Exotic metals

Maybe these could help

Almost definitely get it from this company - probably the most expensive though. Last catalogue I had they listed just about every metal available. Also do many plastics, at the time I was looking for high melting point plastic. They listed a 1000 degree c melting point plastic at over £1000 per metre. This was restricted use, not for export. They had a higher melting point one that I would have had to sign the Official Secrets Act to purchase, At least that's what sales department told me. I gave up on that one! Lionel

Lionel, did you ever actually buy anything from them? Or Mick, did you?

Goodfellows are good for - I'm not quite sure what, except perhaps "our catalogue is free, and it looks good, and it has had a lot of work put into it; but it will bankrupt you if you buy even one item from it".

Almost everything they sell can be bought elsewhere, usually at 1/10th and often at 1/100th the price. No kidding.

You want zablumy, and they say "we can sell you zablumey, and it's 120 zu each" - but you can get exactly the same zablumey (or get some even cheaper zablumy) for 1zu25 per dozen if you know the right person to buy it from.

However, I was looking for some small monel-xxx blanks, various sizes, a few inches long and from 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches diameter (which they don't sell).

Also I was looking for a reasonably priced source of Inconel 718 blanks, again in small quantities and sizes.

To make stuff with, not to say "I've got some".

it will bankrupt you if you buy even one item from it". stuff with, not to say "I've got some".

No Peter, never bought from them.

I sent for their catalogue about 10 years ago when I needed high temperature plastic. I seem to remember it was A4 size and about 3/4 inch thick.

They seem to cater for university, government research establishments etc, places where large grants are set aside and money has to be spent before year end to ensure future grants.

Lionel

Yep. Useful catalogue, I have several, one open in front of me right now, but as for buying anything from them?

Could be. They do a lot of weird stuff like a zillion kinds of foil and sputtering targets and so on which some specialised researchers might need. Maybe. Someday..

One of the things I want is about 6 inches of 1/2 inch dia monel400*. I can get that size in brass, copper, bronze, stainless, ptfe, PEEK, and so on from a metal stockist for under a pound, and under similar conditions that sized bit of monel should be around £2.

Goodfellows charge £81.66 for 100 mm. It does include postage though, so call it £75. That's still over 50 times what a reasonable price would be.

And they don't do the 2" diameter monel that I also want.

Peter -

Titanium comes up on ebay from time to time. I bought a couple of large-ish sheets of around 1mm thick for not very much, and have also acquired some offcuts of round bar that way. I haven't looked for other exotic alloys there, but might be worth a try.

Regards, Tony

quantities?

Try

I was talking to a guy who worked for Oxford Magnets (make body scanners) He worked in the stores and told me that they often sell offcuts. Might be work calling them and asking switchboard to put you through to the stores to see what they use in body scanners and see what's in their scrap bin. No idea if they would use any monel, inconel, hastalloy.

Maybe one of the aerospace engineering companies have a scrap bin?

Lionel

A Google search for "monel 400"co.uk brings up plenty of suppliers,some of them seem to offer small quantities. regards,Mark

Really? At sensible prices? I couldn't find any, and I've looked, googled, emailed and phoned around. I'd like to know about any of them that you know of though.

not people like goodfellows or shopmetals who'll charge you £20 for 4 inches if 1/4 inch 404 stainless, which costs about 20p in a metal stockists.

Or charge you £80 for 100 mm of 1/2 inch monel, but only £150 for a meter? I mean, even if £150 per meter was a reasonable price (which it isn't, nowhere near, £15 is more realistic), and they charged £5 per cut, and £5 handling, and £5 for the accounts department's christmas raffle, and £5 for extra profit, pro rata that would still be less than half what they charge for 100 mm. And £40 less too.

I'm looking to pay a few pounds or a few tens of pounds for some not-very exotic metals. I don't mind paying a reasonable premium price, but I won't pay £80 for 80p worth of metal.

Sensible prices? You mean prices that suit a cheapskate, don't you? If you're so metal price savvy, perhaps you should be in business as a metal broker. If you're inquiries had included the whinging content of your emails, little wonder that sales staff reached for the London phone directory when quoting to you..

Tom of exotic metals to the hobbyist.

No. I mean sensible prices, not ludicrous rip-off prices.

Goodfellows and Shopmetals will charge you £160 for one meter of 1/2 inch monel, and £80 for 10cm.

That's either 20 or 100 times the real price, which is around £7.00-£8.00 per meter for 20 meters - unfortunately those suppliers all have minimum order charges, usually £150 or £250.

So for £160 you could get 1 metre from Goodfellows or Shopmetals - but if you went to a real supplier you'd get 20 metres for £160.

Not convinced?

A few weeks ago I bought three 20" lengths of part-finished 5/16" 304 stainless from College Engineering for 60 p each, £1.80 total, plus VAT and postage. And a week later I bought 8 more in as-ground condition from a local metal merchant for £6 total, including cutting charges and vat.

This is Goodfellows exc VAT price list for 1/4" 304 as drawn stainless:

Order Code Length 1pc 2pcs 5pcs 10pcs

325-019-88 500 mm £ 39.40 £ 50.50 £ 72.00 £ 111.00 177-154-72 1000 mm £ 48.60 £ 63.50 £ 105.00 --

Really - look it up for yourself, I did not make that up. Promise :)

Now if those aren't ridiculous prices, I don't know what is...

I want about 6 inches of 1/2 inch monel, and I'd pay a tenner for it, and a fiver on top for postage, even though it only costs about 80 pence. So I don't think many people would agree when you call me a cheapskate.

But I will not pay £80, which is a fool's price.

Do you buy stock from goodfellows or shopmetals?

How about all the other UK suppliers you're badmouthing?

I think you're in the wrong hobby, as you seem to have your own perception of how things should be, but aren't.

You want material at volume production prices for quantities that wouldn't qualify for prototype amounts.

As for my purchasing, I buy where I have to, but unlike you, I tend to do my research on cost & supply of materials before I go ahead with a project.

Before you extend your foray into the quest for more raw materials, I suggest you ingest a large amount of Dale Carnegie...

Tom

Nah...cadmium is far less toxic... ;-)

Regards, Tony

Possibly, but more useful for imparting a classy finish to the fasteners of one's projects..

Tom

This is one of the reasons we do not deal with the public.Some of them reckon that if the material costs £2000 tonne,they should pay £0.20 for a kilo. They forget that someone has to raise internal paperwork for the cutting of the material,someone has to cut it and someone has to invoice it,all in all about two hours that costs money.I forgot the guy who takes the order in the first place and probably has the customer on the phone for half an hour to start with.Oh and you will need the material certified as well. regards,Mark.

Would be if you could find one of these 'real suppliers' that could supply you what you want in the quanties you want.

Stephen

Same with us, we got so much trouble with folks wanting batteries and chargers for their golf caddies at less than we could build them for, that we just stopped dealing with the public at all.

It is a difficult line to draw, between supporting small users with small needs, and justifying to your own people the costs of processing an order which is probably in a loss-making situation.

We have been fortunate with suppliers ourselves, and as we deal with many metalworking companies we do have access to their own stocks and suppliers. That can save a lot of time and trouble! :-))

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Luton, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

Only if they were really crap at maths because £2000 a ton is £2 a kilo.