[TheForge] Re: Vise type

[Dave Brown]

Yesterday I stopped in to visit a metal supplier that has only recently 
opened up about 20 miles away.  This is a new warehouse, but they've been 
around i other areas for quite a while.  It's Metal Express. The sign on 
door says "Your Small Quantity Metal Source for Handyman Repair & The Home 
Shop Machinist."  They're on the web at http://www.metalmart.com  Good 
selection of a variety of metals and grades of metal in stock, but they're 
not cheap.

W1 drill rod (TGP) price is $4.25 for 36" of 3/8" round.  This is 
comparable to the local industrial supply houses.  1018 seemed real 
expensive.  1" round HR is $0.44/inch.  That's $5.28 for 1foot.  At 
2.67#/ft that works out to $1.98/lb.  I know A36 isn't 1018, but A36 at 
less than $0.50/# (or $1.34/ft) is a lot better in most instances than 1018 
at .  At that rate it makes the MetalMart price seem awfully high.  But 
they seem to be in the business of supplying real small quantities, they're 
close by, and they have it in stock.

Looking over their inventory and their catalog, they do stock 1018, 1045, 
4140, A2, W1, O1, bronzes, brasses, aluminum, sintered metals, and a whole 
lot of other stuff.  No H13 or S7 though.

Easy guys to talk to.  I might go back for some special stuff some day.

While there I raided their scrap barrel for some aluminum trimming for the 
vise jaws.  Picked up a nice 4' piece of 1/4"x3/4" aluminum.  Just right 
for the vise.  Thanks for the idea of using aluminum for soft jaws.

Dave Brown

At 07:23 03/26/02 -0600, you wrote:
>Thanks, guys.  I think I'll go the aluminum (or is that aluminium up there 
>in Canada?) route.  It's easier to come by and sounds like it'll work just 
>as well for my purposes.
>Dave
>
>At 02:16 03/26/02 -0400, you wrote:
>>I use 3/16" aluminum, more or less form-fitted -- bashed into place --
>>and it proves thick enough that hot, rough things clamped real tight
>>don't cut through it.  I get scraps from a shop that does truck boxes
>>and gear for trawlers so it's a lot harder than pure aluminum.
>>
>>- Mike