metal fab questions

[StephanBB]

I've got access to some welding gear and wanted to play around and maybe eventually start building some of my own stuff. Where do you guys buy the raw materials? I was considering taking a stab at building a dumbbell rack using 2x2 steel square and 2x3 angled pieces, but have no idea what thickness and type of steel I should be looking at. I'll check local spots for the materials but was curious if there were any online vendors with decent prices.

[Northernmoris]

I've got access to some welding gear and wanted to play around and maybe eventually start building some of my own stuff. Where do you guys buy the raw materials? I was considering taking a stab at building a dumbbell rack using 2x2 steel square and 2x3 angled pieces, but have no idea what thickness and type of steel I should be looking at. I'll check local spots for the materials but was curious if there were any online vendors with decent prices.

You'll get killed on shipping. Should be cheaper to find something local.

[raynelson188]

I've got access to some welding gear and wanted to play around and maybe eventually start building some of my own stuff. Where do you guys buy the raw materials? I was considering taking a stab at building a dumbbell rack using 2x2 steel square and 2x3 angled pieces, but have no idea what thickness and type of steel I should be looking at. I'll check local spots for the materials but was curious if there were any online vendors with decent prices.

Try local scrap yards for material to practice with.

As for buying steel to build with...........scrap yard first..........local or at least placing that are within driving distance (never online....shipping will KILL you).

As for size of steel. It depends on how much the db rack will have on it.......if it is going to be a one piece unit.....etc. The more db's is going to hold the heavier gauge steel you need to use.

As for thickness..........I usually use 11 gauge mild steel on pretty much everything unless they want to pay extra.

Also, keep an eye out for closing fab shops within driving distance. I got one hell of a deal last March. I want list all I got but lets just say I so much, so cheap I was able to actually sell enough steel to pay for what I didn't sell. I ended up with over 11,000 lbs for free.

Anyways, steel like equipment can be bought used (second hand...lol.) if you know where to look and when.

BTW, where are you located?

[Mech6]

Local steel suppliers. If you're lucky, you'll have one that sells by the foot. Probably double the price, but you don't have to buy large quantities. Standard lengths for tubing and angle is 24feet and 20feet and most places will charge for cutting and have minimums. Here it's 600lbs minimum or they don't budge.

[Stasher1]

Local steel suppliers. If you're lucky, you'll have one that sells by the foot. Probably double the price, but you don't have to buy large quantities. Standard lengths for tubing and angle is 24feet and 20feet and most places will charge for cutting and have minimums. Here it's 600lbs minimum or they don't budge.

Some steel vendors/suppliers will cut to customers' desired dimensions. These places typically have an area for remnants (aka "drops") that they'll sell to the general public for dirt cheap. They've already made their money from the original customers' orders, so this leftover material is basically a collection of scrap pieces that are too big to just throw away but too small to save for future orders. If you're somewhat flexible with your material needs, these places can be a goldmine.

[raynelson188]

Stasher:

The supplier that I buy from when I cant find it other places will cut each "new" (20' or longer before cut) length one time for free. They charge me $3 for each cut after the first free one..........but no angles.

They also have their scrap yard. They call it the "bone yard" because it gets picked over so much by people like me and yes, the usual price for the bone yard is 50% off their usual per foot/lb but you still have a minimum of 25 lbs (which is not hard to meet for most any project).

[Stasher1]

The shop I buy my small quantities from has no weight minimum on their drops. If you find something in the drop room or back remnant area that only weighs a pound, they just charge you for one pound. Everything is color-coded so you know what it'll cost per pound (they have aluminum, copper, brass, hot-rolled, cold-rolled, alu diamond plate, hard chromed stuff, etc), and they have a scale right there so you can figure out your total bill before carrying it to the front.

Probably not the cheapest, but very convenient for small quantities...

http://www.metalsupermarkets.com/stores/atlanta/

I work for a metal fabrication company, but for small quantities it's actually more convenient to pick it up from Metal Supermarkets.

[StephanBB]

BTW, where are you located?

I'm in MA, pretty close to NH border for tax free shopping.

[StephanBB]

Hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized... So many choices.

Maybe I pick up a welding for dummies book first.

[raynelson188]

I'm in MA, pretty close to NH border for tax free shopping.

Ok. Your so far away it would be crazy to come here.....lol........Alabama to buy steel (or anything for that matter).

Even if you pay going rate for steel and all other materials needed to build equipment......you will still save a freaking ton of $$$ over buying new or even paying another welder to build it for you.

I so wish I would have learned to weld before I ever bought gym equipment years ago. I could have saved oh so much money when I was younger. I remember buying plate loaded machines for ~$1,500 each in the late 70's and early 80's that I could have built for ~$200 if I would have been even a hobby welder with the poor skills I have now......lol.....very poor at that. Then again, I have not had that much practice lately. It takes a lot more practice for some than others.

[Silentpoet]

Hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized... So many choices.

Maybe I pick up a welding for dummies book first.

If you can find a welding class that is best. That is how I learned.

You don't want galvanized because it puts out toxic fumes when welded.

I made my own glute ham raise just recently. What I have saved on it would basically pay for my welder.

[Mech6]

Hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized... So many choices.

Maybe I pick up a welding for dummies book first.

For what you're going to be doing, everything is going to be hot-rolled steel (HRS). When you want tubing, just ask for steel HSS tubing. Hollow Structural Section. For angle, just hot rolled angle. CRS costs twice as much, isn't available in all shapes/sizes and is only used when you need tight tolerances. The only time I get it is for round bar to make band pegs, shafts to be used with bushing/collars/rollers/pulleys. CRS also won't have scale on it and will be shiner/smoother. But most important is is toleranced better. I can't get a bronze bushing onto a HRS round, but it will glide over a CRS round. Better than that would be ground shafting, but that's only for bearings and such. Don't bother. Galvanized is uselss to you, and even toxic if you weld it. Go to sttel supplier websites (russel metals is one) and get the PDF catalog (http://www.russelmetals.com/en/Produ...ce%20Guide.zip). That one is Canadian, but it's al the same except for a few standards. All size/shapes/weights/lengths will be in there. Then pick and choose.

Also, go here. http://steeltubeinstitute.org/ . Read up on all the prodcuts, see difference between HSS, DOM, CREW... Helps alot.

Sorry for 100 typos, I'm tired.

[owasM]

Many of the suppliers around me sell off cuts. Could enquire around you to see if any do.

Heres what one says -

We generate thousands of offcuts each month which we sell on at heavily discounted prices.

If you've a project in mind, and you are flexible with your material requirements, the savings are good.

[StephanBB]

Appreciate all the advice. What's average price for hot rolled steel? Is cost based on total weight?

[Mech6]

Appreciate all the advice. What's average price for hot rolled steel? Is cost based on total weight?

For most standard shapes, yes. Around $0.50/pound give or take 20%

[StephanBB]

What thickness do you think the angled steel is in this pics below? I plan on making a simpler version of this, but need to make it strong enough to hold my dumbbells; 5-100 in 5lb increments (few sizes missing). Rack needs to be three tiers with the bottom supporting the 80's - 100's (almost 1000 lbs). Considering fabricating legs for each side and one to support the middle as the total length needs to be ~9ft long. I'd cut the angled steel to 4.5 ft lengths and bolt them to the legs.

Other option would be to use 9ft lengths of angled steel and center 2 legs so the angled steel overhangs like in the second picture below. The 9 ft lengths might make it more difficult to transport and powder coat.

[mochakaboom]

You can try HomeDepot for the angled pieces. I know for a fact they have them in multiple thicknesses at my store (use to work there).

[owasM]

You can try HomeDepot for the angled pieces. I know for a fact they have them in multiple thicknesses at my store (use to work there).

But, correct me if im wrong, at silly prices compared to steel stockholders?

[Stasher1]

But, correct me if im wrong, at silly prices compared to steel stockholders?

Correct, and very limited lengths. I also believe that 4' is the longest they stock, regardless of thickness.

[SkinnySquats]

Great info here. I don't intend to get into welding, a high school friend has been welding for over 20 years & i trust him to do my fabs. I got some C channel and plating quoted out from a local steel company. (I want to have my York iso rack duplicated for vintage barbell display.) I don't have the pricing handy, but it seems very reasonable. I think they charge $3.00 for the 1st cut, $1.00/cut after.

If you plan on fabbing a lot of stuff, it may be more economical to get an angle grinder and chop it yourself. I just got one and love it. I've been chopping up bars just for the hell of it, something about the sparks..

[owasM]

Great info here. I don't intend to get into welding, a high school friend has been welding for over 20 years & i trust him to do my fabs. I got some C channel and plating quoted out from a local steel company. (I want to have my York iso rack duplicated for vintage barbell display.) I don't have the pricing handy, but it seems very reasonable. I think they charge $3.00 for the 1st cut, $1.00/cut after.

If you plan on fabbing a lot of stuff, it may be more economical to get an angle grinder and chop it yourself. I just got one and love it. I've been chopping up bars just for the hell of it, something about the sparks..

If you do a lot of cuts, id recommend something like the evolution raptor 355mm chopsaw,I have that and an abrasive, less of a tendancy to flex like abrasive disks and can cut anything pretty much , and more accurate cuts (dewalt does one too iirc)


Edit - no more sparks though lol.

[SkinnySquats]

If you do a lot of cuts, id recommend something like the evolution raptor 355mm chopsaw,I have that and an abrasive, less of a tendancy to flex like abrasive disks and can cut anything pretty much , and more accurate cuts (dewalt does one too iirc)


Edit - no more sparks though lol.

True, my welding buddy helped chop up some Roundheads into blobs. That thing cuts like buttah!

[Mech6]

What thickness do you think the angled steel is in this pics below? I plan on making a simpler version of this, but need to make it strong enough to hold my dumbbells; 5-100 in 5lb increments (few sizes missing). Rack needs to be three tiers with the bottom supporting the 80's - 100's (almost 1000 lbs). Considering fabricating legs for each side and one to support the middle as the total length needs to be ~9ft long. I'd cut the angled steel to 4.5 ft lengths and bolt them to the legs.

Other option would be to use 9ft lengths of angled steel and center 2 legs so the angled steel overhangs like in the second picture below. The 9 ft lengths might make it more difficult to transport and powder coat.

3/16" or 1/4" would be enough.