Where to get supplies

Farmwelding · Thu Apr 28, 2016 4:01 pm

Does anyone have any recommendations of places to go other than a scrap yard to find really cheap scrap metal for metal art like gears, old yard tools, old tools, and other parts.

Poland308 · Thu Apr 28, 2016 4:38 pm

Check out fab shops and even your local steel sales places. They end up with lots of drop pieces of new steel that's too short to save and lots of them will sell it at scrap prices. After a while of dealing withsteel sales places they often will cut you some amazing deals if your a regular. By regular I don't mean weekly but if you stop in every month or couple of months they treat you a little better.

MosquitoMoto · Thu Apr 28, 2016 5:30 pm

Poland308 wrote:Check out fab shops and even your local steel sales places. They end up with lots of drop pieces of new steel that's too short to save and lots of them will sell it at scrap prices. After a while of dealing withsteel sales places they often will cut you some amazing deals if your a regular. By regular I don't mean weekly but if you stop in every month or couple of months they treat you a little better.

+1.

I am a regular at my local metal sales place and they now give me good deals out of their scrap selection, now and then even freebies.

The council also does kerbside hard refuse pick ups where I live, so I constantly have my eyes peeled for piles of stuff awaiting pick up at the kerb that might contain some interesting steel.

Kym

LtBadd · Thu Apr 28, 2016 6:48 pm

Farmwelding wrote:Does anyone have any recommendations of places to go other than a scrap yard to find really cheap scrap metal for metal art like gears, old yard tools, old tools, and other parts.

For "gears, old yard tools, old tools, and other parts" try garage sales, thrift stores, pawn shops and flea markets

hey_allen · Fri Apr 29, 2016 11:33 am

Check and see if there is a Metal Supermarket in your area, as they will usually sell off cut metal from the bin by the pound very cheaply.

I made a purchase of some metal to practice on, after telling them up front that I was looking for scrap pieces since I was just learning TIG. They gave me a deal on about 30# of mixed steel, including some nice 3-4' lengths of 1.5" angle iron and a dozen or so 4"x8" pieces of 1/4" plate for about $10.