Where to find thick stainless wire rope.

Overmountain

Overmountain

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May 2, 2013
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Does anyone know of a source for just a few feet of 3/4"-1" diameter 316 stainless or similar 7x19 type stainless cable/wire rope?

I know HTT has the carbon steel stuff, but I have a couple of decorative needs to work some stainless cable this size... And I neither have the funds or need for 50ft of the stuff which seems to be the minimum most places.
 
I don't know what grade it is, but aircraft cable comes in stainless and galvanized. Electrical supply shops usually carry some of the thinner stuff. sorry not to helpful. I would search under aircraft cable.
 
Just do a Google search for stainless wire rope then start calling to find out if you can get small quantities.
 
The problem has been the small quantities. I have contacted just about everyone that pops up on a google search. Fastenal wants a big order to get it in my local storefront location. And it has to be through and through steel, no wraps or anything. I could braid it myself from smaller cable, the only problem is smaller diameters are usually made up of very fine primary wires... It needs to be thicker primary wire because I am going to be unbraiding it to put just a little slack in between the strands before I do what I'm gonna do with it... ;)

I am probably stuck waiting till someone has leftover scrap or orders through fastenal and I can snag a few feet...

Thanks guys. Just making sure I have thoroughly checked everywhere. I may just use the plow steel stuff and see if I can mitigate corrosion...
 
How far do you live from the Golden Gate bridge?
cable.jpg

Source: http://databasescience.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/cable.jpg
 
What about a place that deals with industrial wire rope? There's a place in Houma Louisiana called Hercules Wire Rope that makes stainless slings for offshore use. Might be able to get a chunk from a place like that.
 
I'm a little too far from the Golden Gate, but I heard there was a problem with the steel there anyway. Or was that the Brooklyn Bridge. One of the two contains miles of bad steel... lol.

Count and John brought up Fastenal, which is probably where I am going to have to go. That price tag stings, and they want $6 for shipping for in-store pick-up. Kills me. I know its stainless and all but $22 a foot is highway robbery... 3/4" is fine, but would like to have 1" if I can ever find it... But, I guess compared to what we spend on steel, stabilized wood and other stuff it really isn't that bad... Carbon steel wire rope goes for about $5-6 a foot for 1" around here.

We have a few local places that deal with cable that size, but most of them use either coated cable, some kind of core that is non-steel, or they just don't want to sell their scraps. One place here does large structures; bridges, big buildings and such. They actually use what I want. But here's the comment. 'If we sell a chunk of leftover to you, then we have to sell to anyone else that comes in, and we aren't in the cable sales business...' Like it is some ongoing problem... hah.

Looks like I'm paying a visit to my local Fastenal today. Thank you guys for searching for me. I had even thought this stuff would make some cool door pull handles if it didn't cost so much. For some place that has a nautical or industrial theme - Weld a d-shape loop to a stainless plate and use that for a door pull?? Guess I will have to stick to just enough to finish what I'm working on and call it. Ouch.

-Eric
 
LucyCustomKnives said:
I'm a little too far from the Golden Gate, but I heard there was a problem with the steel there anyway. Or was that the Brooklyn Bridge. One of the two contains miles of bad steel... lol.

Count and John brought up Fastenal, which is probably where I am going to have to go. That price tag stings, and they want $6 for shipping for in-store pick-up. Kills me. I know its stainless and all but $22 a foot is highway robbery... 3/4" is fine, but would like to have 1" if I can ever find it... But, I guess compared to what we spend on steel, stabilized wood and other stuff it really isn't that bad... Carbon steel wire rope goes for about $5-6 a foot for 1" around here.

We have a few local places that deal with cable that size, but most of them use either coated cable, some kind of core that is non-steel, or they just don't want to sell their scraps. One place here does large structures; bridges, big buildings and such. They actually use what I want. But here's the comment. 'If we sell a chunk of leftover to you, then we have to sell to anyone else that comes in, and we aren't in the cable sales business...' Like it is some ongoing problem... hah.

Looks like I'm paying a visit to my local Fastenal today. Thank you guys for searching for me. I had even thought this stuff would make some cool door pull handles if it didn't cost so much. For some place that has a nautical or industrial theme - Weld a d-shape loop to a stainless plate and use that for a door pull?? Guess I will have to stick to just enough to finish what I'm working on and call it. Ouch.

-Eric
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Sounds like you need to do a little stakeout and figure out which employee could use an extra $20!;) Did they say what they do with it? Do they scrap it or does it go back to the manufacturer?

Have you tried a scrapyard?

Chris
 
They scrap it. And account for their scrap apparently. And my job prohibits me from doing anything that might even look the least bit shady...

I have the local scrapyards on speed-dial... I was about 10 minutes behind a guy picking up an anvil for scrap price. I said never again after that, and make it a point to swing by often and shoot the breeze... Unfortunately, 1" all-stainless wire rope is a very specialized item that isn't needed or used an awful lot around here. If I lived closer to Norfolk that would probably be a different story. I do have some buddies that way keeping an ear out... I'm determined to not pay $22 a foot. :)
 
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