hey all. newbie here looking for steel locally. Detroit

R

raptorvan

Joined
Sep 28, 2012
Messages
15
Hi guys. I just joined up on the recommendations of a friend. Lots of great stuff here.

I am looking for some steel for a project im doing.
I need 1060 carbon steel and 5060 and/or 5160 steel. I need then in 1/8" flat bar stock.

Is there anybody here from wayne county MI. That knows where i might find these steels locally? I live in Dearborn...just outside of detroit.

I need a local shop that sells it. Wayne county...southern oakland county or eastern washtenaw cou ty is my range.

If not anywhere by me...what are some good sites to buy this stuff at?

Thanks guys for the help.

Nick
 
These guys are pretty close to you and I have ordered some O1 from them before with no problems. They don't sell high carbon stock, only tool steels and you would need to send them out for heat treat. http://www.amtektool.com/index.html

If you end up ordering steel and having it shipped in then njsteelbaron.com is hands down the best! Get some 1084 from them, it's very easy to work with and heat treat.

Also, Shop Talk is the best place to have posted this.
 
I'm right outside Detroit as well, and although I don't know of any places specifically to get steel from, there are some local makers that I know of that put out some beautiful work (mostly custom kitchen knives from what I've seen).

Might be worth a shot to go to KKF and send a PM to Delbert Ealy http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/1985-Design-improvement-convexing-and-grinding or Mike Davis http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/8482-New-shiny-for-sale!!! and see if they know any reputable places
 
Well, Factory and US steel are both in detroit. Not sure if you can find stuff from them. Honestly, Aldo (newjerseysteelbaron.com, IIRC) is the place from which most of the makers on here, myself included, seem to buy steel. Great customer service and prices. Can't really do much better than Aldo.
 
Also suggest Aldo, he's just a great guy to deal with and has good steel as well. (Assuming you don't go local)
 
I am up in Oakland county and I had a heck of a time finding a local place for knife steels. The best I could do was O1 from Fastenal (rip off pricing)

I ended up getting some steel from Kelly Cupples. Search for his name here on the site for contact info. He had some 1060 last time I checked.

If not him, Aldo for sure. Great reputation.

I would save your time (looking for and driving) and just order what you need from one of those two guys. If you order enough the shipping factored in makes it very affordable.

Nice to see another local member on BF! If/when MikeD reads this we need to def get a local hammer in going.
 
See if you have a spring, break, and alignment shop near you. I'm in indiana and live about 30 minutes from one. Called them up one day and asked if they had any old leaf springs laying around. The guy on the phone chuckled and said "buddy I have more old leaf springs than you can shake a stick at" needles to say I go two full sets for $10 leaf spring usually are 5160.
 
Thanks guys for the info. And thanks for telling me where this should have gone....and doing it nicely. Lol. Now...to throe a wrench in the gears...i am actually looking to make a gun slide out of damascus. From my research i have figured that the 1060 with 5060/5260 is the best way to go....can anyone confirm or deny this?
 
One more for the night...has anyone used air hammers to pound the steel? I wouldnt think...just my compression..that it would make a dent given there is no resistance in the upward push...i would think a mallot and elbow grease are more ffctive...BUT i could certainly be wrong.

Oh...by "air hammer" i mean an actual hammer that uses pneumatic pressure (air) to pound the object with a moveable head.
 
If you are talking about making some damascus you may have a hard road of trial and error ahead of you unless you have someone who has made damascus before helping you. Your post regarding the use of air hammers had me confused and wondering.

You CAN make damascus by hand forging "hammering" but using a power hammer or hydraulic press is the way most people make it.

I am assuming you have a way to heat treat and mill the damascus?

Either way, read all you can, it can be a challenge.
 
I have a way to forge the billet and machine it. When i heard the term air hammer i thought of the tools we have at work that are pneumatic hand tools that drive nails. I was asking if 1060 steel had another name because i cannot seem to find any. According to several blacksmiths i have talked to the 1060 would be ideal because after the final heat and air quench it would be tough and hard enough that i wouldnt need to oil or water quench and run the :xtremely real risk of warping the slide.
 
Hmmmmm. I never considered using a hydaulic press...i have one of those. Do they really work? I would think the temp of the steel would have to be higher though in order to be "pancaked" all at once...this could be an interesting experiment if nothing else.
 
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