Best online metal supplier?

[premmington]

Anybody used these people?

http://www.metals4u.co.uk/

Or what other suppliers do you use?

Seems a good idea to have stuff delivered in long lengths!

 

[Welderpaul]

You are going to pay through the nose if you do...

For example, £20-90 for a 6m length of 16mm MS round bar..... We pay £6-00 per length. You might pay a bit more if you are Joe Public, maybe a tenner a length, tops?

Ring a stockholder, most are happy to supply bits and pieces and will deliver. For gods sake, don't pay those prices.

 

[Welderpaul]

£86-66 for 6m of 50*10 flat My god.

£14-00 we paid per length 2 weeks ago.

 

[ford34/2]

Stainless Steel

I needed some stainless steel to continue making some parts for a car we are building checked the sizes and prices on E Bay a length of 8mm,10mm,12mm bar and a bit 30mm bar, E bay came to £117.27 + carriage. went down to Reynolds and Law one of our local stockists, same quantities of stuff + a canny few offcuts came to £60.48. sadly offcuts are through the books and not into petty cash. Less than half the price + more stuff and a good rummage, cost me a couple of hours of my time.
Hunt out a supplier or a local business that uses steel, keeps your trade local tell them that you prefer to buy local, keeping the money in the local community. They probably wont turn you away, take a hacksaw and double check what you may have to cut it into to transport away, cutting the odd length is a bit of a pain for them sometimes.
Stan

 

[breezer]

Paul where do you get your stock from?

Or alternatively what are the chances of getting some odd lengths of steel from you every now and again as im only a few miles from you. Dont mind adding a bit extra on for your trouble.

Jim

 

[Welderpaul]

For the smaller stuff; usually Steel Supplies in Doncaster.
Not sure what Joe Public prices are like but they are generally cheapest when i go out for prices with 3 or 4 stockholders.
I don't mind adding a bit on to our orders if it helps.

 

[breezer]

That would be ace - cheers paul.

Im fully stocked up at the moment but you can bet it wont last long.

I will drop you a pm next time inneed nything and we can take it from there.

Thanks again

Jim

 

[Dev]

Why do you want to use an online supplier in particular?

 

[astro_al]

Quite. I have found establishing a relationship with a supplier to be beneficial to the prices I'm charged. Nothing beats a bit of phone rapport...

Al

 

[BoatBuilderDave]

I fired a local steel supplier an email, got prices, showed up a while later wearing well abused work clothes, work boots etc. I said nothing about the email, and I got BETTER PRICES in person.

I guess they reckoned,
email ==> not in the trade, bump the prices a little
shows up in work boots, work clothes, with old work gloves etc ==> in the trade, don't bump prices.

Just a thought.

 

[premmington]

Why do you want to use an online supplier in particular?

Our local steel supplier, is just not interested in delivering small amounts at any cost!

I am so busy, I just don't have the time to mess about taking the truck to them and "begging" to be served.

Sad I know, the last few things we needed to be made up for our workshop, I paid a small fabricating firm to do them, because it was just easier due to the hassle of getting the metal to do it. (young lad made a good job of the bits we needed).

Shame... I like a little fabricating project and we have all the gear to do it.

 

[CRB]

I went down to Reynolds and Law one of our local stockists, same quantities of stuff + a canny few offcuts came to £60.48. s
Stan

Stan, I did my apprenceship at a building inside of the, then, R Blackett Charlton site along White Street. According to GMaps, it is still there, at the rear of Chieftan House and at 90*. Half the building seem to have gone too.

Reynolds are listed as SS and part of Holme and Dodsworth. ?Ferrous too? A recommendation can save a lot of running around fruitlessly.

 

[Dev]

I know what you mean, I have found some places have the same attitude. One place charged £2 per cut, so if you wanted a length of box section cut own to go on the roof rack it was the price of a length plus an extra £4!

My solution has been to find a couple of engineering firms near me who are big enough to hold stock and who will supply small amounts. And if you have a cutting list a lot of times their off cuts will do the job and they're happy to shift them.

The prices are generally made up and the more I go the more I get for the same price, its amazing how often it comes to "a tenner". It's got to the stage now where they know I'm after off it's and let me have a bit of a rummage.

And I get the benefit of their experience and advice for free. Which is worth more than the steel IMO.

 

[FASTdan]

What are peoples opinions of www.aluminiumwarehouse.co.uk in terms of pricing?

I cant seem to source tube locally for anywhere near as cheap as them, but perhaps I'm asking the wrong people (though there's not that many local stockholders!)?

 

[steve.h]

I have recently used www.forestmetals.co.uk their prices were really good, even after delivery they worked out cheaper than local suppliers, their range of "handy steel" is limited but very good and they come on 3m lengths, so not too bulky. HTH

 

[hotrodder]

Our local steel supplier, is just not interested in delivering small amounts at any cost!

Probably old news but Yell.com is listing 17 stockholders in/around Norfolk...

What are peoples opinions of www.aluminiumwarehouse.co.uk in terms of pricing?

I cant seem to source tube locally for anywhere near as cheap as them, but perhaps I'm asking the wrong people (though there's not that many local stockholders!)?

They're pretty close* and a nice bunch to deal with. I haven't used 'em in a few years as their online product range isn't what it used to be... stainless and yellow metals have gone and while they still don't charge a premium for cut lengths they used to offer a MUCH larger range of options and in all sizes not just larger dia stuff. Free delivery threshold used to be a lot lower too

* Aalco are generally a touch cheaper but not always/with everything. Can only speak for my local branch but it's usually very easy to get a few quid knocked off by simply plucking a (sensibly) cheaper figure out of the air and asking if they'll match it. Not worth it for the odd length here and sheet there but if buying in quantity it's worth setting up an account

 

[FASTdan]

Ah good to hear they're reasonably competitive then as I've been using for a while. My requirements are quite basic at the moment (3 dia's of alu tube, all 3mm wall plus the odd bit of round bar) but I will enquire with Aalco - they have a branch reasonably local.

Might help with delivery too - thats my gripe with alu warehouse, despite me specifying a day to deliver on in the notes (ordering 5 days in advance of that day) they still just send it out whenever. My business is part time so I need to schedule deliveries for days Im actually there to accept it.