Question on metals

Hello all,

So Im trying to buy some 2" round tube to build a bumber for my rig. I called the steel store and asked for a price on 2" od w/ .120 wall. It so happens that for a 20' stick they charge $100. I don't know much about metals but I thought that that was a little steep, so I asked for price on the same tube, but not DOM, and the price was $70. My question is, Is there a strength difference between Cold rolled and DOM, and is that difference worthe the extra $30 bucks? Thanks ahead of time. Uni

thats a LOT for steel.

5.00/ft. for 2" .120 dom is a total rip.

3.60 for HREW is an even bigger rip.

little tip, CALL for price quotes first.

ask for prices on 100/250/500/1000 feet.

give yourself a corporate sounding name....

once you get the pricing, explain that you have prototyping work to do, and ask for a price on one or two sticks......

your price quotes should improve.

you are getting the "joe blow markup".....

otherwise known as the "pita factor"......

$100 sounds about right...2" DOM is around 5-6 bucks/ft in my area. Down south I have seen it sold for around 2-3 bucks/ft.

The difference between the tubes the guy quoted you is that one is DOM (Drawn Over Mandrel) and the other is ERW (Electric Resistance Welded).

Both types of tube are welded so they are considered non-seamless. The difference is that DOM after being weld is drawn through a mandrel to improve the shape of the tube and to remove the dross on inside of the tube (from the welding operation).

DOM & ERW are both made from the same steel...I forget exactly (1018,1020)...it's just one is much closer to the advertised shape and size. Some guys consider DOM to be stonger because of the work hardening that takes place during the drawing operation.

They only way to know if the material's strength is different is to call the supplier and ask them to fax you the certification sheets. They should be on file.

Sweet, once again thanks for the info guys, Im going to try the big company approach and try to get a better price. :worship: :thumbup:

I went to the local steel yard and asked if they had any leftovers or scrap. They had a rack full of cut-off ends and mis-measured stuff. I got some 2x6x1/8 14 feet long for .25$ per pound. Powder coat paint was $65. at the local shop. Here is a short write-up with pics of my bumper project.

http://hometown.aol.com/xjtim/index1.html