Conference 7.286::home_work

    Probably a little out of the way but,
    A friend bought a large beam about that lenght from Chagnon Romeo
    Co. (Building Wrecking) in Manchester for only $50 priced by weight!
    They may have plate steel too. 603-623-0193, 150 N. Turner St.
    Manchester N.H.
    Jean
    

    There is a building wrecking company in Worcester that carries a
    lot of good stuff/junk. It's:
    
    F & D Trucking
    35-39 Ballard St.
    Worcester Ma.
    
    617-754-9572
                  
    Their yard on Ballard St. is on Rt. 146 in the southern 
    part of Worcester a few miles north of Rt 20.
               
    Charly
    

    Try D.B. Cotton, Inc. in Southbridge.  A bit of a drive, but they
    are very pleasant people to do business with.  They have both new
    and scrap steel, all shapes and sizes, sold by the pound.  New steel
    prices are $.45/lb for hot-rolled, $.90/lb for cold-rolled (or
    something like that), and I assume scrap is cheaper.  They will 
    cheerfully cut to size for a couple of dollars ($40/hr for cutting 
    charges but they don't have any "one hour minimum" or anything so a 
    couple of cuts are pretty cheap).
    Rt. 20 west, left onto route 168 (169?) to Southbridge, bear/fork
    left at the Chevrolet dealership, left at the traffic lights, fork
    right past the school; a couple of miles, and Cotton's is on the
    left.  They are open Saturday mornings until noon, and don't mind
    dealing with people who are buying small quantities.
    

    Also you could try Edgecomb steel in Nashua, they are off of Rt.3
    at exit 5. I think you have to pay cash in advance for anything
    that's not in stock.
    
    
    
    Royce

There are a few sheet metal/metal fab shops in Fitchburg.
Check the imfamous yellow pages.

bill

    I got a used I-beam a few years ago from Marcel (I think) Vezina
    in Leominster.  They rip down buildings and have lots of salvaged
    parts available.  Check the phone book.

There are a few sheet metal/metal fab shops in Acton.
Check the yellow pages.  I have used All Metal Fabricators, 
82 Hayward Rd, Acton, MA  01720, 617-263-3904, to make a counter 
for an antique kitchen cabinet.

    Cavalier Bros (formerly Leo Cavalier) in Acton.
    

    Thanks all... Seems most of these suggestions DO NOT deal with
    1/2-inch thick, 10-inch wide, 17-feet long steel.
    They are mostly smaller stock.
    
    GRO-LEX in Groton DID order it for me. They will even cut the
    mounting holes (16 holes, 9/16-inch dia.) and DELIVER IT!
    
    All for 130.00 !!!
    
    Thanks,
    
    Mark

    I need pointers to a sheet metal shop in the "Greater 495 Area" of Mass
    (i.e. Lowell/Worcester/Framingham,etc area)    that will sell me
    pre-cut pieces (say 8x8) of 16 ga. aluminum. 
    
    All replies appreciated.
    
    /doug
    

    
    Try ASTRO Welding and metal fab in STOW..
    

    There are Chet, Edward, and Harlan Kelly in Lowell. These are 3
    separate sheet metal companies. Of the bunch, Edward Kelly at
    458-8313 on Fletcher St. was the least expensive, most helpful etc.
    He's also a straight shot off of the Lowell Connector for those
    who don't know the city.  Use J&J Sheet Metal in Dracut, only if
    you want to pay thrice the going rate.
    

       It's been a few months, but I have another related question:

       I  now  need to find some aluminum channel (about 1/16 thickness) 
       with the following dimensions:

       			|              |    ^
       			|              |   9/16"
       			+--------------+    v

  		          <==1-1/2"==>

       The widest channel I've been able to find is 1" wide. Does anyone 
       have  a  line on this wider channel. BTW I've contacted the metal 
       shops (in the previous replies) about this several times and they 
       keep  saying  they'll have someone get back to me (but they never 
       do...). 

       All pointers apprieciated. (And thanks for the previous replies!)

       /doug

    Does any one know of a source for a sheet of stainless steel?
    
    I would like to buy a ~36" by ~36" sheet of stainless.  I want
    to use it as a back splash behind a stove.  Any ideas?
    
    
    Thanks,
    
    Kathy 

Check in your local yellow pages under sheet metal. Be prepared to:

a. have them cut it to size.
b. buy a larger sheet for them to cut it from.
c. mortgage your 1st born ;^)


or you could hack it out of a neighbor's DeLoran (sp?)

    I  bought a piece of stainless steel from a company called ALL Metal
    Fabricators on Hayward Rd. in Acton, Ma. for my son's outdoor slide
    a couple of years ago.  I think a piece about 2' X 10' cost somewhere
    around $40-50.  They will also mold the piece you want to whatever
    it is you're applying it to.
    
    					Steve

    
    Whichever metal distributor you end up calling, (and I suggest you call
    several), make sure you sound like you know what you are talking about.
    The price will be  higher the more ignorant you appear.  There are many
    different alloys of Stainless Steel,  you  will  be Ok with either type
    304 or 316 pronounced "three oh  four" and "three sixteen" .  There are
    standard thicknesses available, sixteen gauge (probably 0.059" thick) ,
    eighteen  gauge  (thinner but I forget the exact  thickness  ),  twenty
    gauge (still thinner) twenty two gauge, etc..  there  are no odd number
    gauges as far as I know.  For your kitchen  you  don't  care  about the
    thickness,  so  ask  for a price on different thicknesses, the thinnest
    may NOT be the cheapest.  the surface of sheetmetal may be dull, If you
    are  looking  for  a polished mirror "side of a lunch van" look, either
    ask if the sheet is polished or you can buff it yourself.
    
    A good opening line when you call would be " Hi, I'd like a price for a
    three foot by three foot piece of sixteen gauge type 304 stainless."
    
    AFTER  you  get these prices, ask if they have any scrap (in any grade)
    close to your size that's cheaper.
    
    At some point they may ask you " Who's calling" .  They don't want your
    name, they want  your  company.    Be ready with an answer to this one.
    you can always pick it up at the will call counter and pay cash.
    
    If you want some more pointers send mail.
    
    Kind Regards,
    
    George Dvorak

I would suggest calling a marine supply outfit and finding out where they 
normally procure stainless materials.

Another approach is the NYNEX Boat Yellow Pages.  This is available for 
free from your local phone company (assuming they answer).  A listing may 
exist there for stainless sheet suppliers.

Carl

    Well, thank you all for all the suggestions.  I have found a
    source.  My source was Mancini Sheet Metal in Billrica, MA.
    They were very helpful and pleasant to deal with, the whole
    thing was a snap once I found someone that had what I was looking
    for!
    
    I purchased a 24" by 30" piece of 24 guage polished stainless 
    the price was $21.00.  Whether that price was good, bad or indifferent,
    I don't know - I got exaclty what I wanted the day I wanted it and
    at a price I was more than willing to pay! (I'm a great believer in
    my time being worth money too!)  I was pleased with the price.
    
    The man I dealt with was very pleasant and helpful, and had no problem
    selling me (an individual, not a company) the sheet. 
    
    Thanks again!
    
    Kathy

 
 
                   SHEET STEEL VENDORS
                   -------------------

  BELLESTEEL INDUSTRIES             
  P O BOX 490                       
  EAST BOSTON,MA     02128      617-569-9100


  DIAMOND MFG CO                                                      
  243 W. 8TH STREET                 
  WYOMING,PA     18644          717-693-0300
                                  
  EDGCOMB METALS                    
  THREE WEST HOLLIS AVENUE          
  NASHUA,NH     03061           000-000-0000

  P.O. BOX 3800-45                  
  BOSTON,MA     02241           800-258-1900

  ZURBACH STEEL CORPORATION         
  P O BOX 1108                      
  SALEM,NH     03079            800-258-9720
                                
  P O BOX 1099                      
  MANCHESTER,NH     03105       603-898-2381

    The number for Edgcomb Metals is; 603-883-7731
    

    I'm looking for metal strapping material (steel).  Where might I obtain
    steel strapping material (10 ft long...3/8 of inch wide ...20 mil
    thick).  I need 2 pieces.  The material needs to be flexible, not
    tempered.  I'm using this in as a pulley cable replacement.
    
    Ed

    
    
    Ed,
    If you have a shipping department, they might
    have some.
    JD

    
    And for those of us who don't want to or can't check the company store,
    where do you find this stuff?
    
    Cq

    Well, if the "company store" dosnt have any....... You'll
    have to go to a Machine supply store.  Some place like 
    Granger in Worc.  Its sold by the 100lb Coil. I dont know if
    they have a smaller one.  
    
    EX: Steel strapping = 3/8 x .015  ......5229'.......$75 
    
    Price is out of the McMaster-Carr Supply Catalog

    Thanks for the leads...I don't think I've seen 3/8 inch strapping
    around in our shipping department.  Typically its been 1/2 or 5/8 inch
    and its plastic strapping.
    
    I'm going to check the supply and machine shops in the Merrimack/Nashua
    area.  5229 ft @ $75 a roll is about a penny and a half a foot.  I
    shouldn't have to pay much more than a few bucks for what I need if I
    can locate somebody with a roll of what I need.  Is there a correct 
    name for this stuff..."metal strapping, or something else"?  I'm using
    this in a pulley application so it needs to be flexible enough to go
    around a 4 inch takeup wheel and have a tensile strength to support a 
    100 lbs.
    
    If anybody knows of a local Nashua/Merrimack, NH source, let me know.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Ed

    Reply to .3
    
    I need 20 ft of the stuff.
    
    Ed

    You might try scrounging around factory loading docks and such
    (preferably with permission, I guess!) to see if you can find
    any lying around.  I've seen strapping at various times, buried
    in the weeds around loading dock doors.  Any place that receives
    shipments banded with the stuff would probably be more than
    willing to give you all the used strapping that you'll haul away.  
    The trouble may be getting 20 continuous feet unless you buy some 
    new strapping off somebody's roll.

    What I need is 'two' 10 ft lengths.  I'm going to try some plastic
    strapping to see how well this works.  Again, most strapping I've seen
    is 1/2 in and not 3/8 inch.  This won't fit the take up roller.
    
    If the plastic stuff doesn't work, I'll start hitting the local machine
    shops and shippers in the Nashua Area (and maybe the Salem NIO Dock).
    
    (Strapping in the grass is waiting for an accident to happen-I'll stick 
    with new stuff...It can't cost me a whole lot if it only costs penny's
    a foot to the guys who buy in bulk).
    
    Thanks for the idea.

    I'm the shipper receiver here at NUO (55 Northeastern blvd in Nashua)
    If you're still looking for 3/8 steal strapping in two ten foot
    lengths, come on by here, I've some I've usually got some laying about 
    waiting for me to trash it.  I'll snag some and save it for you.
    
    Skip

Does anybody have any idea where I should look to get sheet copper?
...and about how much I should pay for it?

I want to build an exhaust hood for the stove. We're discussing a number of
options: build a copper one, build or buy a maple one, etc.

Mickey.

Look in the yellow pages under copper.  The Boston yellow pages lists
several companies.  One claims to have warehouses nationwide.

	Try Admiral Metals in Woburn Ma. They specialize in non-ferrous metals.

	They are located just around the corner from Bliss Marine.

  	

I remember seeing some copper sheeting at one of the large "home centers"
in Nashua, intended for roof flashing.  I think it was Home Depot but am
unsure.  Might be Somerville Lumber.

-Mike

Any good roofer worth his mettle should be able to either supply you or point
you to sources of sheet copper.

-Jack

We use copper sheet metal to perform solder flux corrosion experiments in our 
lab, and we just ordered some 0.020 inch stock from Admiral Metals.  For 200 
2" by 2" coupons, the price was $84, I believe.  

Greg B.  

When I put on a copper roof onto my portico I looked in the Yellow Pages.
I found a place near Storrow Drive outside of Boston (Allston??) as the best
price. Last I heard (a couple of years ago) the price was $50 for a 3x8 sheet.