Metal Suppliers

[Antony PowellParticipant @antonypowell28169]

Hi

Having ordered steel from Metals4u waited in all day for delivery only to be told that i wasn't getting it because they had collections to do which were more important !!

Who do you use ?

I arranged for supplies from Acaster steels who delivered on time and were around half the price !!

Shockingly I have still not received a refund for my first failed order despite multiple promises……

So Who do you use ?

[Antony PowellParticipant @antonypowell28169]

Who do you use

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

Where are you geographically?

I use M-Machine and Macc Models….( google the url for each…)

Have also used ebay for some stuff….sheet copper, brass, aluminium, stainless….

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

A friend of mine has ordered materials both from Macc Models and from Chronos Ltd with no problems.

Thor

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Recently bought several lengths of steel flat and round from Jenkins Steel online. Their pricing structure seems to be very simple – £18 shipment per item plus the cost of the steel (around £2/kg). Unless I was after little pieces (less than a few kg), this seemed to be the best I could find.

Murray

[Vincent O BrienParticipant @vincentobrien84126]

I buy all my metal from m -machine metals and never had a problem with delivery and I live in Southern Ireland also I found their prices very competitive .

Vince

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

I have used M-machine metals, too but recently bought several sections of BMS from an eBay seller called Steel City Gav. For example, last Friday afternoon, I ordered a 500mm length of 5mm x 50mm, 250mm lengths of 20mm x 30mm and 50mm x 20mm for a project I have in mind. Within an hour, I'd had an email to say it was on its way! I wasn't in a rush for it, but it arrived via Hermes at just after one o'clock today, Monday. I dare say it wasn't the cheapest at £27.45 for the lot, but I was pleased. The price is quoted as "postage free", so that's obviously factored in. I will certainly use him again. ( Just a satisfied …… well, you know! )

John

[Mark P.Participant @markp]

I tend to buy from ebay suppliers or from my local engineering company, I find that companies that sell to model engineers seem to be expensive.
Mark P.

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

Depends if you live close enough, if you do I use Mick at Noggin End Metals **LINK**

I give him a call, then pop over, he's prepared to cut the larger stuff to the length you want and his prices are good.

If I want longer or larger quantities of Aluminium I use Aluminium Warehouse, I have only ever had great service from them **LINK**

HTH, Ian

[Tom GullanParticipant @tomgullan59234]

I have no connection to Noggin End Metals other than the fact that I have used their services on numerous occasions. I have always found them to be competitive and quick. A quick phone call and a credit card…. sorted!

I hope this is of some help.

Regards

Tom

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

GLR- Kennions

Martin

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

Because I live within reach of Canterbury and have a van, I use 'Parker Steel' for my engineering steels. They sell 3-3.6m lengths & charge a fortune if you want a cut (which they won't allow you to do on their land), but the steel is a pretty good price (get a price flavour here http://www.parkersteel.co.uk/ if you whinge you can usually get a bit of a discount on the internet price, think I've had 10% or so, but those are a good deal cheaper than most ME suppliers anyway) . Phone your order a day ahead and pick it up through the 'Parker Tools' shop on Vauxhall Road in Canterbury. They will only deliver to businesses though, and under £100 they charge £30 delivery, which makes anything that won't fit in a van quite difficult – and all their black sections are 6m+ in length.

For longish bits of brass & aluminium I collect from Dore Metals up in Sittingbourne, they have a walk-in trade counter but seem completely non-plussed if anyone actually uses it as they are pretty much devoted to b2b.

Regards,

Richard.

 

Edited By richardandtracy on 20/06/2017 08:37:11

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Scrapyards can be useful, especially if you just want some practice.

A tenner will get you about a hundredweight of ferrous for turning into a pile of swarf

edit: You can also find some exceptional sized/shaped lumps in scrapyards which would cost a lot from a proper metal dealer

Edited By Ady1 on 20/06/2017 08:50:00

[Anonymous]

I use Parkersteel (Cambridge branch) on occasion. I've never had a problem with deliveries to my home. The rule seems to be that for hot rolled steel a cut length is as expensive as the full 6m length. But for bright engineering steels a cut length is pretty much proportional to the cost of a 3m length. For larger section bright steel I order what I need; for example I simply don't need 3m of 5" diameter bright steel; nor, I suspect, do many customers. Another consideration is that they expect the customer to unload, and I can't lift 3m of 5" diameter steel.

Andrew

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

Andrew – maybe Parker's employ jobsworth's in this area. If the website says something, that's what's happening, no negotiation.

Regards,

Richard.

[John FlackParticipant @johnflack59079]

For many years I used Edwards metals in Brum they were located in the shadow of VIlla Park, small enough to be helpful and encourage loyalty. Have never seen them mentioned hereabouts

[Jon GibbsParticipant @jongibbs59756]

I can recommend Thomas Grahams in the Cumbria area (**LINK**).

I use them for long lengths and M-Machine for smaller lengths.

Jon

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I haven't tried these people yet but it shows that sometimes local businesses might be ready to sell bits of what they are using themselves.

Might be worth looking for trailer makers, caravan repairs, agricultural repairs and seeing what they will offer.

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

I use pretty much Macc for all my metals, odd occasions, Reeves, College etc.

Macc service always good and always well wrapped.

Fortunate to work in engineering so the scrap bin 'finds' are useful. unfortunately we don't use much brass and no bronze.

Recently bought some brass filter mesh from the Mesh Company. Excellent service by return.

Bill D

[Dave Harding 1Participant @daveharding1]

I use M-Machine I phone them with my requirements they cut it to any length you want. Then I drive over and collect it. There prices are good.

[Brian HParticipant @brianh50089]

For brass, copper, aluminium etc I have used Smiths Metal Centres, my local one being at Attenborough in Nottinghamshire. They have always been helpful and I can collect so no post etc.

Brian

Edited By Brian Hutchings on 23/06/2017 20:46:35

[William Harvey 1Participant @williamharvey1]

Was about to ask this question, but thought I'd update this thread. Looking for a good online supplier of small quantities of metal for a Hobbyist.

Thanks

[HOWARDTParticipant @howardt]

I have used Rapid Metals in Coventry and Metalmania in Hinckley. Rapids prices seem to have increased but are set up to supply the hobbyist, I have always visited in person as there used to be bargain bags of bar ends to be had. With COVID have been using my stock for the last two years.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

I used Rapid Metals in Redditch when I lived there. The range of choice was quite wide but I thought them expensive.

Now that I live half-an-hour away from Macc Models I use them for most supplies. I think their prices are very reasonable and they have an far better range of sizes and profiles than Rapid Metals did.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

A very useful thread with several suggestions.

I've generally used the regular model-engineering retailers for most, but for larger and heavier sections such as for my workshop's overhead crane parts, used Pulham Steels, in the Dorset village of the name. Their main customers are trade including farmers, but they seel to the DIY customer as it were. I buy and collect complete lengths but cut to either needed lengths or to be simply transportable ("Oh, and the bar-ends too, please! &quot.

Scrap-yards can yield good finds but you cannot know the steel grades, and the production bar-end with a lovely faced end might prove an absolute what-is-it to machine on a small lathe with conventional tooling.

For sheet-steel work I have used old central-heating boiler panels, server case parts and the like. The thinner sheets are within the capacity of lightweight forming equipment, and its original use shows it of folding quality.

This is beginning to make me feel 'orribly like one of them so-called "influencers". Only they are paid for writing what are unashamedly advertisements. (I assume of course they pay their NI and Income Tax, and insure their bedrooms for business use!).

However…

Toolstation stocks a limited range of architectural metals and a good range of the common ISO-Metric fasteners, circlips, all manner of pressed-steel brackets, tools etc. For non-model metalwork (equipping the workshop, making miniature-railway equipment, traction-engine driving-trolleys, etc.) it's surprising what can be obtained from TS and similar, primarily building-trade, stockists.

I've seen B&Q mentioned on this site. Its basic selection of light aluminium and steel sections is OK for odd tasks and I have bought from there, but the materials are primarily for small household DIY work not high-grade engineering, not cheap, and the quality of the steel can be variable. The canopy poles on my steam-wagon are thin-walled steel tube from B&Q, intended for e.g., wardrobe rails, but they are not supporting any significant load on the wagon. The company used to have a good on-line catalogue… Used to, but it's been re-written to conform with modern retail-chain practice.

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