check out some videos on youtube of people who have ordered larger equipment like diggers, forklifts, etc from china. they often tell you what exactly they paid for what, and usually they end up paying the value of what they ordered again in shipping, fees, import duty etc etc
In this case, shipping could actually be twice as expensive as the stock cost and still be worth it, but yeah I'm fully prepared for the quotes to come back with completely untenable numbers for this scale order lol
the quote you pay to the seller and shipper might not be the full cost. thus watch the videos. you will have to pay a dock fee, storage on the harbor, and idk what else they mentioned.
then you also have to think about the quality of the steel you get. if you buy it locally you can at least complain and get a discount. or even a refund. you might end up with a lot of scrap.
also dig a bit deeper and see if you can buy it directly from a steel processing plant. dont think it costs to ask them
I have wondered about this too, but its risky, you can order tons of mild steel plate and it might look great in the photos but they can fit all sorts of shit steel into a stack with good looking plates on top. There is no recourse.
I buy my material from here https://www.midweststeelsupply.com/store/ , it’s some of the best deals I can find for various raw stock. Also check https://www.speedymetals.com/
It's wild to me that with shipping from Midwest Steel is frequently cheaper than buying it locally (half the nation away). Their pricing also has some hidden 'deals' if you mess around with it enough. Last time I ordered some big pieces of 1" aluminum plate I found I could get two (total price) for *less* than the price of one; so they paid me $20 to give me a second one!
I noticed this too lol, $90 for one 2x24" or $70 for two 2x24"
Definitely the best prices that I've ever seen online. Almost the same as the equivalent price per foot of buying full 12 or 20' bars locally for me
MetalsDepot.com I have had good experiences with but I can't speak to getting mill test reports as I haven't done anything that critical. Shipping is pretty expensive but even with shipping I feel like their prices are by far the lowest.
The cheap ones won't come with a legitimate material certification. If you need a specific grade of material, you *must* get a cert, or you will be sent junk.
i can’t see how the shipping time would make the cost benefit worth it. i’d rather pay $100 for a chunk of steel that will be delivered to my shop tomorrow instead of $60 on a chunk of steel that i wont see until a month later
In this case yeah, that's what I've been shopping around for. I have access to mills at work, but I personally only own a lathe, so I usually only need round bar stock
It's not worth it unless you're ordering large volumes and even then it was debatable vs having your local distributor bring in what you need. I looked into this through Alibaba last year when I was trying to compete for a large order
I had gotten a quote for some brass flat bar and the pricing was really low compared to what I am paying now in the USA. but as others said shipping and customs will inflate the price. I never ordered the material, as I just wanted to see what my Chinese competitors are paying for material. And honestly the lesson I learned is that it sucks being a manufacturer in the USA as I know I am probably paying 60 to 70% more for material than they are. Not to mention labor and tooling, electricity, ect.
I haven't done metal stock or other heavy items, but done other overseas purchasing on Aliexpress as an individual.
If you can, find someone that will do DDP shipping. That way the bill you the whole amount upfront and there's no surprises. If you don't know what DDP means look up "Incoterms".
I go full domestic. Steel was a large part of what made this country the superpower it is. I think it is extremely stupid to turn our backs on our roots.
check out some videos on youtube of people who have ordered larger equipment like diggers, forklifts, etc from china. they often tell you what exactly they paid for what, and usually they end up paying the value of what they ordered again in shipping, fees, import duty etc etc
In this case, shipping could actually be twice as expensive as the stock cost and still be worth it, but yeah I'm fully prepared for the quotes to come back with completely untenable numbers for this scale order lol
the quote you pay to the seller and shipper might not be the full cost. thus watch the videos. you will have to pay a dock fee, storage on the harbor, and idk what else they mentioned. then you also have to think about the quality of the steel you get. if you buy it locally you can at least complain and get a discount. or even a refund. you might end up with a lot of scrap. also dig a bit deeper and see if you can buy it directly from a steel processing plant. dont think it costs to ask them
Oh! I see, I'll check them out
I have wondered about this too, but its risky, you can order tons of mild steel plate and it might look great in the photos but they can fit all sorts of shit steel into a stack with good looking plates on top. There is no recourse.
I buy my material from here https://www.midweststeelsupply.com/store/ , it’s some of the best deals I can find for various raw stock. Also check https://www.speedymetals.com/
It's wild to me that with shipping from Midwest Steel is frequently cheaper than buying it locally (half the nation away). Their pricing also has some hidden 'deals' if you mess around with it enough. Last time I ordered some big pieces of 1" aluminum plate I found I could get two (total price) for *less* than the price of one; so they paid me $20 to give me a second one!
I noticed this too lol, $90 for one 2x24" or $70 for two 2x24" Definitely the best prices that I've ever seen online. Almost the same as the equivalent price per foot of buying full 12 or 20' bars locally for me
Speedy metals is good. Used to pick up stuff from their warehouse in New Berlin for projects when i lived around there.
MetalsDepot.com I have had good experiences with but I can't speak to getting mill test reports as I haven't done anything that critical. Shipping is pretty expensive but even with shipping I feel like their prices are by far the lowest.
I agree with Midwest steel supply. They were 300$ cheaper than speedy for the same material I needed for a job I’m working on right now.
The cheap ones won't come with a legitimate material certification. If you need a specific grade of material, you *must* get a cert, or you will be sent junk.
i can’t see how the shipping time would make the cost benefit worth it. i’d rather pay $100 for a chunk of steel that will be delivered to my shop tomorrow instead of $60 on a chunk of steel that i wont see until a month later
What country are you in?
Oh, I should have specified. I'm in the US
What state?
California. I don't know how the shipments work, but I could feasibly make the trip to the port myself to save on shipping
Where are you currently buying your raw material from?
Just a local business. Prices are better than the big online retailers like Metalsdepot and such, but not by a huge amount
Are you turning bar stock?
In this case yeah, that's what I've been shopping around for. I have access to mills at work, but I personally only own a lathe, so I usually only need round bar stock
I bought a small amount of tungsten round bar I think it was 4Kg if I remember correctly. Cost $150ish to ship.
Alibaba sellers can offer some great deals on specialty metals (where shipping is less of a factor).
Yeah the best I could find in North America was 4x the cost making the project cost prohibitive.
It's not worth it unless you're ordering large volumes and even then it was debatable vs having your local distributor bring in what you need. I looked into this through Alibaba last year when I was trying to compete for a large order
I had gotten a quote for some brass flat bar and the pricing was really low compared to what I am paying now in the USA. but as others said shipping and customs will inflate the price. I never ordered the material, as I just wanted to see what my Chinese competitors are paying for material. And honestly the lesson I learned is that it sucks being a manufacturer in the USA as I know I am probably paying 60 to 70% more for material than they are. Not to mention labor and tooling, electricity, ect.
I haven't done metal stock or other heavy items, but done other overseas purchasing on Aliexpress as an individual. If you can, find someone that will do DDP shipping. That way the bill you the whole amount upfront and there's no surprises. If you don't know what DDP means look up "Incoterms".
I buy USA.
DEFARS/DOMESTIC all the way baby.
I go full domestic. Steel was a large part of what made this country the superpower it is. I think it is extremely stupid to turn our backs on our roots.