Exotic metals

Firms (if they have common sense) also charge proportionally more for small quantities.

Then buy a metre. Cut off what you want, and sell the rest on eBay at what you consider reasonable prices.

If you're right, you'll make a fortune. If you're wrong, you've only paid double and you're in stock for the next 9 projects.

- Brian

I buy most of my new steel from Macready's since they are just up the road from me. I discovered some years ago that they seem to have an unofficial minimum order charge. So when I'm ordering stuff from them I always make the order big enough to be worth their while. If they have offcuts and bar ends I'll buy them if that suits my need, but otherwise I try to buy full lengths. It may be that I only need a foot for a job, but I know that the other 5 2/3 metres of that size and grade will come in useful one day.

Mark Rand RTFM

Where did I do that?

I have never asked for small quantities of material at volume prices. I asked for it at reasonable prices.

I said I would be willing to pay £10 for a bit of metal that costs 80p in not-very-large volume. That is not asking for volume prices.

Actually I was mistaken there, the pro rata price for not-very-large volumes should be about £2.50. Sorry.

I was chatting to a guy who told me the price was about £8 per metre, and I assumed he meant for a few tens of metres as we'd just discussed his company's minimum order, but £8 per metre is the Inco volume price. A few tens of metres would be around £20-£25 per metre.

I'd be willing to pay a little bit more now, knowing that.

But I wouldn't have to!

I found a US supplier who sells 1/2' monel at $1.50 and 1" monel at $6.50 per inch, $15 minimum order. There's another one too, who charges $1.75 and $7.00, no minimum order.

They use it in boats. I'm told you can also get monel in small quantities at reasonable prices through musical instrument makers suppliers or something, but I stopped looking.

That's $9 plus shipping for my example bit of metal, 6" of 1/2 inch monel. A bit better than £80+ for 4", what? :)

Unfortunately they only sell monel, not the other hard-to-get metals, so I'm still looking for a supplier of these in general. Found some not-too-bad inconel and iridium sources too though.

Ermmm - I haven't started a project. And I am doing research on cost and supply, that's what this thread is (was?) about.

I think "toxic" is too kind a word for Dale.

-- Peter Fairbrother

Always retaliate first.

Iraq didn't attack us with wmd's because we got in there first and STOMPED them! See! Pre-emptory retalitation works!

I realise that it can be expensive to supply small quantities, especially if your paperwork and ordering system is not set up for smaller orders. Fine, I'm not expecting you to supply small quantities.

However there are lots of suppliers who do service small scale markets, and who sell that kilo for £20 or £10 or even £5, plus a £5 postage and handling charge. They seem to make a profit and stay in business.

What I'm asking for is a supplier like that, who sells small quantities of slightly unusual metals.

KR Whiston, you are sorely missed.

Incidentally, two hours seems a hell of a lot for the paperwork and cutting of one small order.

I think you have misunderstood.

A metre is £150 from Goodfellows. I consider a reasonable price for 150 mm is £10 (and that's a buying price, not what I'd expect to get in a sale on Ebay).

I'd lose money.

SNIPPED

Too lazy to read through all the threads again, cannot remember if you've covered this.

What are you making with these?

Just curious.

Lionel

Nothing particularly, but I am making some small model LOX/kero rocket turbopumps, and the engines and rockets to fly them in.

The actual pumps are made from stainless, with perhaps inconel for the driving turbines, although I may well reuse commercial inconel turbines from mini jet engines. The drive turbines aren't a real problem though, the pumps are the hard part.

The other exotic materials will perhaps be used for the engine bells and the rockets, but I'm really just investigating what's available.

Where did I do that?

I have never asked for small quantities of material at volume prices. I asked for it at reasonable prices.

I said I would be willing to pay £10 for a bit of metal that costs 80p in not-very-large volume. That is not asking for volume prices.

Actually I was mistaken there, the pro rata price for not-very-large volumes should be about £2.50. Sorry.

I was chatting to a guy who told me the price was about £8 per metre, and I assumed he meant for a few tens of metres as we'd just discussed his company's minimum order, but £8 per metre is the Inco volume price. A few tens of metres would be around £20-£25 per metre.

I'd be willing to pay a little bit more now, knowing that.

But I wouldn't have to!

I found a US supplier who sells 1/2' monel at $1.50 and 1" monel at $6.50 per inch, $15 minimum order. There's another one too, who charges $1.75 and $7.00, no minimum order.

They use it in boats. I'm told you can also get monel in small quantities at reasonable prices through musical instrument makers suppliers or something, but I stopped looking.

That's $9 plus shipping for my example bit of metal, 6" of 1/2 inch monel. A bit better than £80+ for 4", what? :)

Unfortunately they only sell monel, not the other hard-to-get metals, so I'm still looking for a supplier of these in general. Found some not-too-bad inconel and iridium sources too though.

Ermmm - I haven't started a project. And I am doing research on cost and supply, that's what this thread is (was?) about.

I think "toxic" is too kind a word for Dale.

-- Peter Fairbrother

Always retaliate first.

Iraq didn't attack us with wmd's because we got in there first and STOMPED them! See! Pre-emptory retalitation works!

Peter where are you based ? Just wondering in case I need to move house.

-- Regards,

John Stevenson Nottingham, England.

Here: "> A Google search for "monel 400"co.uk brings up plenty of

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.

Tom

...........................

Going by your general attitude, I was expecting a query as to his identity.

Tom

I think you`ve missed the point Dave. Regards,Mark.

Who indeed, pray ?

Trowbridge. So you're okay John, but some of the rest of you might start worrying ...

-- Peter Fairbrother

May the long time sun shine upon you All love surround you And the pure light within you Guide you all the way on. Oh here we go slithering, here we go slithering and squelching on Oh here we go slithering, here we go slithering and squelching on verses from "A Very Cellular Song" by Mike Heron - You can sing both together, in harmony. :)

I know of two UK suppliers who offer small quantities of exotic metals, goodfellows and shopmetals, and I think there is a third, very similar one - they seem to be a cabal, they all sell a huge range of otherwise extremely unusual metal foils, and they are all similarly and ridiculously overpriced for bar and flat metal stocks in useful mechanical (as opposed to research) sizes (which to be fair does not seem to be their main business).

As far as I am aware there aren't any more UK suppliers of small quantities of mildly exotic engineering metals. None at all. The rest all have largish minimum order quantities. If anyone knows otherwise, I want to know too.

I wasn't dissing anybody else - there isn't anybody else to diss.

I just found a cheaper one.

-- Peter Fairbrother

"And you're not a gun freak?"

"Oh no. I'm a collector. Huge difference."

"The difference being?"

"I've got more guns."

No. Just machined parts for them a few years ago. I think they are expensive for parts but then it is not easy milling 0.002" thick ali to about 25mm x 20mm with non parallel sides, then drilling 2.3 holes in each corner.