Where to get Metal Stock?

[Show this thread in searches for Brutus, single tier brewstand or brewsculpture, metal, welding, and ponies.]

Hi,

My brother (Merg) and I are trying to price out a single tier brewstand. We would be doing our own welding for this. I saw elsewhere a recommendation for:

50' of 1-1/4" thin wall mild steel square tube...

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Ok that's a reasonable starting point. But it's been years since I had to shop for stock metal and that was a few states away in PA. Where should I be looking for stock metal now? Online? Is there a DC vendor? My local welding supply store said to talk to the amish welders (don't ask) which isn't really ideal for price checks or convenience.

I didn't see another thread that addressed this question. I think I'm in a somewhat unique position of having done a lot of this kind of DIY stuff ten years ago (with some guidance), but now after grad school I'm finding some significant gaps, like "Where does metal come from anyway?"

Thanks in advance.
Luke

I googled "metal baltimore" and got a few hits. If none of these works, I would contact an ornamental iron shop or a welding shop and see where they get theirs. Luck - Dwain

Thanks. Googling "Metal Baltimore" did pull up more results than "Metal Stock Maryland." Lots of scrap dealers too, but that makes sense since Baltimore is slowly rusting from the inside out.

If anyone has any first-hand experience, I'd gladly take it. Even a rule-of-thumb price for brewstand metal.

As far as price, even in the same city, there will be big differences. One thing I would say is to make sure of the dimensions you want. Specifically, heighth. One of my sons is vertically challenged. His brother and I were good, but he needed a ladder to add grains or stir. I just got the beast welded back together after cutting it down. It was a major biotch. Just remember: Measure twice, and you'll still probably have to cut it a couple of times. Luck - Dwain

A search for "metal supply baltimore" brought up www.infra-metals.com after a quick browse of their site, it looks like they do indeed have tubing. There were a few of them listed you could try that may be closer to you.

I live in Baltimore. I found that it was cheaper to buy from speedymetals.com than any place around here. I think I called like 3 scrapyards and 2 metal shops...

Tim

call up your local HD Supply Waterworks, they probably don't have it on hand, but ask them if they can buy it for you

btw I work for HD Supply Waterworks and know I can get that stuff here in Arizona.

-=Jason=-

Call BMG metals. I used them in Richmond and paid 60.00 for my 1-1/2 tubing on my single tier stand. They have an office in Baltimore.

Thanks everyone. I even appreciate the people who googled things for me, although I often do that before bothering HBT. I am especially interested to hear that people did order metal over the Internet. I'm hoping other people will be able to learn from some of the suggestions here.

Since I've got a few eyeballs, there are a few different specifications when it comes to picking out metal.

Can anyone help with definitions for Hot vs. Cold Rolled Steel?

The dimensions of the hollow square on any Web site are pretty clear: height x width x thinkness. Can anyone give me an approximate range for the thickness measurement? My brother uses "gauge" instead of "size." I believe the conversion is *gauge = size x 100* ?? What gauge or size is appropriate for a brewstand?

There are a few numbers associated with different stuff (yes, that's very specific): for example, (cold roll) 1018, 1144, (hot roll) A36. What do these numbers mean? What is the preferred stock for a single tier brewstand?

For anyone that is wondering, Merg and I are using a Miller 250 arc welder. We're not experts. Our local welding supply store is willing to basically sell us a set of sticks based on what we're welding. So far we've been pretty successful in the few projects we've tackled.

Thanks again. I'm trying not to be annoying but some of these questions legitimately confuse me. Some of these questions might help others evaluate their own brewstand designs.

I can only say what I used for my single tier brutus based stand. I used 14 guage 1.5" square steel bar. It is way more than enough to handle the weight (Im 240lbs, I stood on top of it and jumped and it didnt budge). I paid $36 for a 24' stick. Needed 2 for my stand. They even cut them in half for me to get them in my car. Good luck!

Sometimes the best places aren't obvious. In my town, I get the prices from a place that does driveshaft repair. I was shopping at more expensive (and obvious) steel supply places, and this guy was selling steel for about 1/3 less. Much nicer to deal with, too (doesn't treat you like an idiot if you don't know exactly what to call something). It can be intimidating dealing with these places, but if you ask questions, chances are they'll help you figure it out. They'll ask you what it's for, etc., and guide you to what you need. They may even have scrap pieces you can get for cheap or free.

I think I got three sticks (24') of 1.5" tube for about $20 each. Way more than I needed for a standard single-tier build. Steel prices will fluctuate, though. And, plan on paying cash if you go to a local joint. Even if they take cards, cash may get you a better price.

I live in Hanover Pa just 45 min north of Balt. We have a shop called Riley welding that will cut the meatal to your size and give you recomendations on size you need. Great place. Give em a call and a few days later just pick it up.

This should help answer a few questions;

http://www.onlinemetals.com/steelguide.cfm

You don't need to build a stand capable of supporting a Greyhound bus.

BrewBeemer said:

You don't need to build a stand capable of supporting a Greyhound bus.

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hell yess i do!!!! bed frames are high carbon steel (read: strong with relative ease of mig/stick welding), and if queen or king are in the flavor of ~2" angle. that was the free source of mine!