# Ask the steel fabricator thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 18, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099 "2005-03-18T03:14:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![a\_pirahna\_brother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@a\_pirahna\_brother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a_pirahna_brother)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099/1 "2005-03-18T03:14:27Z")
As inspired by the thread regarding the 3 most common questions you get re: your job, I thought about how I’ve seen several of the “ask a …” threads on the board over the past year, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one regarding steel fabricators. For the record, here are my 3 most common answers: [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5958690&postcount=44) I think that’s it, I will try to answer everything to the best of my ability, although I’m not going to price anything or give out any advice that may be considered “professional” in the legal sense, the whole IANAL/D rule applies here. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099/2 "2005-03-18T03:59:50Z")
How has the move to high-scrap content steel affected the industry. Guys I work with complain about their margins all the time. I think this is odd because AFAIK, using primarily recycled steel is relatively recent. What’s with businesses having joists, etc. sticking out of their buildings? Did they not have an erector to cut them to the right size? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099/3 "2005-03-18T05:10:47Z")
Made any good steel lately? ---
**Author:** ![a\_pirahna\_brother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@a\_pirahna\_brother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a_pirahna_brother)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099/4 "2005-03-18T13:54:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **Chairman Pow** > How has the move to high-scrap content steel affected the industry. Guys I work with complain about their margins all the time. I think this is odd because AFAIK, using primarily recycled steel is relatively recent. > What’s with businesses having joists, etc. sticking out of their buildings? Did they not have an erector to cut them to the right size? I haven’t noticed any effect from high-scrap content steel on our business, steel prices in general are rather high right now. To give you some perspective, in 2003, I could buy plate for 25-30¢/lb, right now, the same plate will be 35-45¢/lb. I general, if an item is plate or made from plate (like tubing), it will be more expensive than it was 2 years ago. As far as joists and stuff sticking out of a building, it’s what we call an “architectural detail” in the business, ie it was a way to make something more complicated and expensive than it needed to be. 🙂 The architect thinks doing that will make the structure look “different” or “unique” or “edgy” or whatever crappy buzzword du jour is hot right now, what usualyl happens is that doing this makes the job more expensive from our standpoint, and if the job is over budget, we get the blame for doing something the architect wanted. > [@](#): > > Orginially posted by **Snooooopy** > Made any good steel lately? Yes, actually. Several high profile jobs and were currently running at double our usual volume. ---
**Author:** ![Mithril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mithril/32/3517_2.png) [@Mithril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithril)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099/5 "2005-03-18T14:33:24Z")
People around here blame the recent steel proce increases on the major Chinese construction projects that are going on now. Do you think that the increased demand overseas has led to the increased cost of doing construction here? ---
**Author:** ![a\_pirahna\_brother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@a\_pirahna\_brother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a_pirahna_brother)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099/6 "2005-03-18T18:59:19Z")
> [@Mithril](#): > > People around here blame the recent steel proce increases on the major Chinese construction projects that are going on now. Do you think that the increased demand overseas has led to the increased cost of doing construction here? I’ve heard the same rumors, but I think a lot of the increase in cost is due to the domestic steel mills “having everyone by the short hairs” so to speak. When dealing with the steel mills, it’s kinda like dealing with the Mob, you polay by their rules, that can and will change. For example: When prices shot up last year, the mills would delay shipping orders you already had with them until after the next price increase. :dubious: When gas prices shot up, we would get nice faxes explaining the new $5+/ton surcharge for fuel that took effect whenever, but was usually used in conjunction with the trick noted above. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099/7 "2005-03-18T20:07:18Z")
Not directly steel related, but: Know where I can get a piece of aluminum billet 3"x3"x1"? ---
**Author:** ![a\_pirahna\_brother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@a\_pirahna\_brother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a_pirahna_brother)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099/8 "2005-03-18T21:09:30Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > Not directly steel related, but: > > Know where I can get a piece of aluminum billet 3"x3"x1"? Start calling machine shops or places that have a lot of machining work done, either one probably has either a source or a bit laying around. This type of question is probably #4 on the list of most common questions I get. I’m not being snarky or anything like that, it’s just that we get a decent amount of calls from people looking for 12" of this or that. In reality, we build buildings and any small leftovers we have from a job are loaded on the next scrap truck we send out, which anymore is monthly. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099/9 "2005-03-18T21:16:21Z")
> [@a pirahna brother](#): > > Start calling machine shops or places that have a lot of machining work done, either one probably has either a source or a bit laying around. > > This type of question is probably #4 on the list of most common questions I get. > > I’m not being snarky or anything like that, it’s just that we get a decent amount of calls from people looking for 12" of this or that. In reality, we build buildings and any small leftovers we have from a job are loaded on the next scrap truck we send out, which anymore is monthly. I keep getting these catalogs for Smithys (a combo lathe, mill, drill press, toaster, etc.) and I’d _love_ to have one, knowing that all I’d really do is make piles of shavings. But until then, I don’t really have the need for more than a bit here or there. It’s also pretty rouch cutting a chunk off a larger piece of bar stock when all you’ve got is a hacksaw. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![a\_pirahna\_brother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@a\_pirahna\_brother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a_pirahna_brother)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099/10 "2005-03-19T00:14:43Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > I keep getting these catalogs for Smithys (a combo lathe, mill, drill press, toaster, etc.) and I’d _love_ to have one, knowing that all I’d really do is make piles of shavings. But until then, I don’t really have the need for more than a bit here or there. > > It’s also pretty rouch cutting a chunk off a larger piece of bar stock when all you’ve got is a hacksaw. 😉 If you’ve got a bunch of bar stock you want cut, you may want to ask a machine shop of fabricator if they’re willing to cut it for you, you’ll have to pay for it, but it would save you the hassle. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-steel-fabricator-thread/295099/11 "2005-03-19T00:45:34Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > I keep getting these catalogs for Smithys (a combo lathe, mill, drill press, toaster, etc.) and I’d _love_ to have one, knowing that all I’d really do is make piles of shavings. But until then, I don’t really have the need for more than a bit here or there. > > It’s also pretty rouch cutting a chunk off a larger piece of bar stock when all you’ve got is a hacksaw. 😉 You might try ordering the billet you need from [these folks](http://www.metalsupermarkets.com/). I’ve never used them, but I’ve heard good things about them from other machinists. And stay away from the Smithys stuff. Everybody I know of who’s used one quickly grows to hate it. There’s hardly any room on the machine to cut anything, plus if _one_ of them breaks, all _three_ machines are down. You’re better off picking up a copy of [Home Shop Machinist](http://www.homeshopmachinist.net/) and ordering one of the various non-Smithy machines advertised there. Or you could always [build your own.](http://lindsaybks.com/dgjp/djgbk/series/index.html)