Need help buying brass stock

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shild
Posts: 293
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:58 pm

Need help buying brass stock

Post by shild »

Working on a Raritan and trying to figure out cheapest way to buy brass stock. For round stock Do I want an assortment pack something like this? https://www.ebay.com/itm/350898653433?h ... xyWt5SWiAg Maybe for Hex stock I want something like this? https://www.ebay.com/itm/115481545195?h ... SwMLpierwK Seems like way too much for a Raritan. Having trouble finding an assortment pack of square stock. Maybe it's cheaper to buy largest size you need and cut it down to the smaller sizes when you need them. How do you guys do it?
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Harlock
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Re: Need help buying brass stock

Post by Harlock »

Ebay is a good choice for cheap general purpose 360 brass these days. All the little local places we used to buy scrap brass at have disappeared, but not before we built up a lifetime supply. I don't think onlinemetals.com is very cheap, but they have interesting things like half round brass that you can use to line out your tender tanks with. Good for specialty needs when it doesn't turn up elsewhere.

The hex stock you linked to is so cheap you might as well, then you have an inventory on hand of various sizes you might need. But you also may want to take a careful look through the book and jot down notes as to what you really need if you want to save some money in the long run. Especially if you can make a big order up front to save on shipping vs. lots of little orders over time.

Where are you located? In very large urban areas there are often metal suppliers. Here in Southern California we have Industrial Metal Supply and Patton's. McMaster is very expensive so I tend not to order metal from them unless I can't find the particular thing I need anywhere else.
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RONALD
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Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 7:27 am

Re: Need help buying brass stock

Post by RONALD »

Here is a place I keep getting emails from.

I have yet to buy from them, so I have no idea how prices compare:

https://supplies.xometry.com/?utm_sourc ... n+20220810
FLtenwheeler
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Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2003 8:47 am
Location: Florida, on the Lake Wales Ridge

Re: Need help buying brass stock

Post by FLtenwheeler »

I have been purchasing my 360 brass and 660 bearing bronze from McMaster or MSC. If I need other types bearing bronze I purchase it from McMaster.

Tim
He who dies with the most unfinished projects: Should of put more time into their hobby.
Mike Walsh
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Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 10:14 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: Need help buying brass stock

Post by Mike Walsh »

You can buy from McMaster Carr by the foot. I go that route. Buying by the foot saves on shipping a bit as they can toss it in a smaller package.

Alternatives are to befriend some folks in machine shops. They may have some shorts you might need.
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gwrdriver
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Location: Nashville Tennessee

Re: Need help buying brass stock

Post by gwrdriver »

Another question to ask yourself is . . . Is this the only project like this I will do? Will I need more such materials in the future? For a number of years the answers to those questions was always yes, so I began to acquire materials in larger quantities (ie, lengths.) A few years ago I reached a point where I had on hand most of the non-ferrous materials I could anticipate needing for future projects, and changes in price and availability were no longer a concern. When the need for odd-ball bits appears (such as 3" length of 2.5"diam Phos-bronze round) THEN I would order from the sources mentioned.

I didn't do this so much with ferrous metals as sources for small quantities were convenient locally.

Everyone's mileage is going to vary, but the question "What will I use in the future?" is worth asking.

I just now see that Harlock covered this same point very well in his post above, so my apologies for the overpost Harlock.
GWRdriver
Nashville TN
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