need steel supplier

Depends on how much you're looking for.

For really small quantities, there are mail order places that sell it by the inch. Metal By Mail, Metal Mart are some names, IIRC.

For 6 foot bars Enco carries it, and if you look around here you should be able to find a code for free shipping - which could be as much as the steel.

Whoops. Sorry about that. Looks like neithyer Enco nor MSC stock steel hex. Brass yes, steel no. McMaster, maybe?

If you're looking for large quantities, there is likely a steel distributor near you.

John Martin

Ferranti Steel & Aluminum in NJ was pretty good, not sure if their still around.

Tony

thanks, I found ferrari on the web. I am going to call a few local shops first,( i'm on long iland). got any ideas on cutting 1/8" 1018 plate? I have been trying to get retangular pieces with a clean cut , square corners, and sised close to what I spec, the local shops sheer it and just dont get it when I tell them that I need it square and a certain sise. so it seems that i will have to order slightly larger and re cut and sise myself, but without a large budjet what type of used machine could resise small pieces.

You're dealing with metal and with machinists here. When you say square and to a certain size you'll have to specify exactly what you mean. The overall size is important, as are the tolerances for size and squareness. So will the quantities needed.

If you need just a piece or two, have them sheared oversize and bring them to final size with a disc grinder or other power tool and then a file. Or, you might try getting them larger and then marking them out yourself for a final pass through the shear.

Maybe the best tool for sizing and squaring these pieces very accurately would be a milling machine. Expensive purchase. If you are doing these on a production basis, it could pay.

Consider shearing oversize and taking the pieces toa local machine shop.

Again, though, if it's only a few pieces forget the machines and square and size them with a file.

John Martin

You can also try Fleischer , Saxon Ave, Bayshore, they are well stocked and will cut to size. They also have lots of short pieces lying around. When you go into the warehouse it will be hard to control yourself.