Steel prices?

Anyone have an idea what steel going for these days? I'm going to be starting on my brewstand shortly, and I'm thinking I'll need about 50 feet of 1x1x1 steel tube. Not sure if that will be sufficient - I may need to go bigger, but that's what I'm looking at right now.

I checked the prices on www.onlinemetals.com, and they're asking about $90, plus $26 shipping. I need to order some perforated sheet for a false bottom anyway, so I'd have to pay the shipping no matter what. Anyone know if this is a reasonable price, or should I just check locally? I am willing to pay a little more for the convenience of ordering online and having it delivered right to my door rather than having to go pick it up, but not if it's outrageous. Plus, these guys will cut to the length you specify, so it will save me some work

I'm pretty sure I recently got 60' of 1.25" square tube for around a buck a foot locally. Look for a steel and/or pipe supply house or ask a local fab/welding shop where they buy their raw goods. The Online Metals prices for perforated stainless are good, though.

You're in a decent sized city. I would look locally for the materials. Shipping can be costly. Besides, seeing the items is better in filling the bill of what you really want. Catalog or verbal descriptions are sometimes vague.

Another idea is to use discarded steel from bed frames. I know it isn't steel tubes but I've seen a brew stand made out of discarded bed frames and those can be free. Around here we have large item pickup by the city once every 3 or 4 months but if you slide your waste management truck drivers a 6 pack of homebrew and tell them what your plans are and there's more beer in it for them, I'd be willing to bet they'll have you as many discarded bed frames as you need to build one strong frame.

Oh, the power of good beer.........

I just payed 120$ for 90 ft of 1.5x1.5 Angle reg hot roll. Ex but makes a great stand.

You're lucky you're dealing with steel. Copper here is being stolen out of homes being constructed for the scrap value. So, a copper cooling coil could get pretty expensive.

Genghis77 said:

You're lucky you're dealing with steel. Copper here is being stolen out of homes being constructed for the scrap value. So, a copper cooling coil could get pretty expensive.

Click to expand...

Going on in a lot more than where you are... Down here they are stealing central A/C units.
As well as copper from construction sites.

Well, I found it at a local shop for about a buck a foot. Plus, for $20 they'll cut it all to the lengths I specify and have it ready this afternoon. Time to break out the welder!

Ale-

Hey i have a guy that with metal included will be building one for me for around 70 bucks. It is a 3 tier system that has levels tall enough to accomidate keggles. those are not short by any means.

of course that does not incluede the burners but they will add those on as part of the price. And, they do body work on vehicles so they are very good and precise.

That's really cheap - is it one that has a single pedestal in the center? I'm building a two tier, but it's a rack style instead of a single pole.

It is basically three seperate boxes, one taller than the other all connected and on casters.

Sounds about like mine, except mine is just 2 boxes. The boil kettle & HLT are on the bottom, and mash tun on the top. I'll use a pump to sparge and gravity to drain the wort into the kettle.

In 2002 I started a project (at work) that required 120 tons of plate steel, which I could buy rough cut to shape and delivered for $0.32 per pound. Due to supplier problems I started looking for another source in late 2003, by that time the same steel was going for $1.18 per pound.

Boy I wish I knew how to weld in 2002, all metal is way too expensive these days.

Check out http://www.metalsupermarkets.com. I know they have an Omaha location. Maybe a trip over is worth saving on shipping.

I have been pricing steel for my DIY More Beer gravity system. I only need three 20' pieces (not even that, but the local steel supply store will only sell it to me in lenths of 20').

1 1/2" X 20' angle iron= $22.82
2" X 1" X 20' square tubing=$34.21 (ouch)
3/4" X 20' square tubing=$9.00

Total= $66.03 (+ tax of course)

Pretty cheap in my opinion, I was expecting it to be about $150-$200.

My local steel yard has a drop tent... everything is $0.75/lb. Some pretty good stuff in there. I got 100 lbs of 2" square tube. You need to dig around, and they dont always have what you want in there... but I lucked out. Not all the tube has the same wall thickness, but close enought for Gov't work.

So, my stand cost me $75 and I have some left overs to play with.