Metal suppliers.

[Spacecowboy]

I am tired of paying well over the odds for my steel. I have enough for my current projects, but I'm trying to find a supplier who will be able to supply small amounts of steel at (hopefully) regular intervals.
Do you know of any stockholders who would be willing to sell me a couple of hundred quids worth of stuff at a time?
I tried to register on some on the net (Shop4steel.com for instance) but they don't seem interested.
I'm after stuff for making gates and fence sections, and decent quality CDS tube for bike frames. (NBK and not pipe).
Any pointers would be appreciated.

 

[piman]

Hello Spacecowboy,

are your local steel stockholders not reasonable in their pricing.

I buy steel from a local one here in Shropshire, in much smaller quantities than you seem to require and don't feel I'm being overcharged?

Alec

 

[sambabug]

Metalsupermarket sell in small quantitys ,go on there site and there should be a branch near yourself

 

[English Steve]

Have a look through the thread on this subject in the brew room. You should find a supplier near you from that list.

 

[Hitch]

Have a look at this thread, theres a fair few reccomendations, probably one or two mentions of somewhere near yourself.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4311

 

[Drains]

Where are you Spacecowboy? Ayr, Stranraer, Dumfries, what?

 

[Spacecowboy]

Where are you Spacecowboy? Ayr, Stranraer, Dumfries, what?

Hi mate, I'm in Kirkcudbright, near Dumfries. I've asked about in a couple of the fishing industry fab shops, but they get steel in the tens of tonnes at a time. I will be paying a visit to a welding supplies shop to see if they can point me in the right direction. I have no way of unloading big loads, or collecting 7.5 Mtr bars. So I've been looking at getting stuff delivered from the net. I have had to use an ebay shop, but paying for 0.5x1 Mtr sheets at the same price as full sheets in Shop4steel. I have just registered with Parkers steel online, and although thier prices are twice as much as Shop4steel, it looks like a decent bet. Unloading might be a problem for me though.
I'm going to knock up a trailor as soon as I can, mainly to fetch gas from the AP outlet in Dumfries. It still leaves the problem of carrying heavy loads.
I'm looking at orders of square and rectangle hollow section and flat, round and square section bar for making gates. I also want a small quantity of CDS round NBK tube.
Metalsupermarket is in Glasgow, which is too far for me to travel really. I work a shift pattern which has me travelling to Liverpool weekly, but again trailoring that distance is a bit daunting. I have looked through the posts on this site, which is why I think a lot of you are lucky to be quite close to sympathetic stockholders. I'm hoping to establish a regular supply by the end of July/August, but like any small enterprise, I need to start somewhere.
Any further info would be very much appreciated.

 

[Drains]

Hi mate, I'm in Kirkcudbright, near Dumfries.

For those of you who don't know, that's pronounced Kircoobree, btw.

Cowboy, I don't know any suppliers round your way, but I would have a go at speaking to any fab shops/ agricultural fabbers (gates etc) in Dumfries and see if they can point you in the right direction. Or even try the agricultural supply merchants, as they will probably know. I'm suggesting the ag route cos farmers often need odd bits of steel, and know the cheapest places!

Most suppliers will deliver for not too much dosh, and most will have a wagon doing weekly runs around the sticks. Many Glasgow firms deliver to Edinburgh once a week as there are hardly any suppliers of anything left over here. Standard practice.

Good luck. In the meantime i'll have an ask of some mates from down that way and see if i can help.

Si

Ooh, phone West Skelston Services and ask them!! They're bound to have the answer. 01387 739445

Let us know how you get on mate.

Edit
Also, big loads are unloaded by hand, for lack of anything else. The drivers are used to it. If an individual piece of steel can be lifted by two people, the job can be done.

 

[Spacecowboy]

Hi again, I have dealt with West Skelton for mig wire and consumables. I'll be speaking to them soon I think, as they are the local AP suplier as well and I'll be dealing with them for my gas also. Hopefully they will understand what I'm up against.
If I can extract any info, I will post it here.