B & Q Steel stock

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B & Q Steel stock

This topic has 19 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 11 March 2010 at 20:48 by Sub Mandrel.

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30 October 2009 at 11:22 #44616
Eric Cox
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@ericcox50497
A new B & Q Superstore has opened near me in Burton on Trent. Looking round I was surprised at the steel stock that was carried. As well as normal bar, various sections are available in steel, brass and aluminium as well as threaded bar and sheet steel. Various lengths are carried from 1M to 2,5 M. Definately worth looking at if you have a Superstore near you.
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30 October 2009 at 11:22 #37960
Eric Cox
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@ericcox50497
30 October 2009 at 12:21 #44618
Billy Mills
Participant
@billymills
Handy in an absolute emergency but the prices are high. Screwfix are much cheaper for fasteners and studding but are owned by the same group!
30 October 2009 at 14:26 #44622
Laurence B
Participant
@laurenceb
Though I live near Burton on Trent I haven’t been to the B&Q Superstore (is this in Wellington Road?) but in the past,I’ve found the range of metal sections available from the store in Lichfield Street quite useful.I used some of their 1″x 1/4″ black bar,and some of their threaded bar,nuts and washers to make up a length of track for the loco that I’m building.It’s hardly show-track,(pretty it ain’t!) but it is handy for the workshop.
31 October 2009 at 11:54 #44633
Eric Cox
Participant
@ericcox50497
Yes, it’s the new one in Wellington Rd. You’ll find the steel in the hardware section.
4 November 2009 at 03:26 #44702
Jim K
Participant
@jimk
Hi,

If you are buying small or large amounts of metal almost any shape try www.metalsupermarkets.com they are in most cities and large towns in the UK they cut to your size from their stock. So you can give them a list of materials and get a quote then order when you pick up all the bits are there cut to size this includes sheet metal.

A lot cheaper than B&Q

JimK

Edited By Jim K on 04/11/2009 03:27:27

Edited By Jim K on 04/11/2009 03:27:58
4 November 2009 at 21:14 #44732
Nigel Hyde
Participant
@nigelhyde97004
I use metal supermarket in Coventry

they are great. a fast and friendly service

and have great stocks of all types of metal

and are happy to cut little bits

(i have no conections ,but i use them all the time!)
4 November 2009 at 22:53 #44738
chris stephens
Participant
@chrisstephens63393
Hi Guys,

They are certainly convenient, but don’t you find them a touch, er, pricey. Could be they just don’t like me, but they do seem to pick numbers out of thin air when doing the bill.

There is a very good metals dealer in the Acton (west London for all you foreigners) they at least weigh the metal before picking numbers from the ether.

chris stephens
5 November 2009 at 07:57 #44745
Jim K
Participant
@jimk
Metal Supermarket

Yes i insist with them to give me a quote first but and i dont hesitate to question it if i think it high, I understand that they are a franchise and they use a main database to get the prices so they should be sold on weight or size. Speak to the owner also they usually have a bin of offcuts.

JimK
5 November 2009 at 09:53 #44749
John Haine
Participant
@johnhaine32865
I was really excited that they have a store in Cambridge, until I realised it was in Ontario!
5 November 2009 at 10:12 #44751
keithmart
Participant
@keithmart
hi

We have one in Leeds UK And a B&Q

Keith

Leeds UK

Edited By keithmart on 05/11/2009 10:13:32
20 January 2010 at 21:03 #47634
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
I was looking at the ‘extended range’ in the Burton B&Q. Some useful stuff, but a lot of the DIY staples are cheaper in Wickes across the way

Was a bit disappointed to find the Metal Supermarkets are in the USA , but then discovered the West Brom branch isn’t too far to get to from work.

But I’d love to track down a good cheap source of reasonable sized offcuts (e.g. up to 2″ bar) in the Burton area. Any ideas?

Thanks

Neil

Edited By Neil on 20/01/2010 21:09:49
21 January 2010 at 19:49 #47675
Alistair Grant 3
Participant
@alistairgrant3
B&Q is useful for ‘Blacksmithing’ work but just try turning some of the mild steel bar!. I’ve never come across such rubbish quality steel. Even with a new tip and floods of coolant a farmer would have been proud of the ploughed field finish.
1 February 2010 at 19:34 #48131
macmarch
Participant
@macmarch
You might also find

http://www.m-machine.co.uk

very useful

The catalogue is downloadable.
2 February 2010 at 10:05 #48150
Circlip
Participant
@circlip
Don’t seem to be able to find raw steel stock on the last posting, can you aim me to the section????

Regards Ian
2 February 2010 at 11:49 #48154
macmarch
Participant
@macmarch
Oops!

should be

http://www.m-machine-metals.co.uk

sorry about that. This company either traded under a different name or has taken over the old company as the catalogue is identical to the old one. The old name was MCM at Salford.

cheers

ray
2 February 2010 at 11:53 #48155
macmarch
Participant
@macmarch
Just checked the website for mmm and they did indeed buy out MCM.

ray
5 February 2010 at 21:37 #48286
Robbo
Participant
@robbo
JimK

just checked out the link you gave, and it tells me there are only 8 branches in the UK.

Have I got the wrong place , as you said “most cities and large towns”.

Robbo
6 February 2010 at 09:43 #48293
Circlip
Participant
@circlip
Their sales department seem to have the inch/metric conversion falling to their advantage. Make sure you order in INCHES and FEET.

Regards Ian.
11 March 2010 at 20:48 #49706
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
Well I finally got to the West Brom Metal Supermarket today.

Nice guys, very proud of what they stock. Not much passing trade – they said I was the second new customer in a week!

They don’t advertise in the ME press as they get a lot of ‘tyre kickers’ and phone enquiries that come to nothing because of the postal costs. They like folk who search them out and call in though, as they say they really want something.

They had plenty of bar ends, angle, tube in EN1A, EN24T, aluminium alloy, stainless and silver steel as well as some scarily huge bits of ground flat stock. Also odd stuff like engineering plastics and titanium. They said that toolmakers used to buy up most of theiir odd ends, but they are building up more these days.

I got some 3/16″ stainless (for boat prop shafts) and got 10 kilos of big offcuts of big EN1A PB (yes they still use the ‘real’ classification) and 50mm black steel angle. I also got a good deal on nearly a foot of 30mm silversteel. I can now make a Eureka and it’s cutters.

Buying odd ends it was a case of taking what they had, but compared to buying by mail order I think I got a good deal.

So worth a visit, I say.

Neil
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