[TheForge] Metal Prices!

[Wesley Marquart]

Where I got the stock was at "ALRO Steel" (http://www.alro.com/)

It was originally Block Iron & Supply (a division of Sadoff & Rudy) till
they got bought out a couple years ago...  

Their original reason (given back after the buyout) for their higher prices
was "the Chinese are buying all the scrap" - this time they didn't even say
that - just quoted the new more improved profit price...

Speedy Metals and/or onlinemetals.com will be my suppliers of choice from
now on...  (except when I can 'dumpster dive' at a couple local places)

:)

Wes

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of ries
Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 5:32 PM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Metal Prices!

It really depends on where you buy, and how much at a time.
Obviously, steel is a commodity, with a world price set daily, and  
there is no way you will be getting it for the London daily price-  
which is for 40,000 lb lots, delivered, theoretically, in London.
So you always pay more than that imaginary world base price, because  
you pay shipping to where ever you are, plus a premium for buying in  
smaller lots.

But the prices you quoted are hardware store prices, not steelyard  
prices.

I have been paying about .78 a pound for hot rolled. That is in full  
sticks, not cut.
Havent bought cold rolled in a while, but it should be no more than  
double that, at the very most- and thats pretty steep.

1/4" square weighs only 2.55 lbs per 12' stick- which means anything  
over ten bucks is a huge markup by your store.
Speedy Metals, on line, only gets $2.84 per six footer- thats only  
$5.80 for a 12 footer, of 1/4" square in 1018.
http://www.speedymetals.com/ps-739-180-14-sq-cold-finished-1018.aspx

Online Metals is getting $4.22 per six footer- still under ten bucks  
for a 12 footer.
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=7088&step=4&showunits=inches&id
=230&top_cat=197

these online places are usually at least 30% higher than a local  
steelyard would be.

But they are still so much cheaper than what you were quoted, it would  
be worth it for you to order six footers online and have em UPS'ed to  
you- you would still save money. Probably, with UPS, it would still be  
half of their asking price, especially if you bought a few at once.

wherever you were buying, its a ripoff.

ries