Buying Steel???

[TJDukit]

So I've decided I'm going to borrow a welder from a friend and tackle building a bumper for the JK. Since this will be my first fabrication project I am completely clueless when it comes to buying the steel I need.

Obviously it will be cheaper to just buy some plate and cut it myself but since most places will cut it for me is it worth it to have them to do it? I went ahead and designed the bumper with some poster board today and I am happy with what I got. I know the exact dimensions of three of the plates I will need but my corner pieces will have to wait until it is mostly together.

I'm going to be using 3/16" for everything except for my mounting plates which will be 1/4" but those are small and I can probabaly score them cheap from some scrap at the the steel yard I end up going to.

Basically I would need a plate that measures 36"x48" which will give me enough extra for my comfort. How much should I expect to pay? I know steel prices vary but a ballpark would be great. Also any speicial type of steel I should get?

I know there are plenty of steel yards in SLC area, I would prefer to stick closer to home. Does anybody have any experience with Bomen And Kemp? I read a thread from a few years ago saying they weren't the best to work with for small orders. I know I can always just go to metal mart or Wasatch Steel.

Well thanks and sorry for being an idiot when it comes to steel, once I get the front done I'll tackle the rear with a tire carrier.

 

[BCGPER]

Tripple S steel, my entire rear bumper came from their "remnant" area. Pack a lunch, you'll be there a while thinking of all the cool things you can build for $0.55 a pound.

 

[blznnp]

Tripple S steel, my entire rear bumper came from their "remnant" area. Pack a lunch, you'll be there a while thinking of all the cool things you can build for $0.55 a pound.

agree, they got a lot of stuff there, for my bumpers I bought strips of 1/4 and 3/16, like 1/4"x4 1/2" and 3/16"x3", got them in 10' sticks and just cut them to what I want. Would have been nicer if I could have just gotten a big plate and bent it how I wanted it but I don't have access to a big press brake now.

 

[TJDukit]

The thing that sucks is I need a pieces 7", 10" and 4" wide. I'll have to check them out and see what I can come up with. I've got thursday and Friday off so I'll have to just figure out which places I want to look at and spend a day down south.

 

[Kevin B.]

The thing that sucks is I need a pieces 7", 10" and 4" wide. I'll have to check them out and see what I can come up with. I've got thursday and Friday off so I'll have to just figure out which places I want to look at and spend a day down south.

You could check with ILean about trimming your scrap to size. I bet his table would do it a lot faster than a skillsaw or angle grinder...

 

[TJDukit]

You could check with ILean about trimming your scrap to size. I bet his table would do it a lot faster than a skillsaw or angle grinder...

Hadn't thought of hitting up Carl for cutting it. I guess I'll have to see what I can find. Probably better than having the steel yard doing it and far better than using the angle grinder.

 

[I Lean]

Hadn't thought of hitting up Carl for cutting it. I guess I'll have to see what I can find. Probably better than having the steel yard doing it and far better than using the angle grinder.

If you go that way, last time I was there SSS had several 3/16" remnant sheets that were probably 4'x5' each. Ish.