Where do you buy your copper, brass and bronze?

[OregonBill]

Hobby shop prices are a bit on the painful side. Is this where most buy their materials for builds?

 

[Mike N]

Enco has Brass & Bronze round stock. I have have found several good pieces on eBay. I also stop off at scrap metal buyers & dig through there scrap brass & copper bins.

 

[Mbusha]

I use two places, although I'm not sure if either is great deal or not. Too new at this. Anyway:

http://www.hobbymetalkits.com/index.html

Hobbeymetalkits has both assortments and odds and ends. They deliver quickly and everything as promised. Really don't know them but for for some reason they seem like nice folks. I guess that's a silly reason for buying metal, but there you have it.

My local supplier is allmetalsinc which has a store in Adrian, MI, not too far from where I live.

Also prompt with their deliveries although I really should be using will call.

 

[steamin]

I buy all of my raw materials from "Speedy Metals". You can purchase just what you need. They have great selections of all the common materials.
Here's their link: http://www.speedymetals.com/
Larry

 

[Sshire]

I use speedymetals.com and Onlinemetals.com

 

[Philjoe5]

I get 1144 steel drops from a local machine shop. I am extremely lucky to live near a Durabar facility where I can get cast iron and bearing bronze drops. Ever since I discovered the Durabar place I've used cast iron for all my cylinders.

Phil

 

[kquiggle]

I have compiled a list of metals suppliers on my web site, and as I have noticed a significant percentage of my website visitors come from outside the US, I have added suppliers for Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. These are generally suppliers I have seen mentioned favorably on hobbyist forums; no doubt it is incomplete, so any suggested additions are welcome.

https://sites.google.com/site/lagadoacademy/useful-links#metals

 

[Swifty]

Here in Australia, I buy from scrap metal dealers located in areas where there are a lot of machine shops, they sell there bar ends to the scrap dealer, mainly brass rounds and aluminium plate.

Aluminium retailers often sell offcuts at reduced prices. If you are prepared to hold a bit of steel stock, the main steel suppliers are good, but you will have to pay a minimum price. My local has a minimum of $50, but that can be made up of different stock. The eBay sellers are only buying full lengths and cutting them up, making a big markup on price.

Paul.

 

[Nerdz]

I use onlinemetals.com as well. Copper is so expensive! By time I get out of work I cant check the scrap yards. Ive ordered W1 steel from Enco. It looks like they are pretty cheap on brass as well.

 

[Dave Sohlstrom]

Oregon Bill

You do not indicate where in Oregon you live so I don't know if this info will help.
I buy lots of Alu from Pacific Metals in Tualatin, Or.
Cherry metals in Salem sells to the public by the pound. They have bronze and copper.

Dave

 

[kquiggle]

I have purchased from Online Metals, Enco (when they have free shipping), and a few others. Recently I have found a couple of local suppliers who offer drops, and these are without doubt the best deal - lower prices and no shipping costs. Sometimes you just have to go online, but it's worth the effort to find something local if at all possible.

 

[MCRIPPPer]

i buy from onlinemetals.com. brass and bronze is painfully expensive no matter where you get it from. both are high percentage copper.

 

[barnesrickw]

I used to buy from on-line sources, now I go to the local scrap yard and get my aluminum for $1.50 a pound. They let me dumpster dive. They do have some of the other metals you mentioned copper being more common than brass. And of course the price is more. Usually twice what they would pay you for it.