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Where to buy small stock? Alternate vendors?

Fal Grunt

Titanium
Joined
Aug 5, 2010
Location
Medina OH
Moderators, feel free to move this if you think there may be better exposure somewhere else.

I am looking for a supplier of small sizes of bar stock.

Some background: I have a part I will be making that preferably would be made from an alloy steel. It will be heat treated 40-50 Rc and will need to flex a little. In the past I have made similar parts out of 4140, and while not ideal, they worked. This part finished is .150" x .200".

Local suppliers for steel have been getting worse and worse. Currently my smallest option for 4140 is 1/2" x 1". No one seems to carry 4130, or 4150, 4340 anymore. No 52100. None of the variety otherwise. Basically my options are 4140, 1018, and they can order in saw cut from plate A2 or D2.

I can get 8620 3/8 round, but I haven't decided if I want to mill the rounds into little flats.

I bought some 1018 1/4 x 1/4 that I found.... but would really prefer to find something better.

Any thoughts on finding other vendors? Searching steel suppliers gets me more of the same big companies that carry very little.
 
EMJ, Yarde, and Admiral are all owned by the same parent co. now. I still get way different pricing and inventory from all 3. Just depends on who has what on the shelf at the time you call. Its always different these days.

Good Luck. EMJ has a big warehouse in Chicago that would have a lot to chose from.
 
This may be a dumb suggestion, but could you start with round stock instead? Quarter inch round stock is pretty common, and you'd have a lot less waste.
 
McMaster has 1/4”x1/4” 4140. They have smaller sizes to, but its square so 3/16 x 3/16 would be too small.
 
EMJ, Yarde, and Admiral are all owned by the same parent co. now. I still get way different pricing and inventory from all 3. Just depends on who has what on the shelf at the time you call. Its always different these days.

Good Luck. EMJ has a big warehouse in Chicago that would have a lot to chose from.
EMJ has 2 locations in Cleveland. I don't know if it would be worth the time necessary to setup an account. Might be worth a shot. I was thinking smaller because they typically will work with small companies. My experience with big companies has typically been a let down.
This may be a dumb suggestion, but could you start with round stock instead? Quarter inch round stock is pretty common, and you'd have a lot less waste.
Not a dumb suggestion, as I mentioned in my post I can get 8620 3/8" rounds. Not sure if I want to figure out a way to hold saw cut rounds and be able to profile the outside shape....???

McMaster has 1/4”x1/4” 4140. They have smaller sizes to, but its square so 3/16 x 3/16 would be too small.
It'd be $654 for the material I need + shipping. I can buy 1/2 x 1" 12ft bars of 4140 for $228 delivered. Guess I need to estimate if the roughing will take more than a minute or two... I just hate turning material into chips.
 
Power hammer and forge. Or rolls and a forge, that size a cheaper jeweler roll set will do it.
Metals depot has 1/4 x 1 4140 for about half your 1/2 x 1.
 
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EMJ has 2 locations in Cleveland. I don't know if it would be worth the time necessary to setup an account. Might be worth a shot. I was thinking smaller because they typically will work with small companies. My experience with big companies has typically been a let down.

We use EMJ for small orders from time to time, our sales rep has always been helpful. Some times their prices are high, other times it's the best quote we get.
 
Check Fry Steel. I would look at their alloys and sizes on their website first then call them and see what they have in stock. They will add a cut charge and you will pay a box fee for UPS shipping, but they don't charge much more per pound for small quantities. We have purchased .25" 4130HT square bar from them in the past.
 
Look for key stock at McMaster. You can buy 6mm x 6mm 4140 for $15.88 per meter. If you're okay with the .200 dimension being .197, you could start with 5mm square and not have to finish one dimension.
 








 
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