Home Built Bandsaw Bandmill - Build your own Bandsaw Sawmill

Smokey · Posted: Jan 27, 2010 3:43 am Post subject: Price of steel?

Okay, So I'm in the process of ordering some steel for the saw head, after a year of savaging and keeping taps on scrap metal around I've had no luck on any decent material. So I've crack and convinced my self that it would be a good investment to buy some new stock.

Problem is I'm getting so large pricing difference from roughly $0.67to $1.30 average per pound on different sizes of stock mid steel.

So what are you paying in your area?
what are some other sources I should check for good deals?

Smokey.

dozer326 · Joined: 29 Sep 2009 Posts: 93

35 cents a pound in Tucson for scrap steel. Square tubing 2x2 with 3/16th gauge I think I paid around $2 a foot brand new.

westcoaster · Joined: 19 Nov 2009 Posts: 23

Steel in prices in my area look like this... 6" channel $2.70 ft, before taxes

bedway · Joined: 25 Aug 2006 Posts: 272

Im in northwest pa. and i found a place that i got great prices on steel tubing. Its a steel tube manufacture of all sizes and and thicknesses. When they produce a run of tubing they have to take a pc. from each run and do non-destructive tests on it. These pcs. are being offered to the public for almost scrap prices. You might want to check in your area to see if you have any manufactures that might do the same.

Smokey · Posted: Jan 28, 2010 2:45 pm Post subject:

Westcoaster what thickness is that 6"channel .125 .185 .250?

Smokey

westcoaster · Joined: 19 Nov 2009 Posts: 23

Web thickness is .250"

Smokey · Posted: Jan 28, 2010 11:22 pm Post subject:

Ok the best quote I can get so far is

2 x 2 x 125 x 24' 1.50/ft
2 x 2 x 188 x 24' 2.82/ft
2 x 2 x 250 x 24' 3.53/ft

2-1/2 x 2-1/2 x 125 x 24' 2.35/ft
2-1/2 x 2-1/2 x 188 x 24' 3.63/ft
2-1/2 x 2-1/2 x 250 x 24' 4.62/ft

4 x 4 x 125 x 24' 3.86/ft
4 x 4 x 188 x 24' 6.13/ft
4 x 4 x 250 x 24' 7.93/ft

6 x 2 x 125 x 24' 3.79/ft
6 x 2 x 188 x 24' 6.12/ft
6 x 2 x 250 x 24' 7.93/ft

6 x 2 x 250 x 48' 7.93/ft

And these prices are in Canadian funds

Good... bad....close?

Smokey

jdrum · Joined: 05 Jan 2010 Posts: 26

look for a house trailer frame for your track frame. there is a lot of metal there and you can usually find them cheep. they can be cut up with a recprocating saw. plus you get the axle if you want to go mobile.
takes a little more work to cut it up and fit it together, but it will be heavy enough to handle any thing you put on it.

if i can figure out how to post it i have a drawing of what i mean, its a work in process. i have most of the steel for my mill, but i have to build a new welder so i can get started.

well i tried but no luck i do my drawings in sketchup and havent found out how to save as jpeg. have to go through the help files and find out. i like schetup because its 3d and you can flip it around and look at it from any direction and even go inside the parts.

jim

jdrum · Joined: 05 Jan 2010 Posts: 26

sorry about the size of that! just like my mill my posting is a work in process!

jim

Smokey · Posted: Jan 30, 2010 1:03 pm Post subject:

Hey thanks for the pictures I probably will not be buying the steel for the frame for a while and most likely not new steel either do to the price. I'll have to keep my eye's open for an old trailer or something like that, but most of the ones I've seen so far are long past any usefulness. There's just too much salt on our roads here so anything that is 20years old or older that has ever been on the road in bad weather is a total right off.

Keeping my eye open for possibilities.

Smokey

jdrum · Joined: 05 Jan 2010 Posts: 26

i know what you mean about salt i lived in upstate ny for 30 odd years. my frame came out from under a doublewide house trailer that had caught fire, the owner gave it to me for tearing it down. sold the salvageable stuff and got enough lumber to build a welping house for the dogs.

jim

ironacres58 · Joined: 07 Jan 2009 Posts: 28

hey wayne ,fellow pennsyltuckian here, i'd like to know more about the place you found for tube? thanks jeff

bedway · Joined: 25 Aug 2006 Posts: 272

If my memory serves me correctly Jeff, i think its the place you mentioned to me about. I happened to notice it while i was over in Oil city and stopped in. All they carry is round tubing, but man some great prices. Im building my log arch from material i got there.

ironacres58 · Joined: 07 Jan 2009 Posts: 28

thats the place ..the log arch is looking good. i started one on the same concept back in the summer i think it will work like a dream my arch is done but my hubs are out in the field burried so they will have to stay until the melt. keep on keep in on.