OT - metal pricing

May not be the best, or cheapest (I've never used them), but it will give you some idea of prices and sizes.

thanks! thats just the sort of thing i was after. Google hadnt shown that site up when i was searching earlier! They seem very resonably priced. If i buy some i may just do it through them as it would be a lot easier!

Try also your local 'Metal Supermarkets', they're good for small amounts of stuff, especially odd stuff like bronze or EN24T for example.

Steel is now very expensive indeed. If I buy a lot then I use a specialist steel stockist (Frank Hughes at Widnes for me) because they will give you a better deal and deliver for free sometimes.

For garden railings and gates etc, you need a specialist supplier that does all those fancy twirly things and decorative spikes that weld on, They're all made by machine these days quite cheaply. Off hand I don't know of a supplier, but know a man who does - if you live in the North West?

Julian wrote: =

MILD steel isn't too bad, but 304 and 316 is beyond belief - I got quoted close to 2 GRAND for a sheet of 10mm 304 a few weeks back.

Steve

I have used them in the past and they were very good, if I remember rightly they are a subsidiary of the biggest stockholder in the country and were in fact cheaper than the company I normally use. (They supply the company I normally use and they are not small!!)

I am just north west (I'm right on the border with the midlands according to the BBC/met office)

I reckon I can make a strong and tidy gate without using any of those special twirly bits and just using box section and round bar.

I'm sure you could, just watch out that it doesn't end up looking austere. A friend of mine works in an industrial unit and makes steel gates and railings mostly for 'posh' houses. It's the detail work that he incorporates, with scrolls, old looking locks and handles etc that make the difference between something pleasing on the eye, and a gate used to (say) hold back cattle on a farm yard.

Oh I don't know, I reckon Tom is probably looking for something military at the moment, complete with rottweilers and machine guns.....

Steve

Thanks Julian, i get your meaning but in this case it is going round the back of my house, not the front, so the functionality is more important than the appearance!

As Steve says, its going there to keep people out!

I think that I actually know where there is a proper metalwork/gate building place round here where i could probably get some twiddles from.

Lee_d or Mr Beamends - Is there a place next door to landranger in fenton that does gates or am i imagining it? I've not been there for years now! (I've been a loyal beamends punter!)

currently considering making some obvious looking handholds that actually have hidden sharp bits in so I can catch out any passing monkeys and also considering the legal implications of hanging an air rifle target on the inside of the same gate so that i could practise my shooting from the confort of an upstairs window! ;)

In that case you need to incorporate those 'rotating spit' things they put on top of high security fences, so when the scrote grabs a bit to climb up it turns and drops him back. Also those steel slatted fences where the galvanised slats are slit at the top and curved to form a three way spike are pretty effective, and may be a useful source of dna samples

AWEM

since the request for metal stockists went well can anybody tell me of any online suppliers of things like gate hinges/brackets that i could weld onto my bits of steel!.

? I did see a better one with something like gates and catches in the domain name but cannot remember it now.

My brother in law still has about 6 old stock 6' by 6' panels of 5/8" railings and steel posts complete with ornamental spear head tops but we're in NW Surrey and they're about 100kg each. I think there are enough spear heads to top a few more.

AJH

Sorry, can't think.

I've just made 4 of 4 * 3 meter workshop doors from box section and galv sheet. I used hinges designed for farm gates, the lugs weld onto the upright and the bit with the hole in is on a long threaded bar.

Any large agricultural dealers will have these on the shelf, and they aren't dear.

My thoughts exactly our local farm supplies has stacks of near bomb proof hinges hasps latches etc makes the Beeanscrew stuff look like liqourice.Getting it by post isn't really an option cos they are very heavy if they aint they won't slow the scrotes down. Derek

Tom Woods uttered summat worrerz funny about:

Yep.... I only know as they provided some of the materials I used for Morphs front wheel carrier and Diff spreader and Pinion lock ;-) Bloke seems friendly enough and seems to understand my design specs on the back of a beer mat.

Lee

I havent found a local farm suppliers place yet :(

Rileys just down the road should sort you out... Bottom of Alsagers bank, right little Aladins cave that one.

Lee