone and even the old buildings seem to have been replaced. Perhaps I just imagined it all! Must call in for old time's sake and pick up some stock next time I'm passing....

GLR do metal packs check them out, good value!

I use a company called M Machine Metals they have a large range of metals always helpful quick delivery and good prices. Nothing is seems to be to much trouble have even offered to get a bar of steel in and cut off what I wanted.

If it's plain EN1 or EN3 steel and you are in the Notts Derby area M1 J24 /25 then get in touch and feel free to call in.

I have probably 3 to 4 tonnes on stock of new steel in popular sizes that over the next year has to be condensed into a maximum of 2 tonnes.

With this in mind I'm quite prepared to sell the surplus to anyone who can collect for cost or about cost and cost to me is trade price.

Don't ask me to ship it - not going to happen. It's collect only.

I still have a load of some steel that has been stored outside on racks which has gone rusty and again this is collect only but it's free. Not a big choice of sizes but it's all EN1A or could be leaded. No markings after all these years but you will soon find out as you start to turn it.