Purchasing resources for Steel Service Centers

Perhaps you're looking to sell steel in large volumes to a local steel service center. Or maybe you want to buy steel at contractor prices from one of the nation's many steel processing centers. Or possibly, you need to find a great fabricator to help you create your steel product. Or maybe you just want to repair some of your steel products. Whichever the case, this guide is for you.

There are many steel shops all over the United States, and each offers a different type of service. Before you target a steel center to do business with, consider which of these types of centers you need:

1. A full steel service center

2. A steel fabrication shop

3. A steel or stainless steel repair shop or product

Find a great full steel service center

Steel service centers buy steel in large quantities. They also create steel products to sell to other businesses or industries, or create steel products to those companies' specifications. For example, a steel shop might do steel sawing, shearing and shape burning. About 45 percent of specialty steel made in the United States comes through a steel center.

Seek a steel fabrication shop

If you need more than the general processing your typical steel shop provides, it's time to hire a steel fabricator. Fabrication helps create your steel product through cutting and burning, forming, machining and welding pieces of steel together. Sometimes fab shops specialize in one or more of these areas.

Search for steel and stainless steel repair products and services

Once your product is finished, there may be times when you require steel repair. Sometimes your own employees can easily handle the repair. For example, most stainless steel scratch repair is simple for anyone to accomplish. If you include welders among your employees, all they will need for steel repairs is the proper sort of rod. Other times, though, you might need to hire a professional--to fix a steel window or straighten a bent steel wheel, for example.

• Before you purchase a stainless steel scratch repair product, try the "homespun" solution first. Spray a household cleaner (like Formula 409) on the scratch. With a non-metal scouring pad (like Scotch-Brite), rub in the cleaner along the direction of the grain. Rinse the pad frequently, and be sure to keep the surface wet with cleaner the entire time you work.