Source for frame material?
- Thread starter BatCave
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rods Rule:
Reign
Well-known member
Batcave, what area do you live in? there is a metal supply shop near me in the industrial park that i am going to go to in order to get all the stuff i need.
riffraff
Well-known member
steel
i my self go to a iron & steel supplier if they dont have on hand they can get it i needed some 2x4 steel tubing they didnt have it got it in 2 days just rember this stuff comes in some long links i hade mine tyed to the front brush gard to the side mirror and bed this was a long bed pickup just think about getting it home have tyed 2x2 angel under my pickup also good luck
i my self go to a iron & steel supplier if they dont have on hand they can get it i needed some 2x4 steel tubing they didnt have it got it in 2 days just rember this stuff comes in some long links i hade mine tyed to the front brush gard to the side mirror and bed this was a long bed pickup just think about getting it home have tyed 2x2 angel under my pickup also good luck
riffraff
Well-known member
steel
i my self go to a iron & steel supplier if they dont have on hand they can get it i needed some 2x4 steel tubing they didnt have it got it in 2 days just rember this stuff comes in some long links i hade mine tyed to the front brush gard to the side mirror and bed this was a long bed pickup just think about getting it home have tyed 2x2 angel under my pickup also good luck
i my self go to a iron & steel supplier if they dont have on hand they can get it i needed some 2x4 steel tubing they didnt have it got it in 2 days just rember this stuff comes in some long links i hade mine tyed to the front brush gard to the side mirror and bed this was a long bed pickup just think about getting it home have tyed 2x2 angel under my pickup also good luck
Reign
Well-known member
i am figuring that some of the lengths are going to be really long so i might have some cutting tools with me since the project i am going to work on first isnt going to be that long. for the next project i am going to have a trailer to take the lengths i need.
anvil
Well-known member
look around the price you could save 1/2 from place 2 place. I can find a stick of 2x4x20 for $120 to $235 so it pays to shop
pistolpete
Well-known member
Not sure if its the same there as it is here. The local supplier I use will actually deliver within city limits for orders over $250. I have had them drop 21ft lengths of DOM on my door step. Just had to sign for it at the office before the delivered as I wasnt going to be there when it was dropped off. Worse case I would add some 1/4" flat bar to bring the order to the $250 min. as it always comes in handy for gussets and brackets...
Reign
Well-known member
one of the places that i am looking at getting the steel from is Kato steel and that is about 3 blocks from my house. the other place one of the members from another one of my car clubs works at, so it would be easier for me to just go over there and get it myself.
I'm in New York. The local places want just as much as the on-line places, even when factoring in shipping, about $12/ft. There's 1 more place I need to try, they might have cut-offs that I can get cheaper.
Most places will cut it into more manageable lengths for you.
Gearhead10
Well-known member
Thats a good price. I got a guy just up the road who can get me what ever size and shape of iron or bolts I need. He owns a weldin shop and gets a good deal on it. I priced a 20" stick of 2"x3"x3/16" for the IH and it was around $60.
$60 for a 20-inch piece of 2x3? Or did you mean 20 feet?
Gearhead10
Well-known member
My bad
. Yea 20 ft.
. Yea 20 ft.Reign
Well-known member
i figured but for the project i am going to work on now, i dont think i am going to need that long of steel bars. i will figure it out when i get everything sketched out.
My bad
$60 for 20 feet sounds REAL cheap! Nice score!
donsrods
Well-known member
Most steel suppliers have what they call "drops." These are cut off pieces of various sized steel that are left over from other jobs. Some will let you dig through that stack and buy them at a reduced price. Our local steel supplier did that for years and we got some great deals. But then some idiot hurt himself while looking through the stack and sued them, so now no one is allowed to go into their shop except employees. One guy ruins it for everyone else who isn't sue happy.
See if your local steel supplier will let you do this as it does save some money.
Don
One guy ruins it for everyone else who isn't sue happy.See if your local steel supplier will let you do this as it does save some money.
Don
Most steel suppliers have what they call "drops." These are cut off pieces of various sized steel that are left over from other jobs. Some will let you dig through that stack and buy them at a reduced price. Our local steel supplier did that for years and we got some great deals. But then some idiot hurt himself while looking through the stack and sued them, so now no one is allowed to go into their shop except employees.
See if your local steel supplier will let you do this as it does save some money.
Don
That's the first thing I did. Unfortunately, the shops around here that I asked don't have enough of what I needed. They have plenty of 2 x 4 x 1/8 wall. But I wanted 3/16, which they said was not a standard stocked item for them. If I wanted 1/8" wall, I could have plenty and cheap. Anyone use 2 x 4 x 1/8" for their frame? (I already ordered the 3/16, but am curious).
Most of your factory frames are 10ga (1/8" wall) and the center section is a C channel. Difference is that the web is deeper. The heavier wall thickness doesnt add as much strength as a deeper web will. I would guess that a 2x4 1/8" wall would be as strong (or stronger) than a 2x3 3/16" wall. I would not have an issue building a frame out of the 2x4 1/8" tube. most of your factory styled frames (like a 32 ford) are about 5.25" in the middle but taper up to about 2.75" at the ends. So if the whole thing is 4" it should be fine on a lighter car. Just my $.02
