I need some new files for metal; what to buy? SOLVED!

[Gary_Ash]

Ted, I didn’t try at General Supply, though I have been there many times.  For those who haven’t been there, it’s an old style place that sells raw metal (steel and aluminum), tools, and shop supplies.  It’s ten minutes from my house. The people are very nice but patience is required. I tell the woman at the counter what I want, she hand writes it on a scrap of paper, and sends it upstairs on a little elevator.  The paper returns in a few minutes with the price per foot.  For metal, I take the piece of paper to the cutting floor and we wander through the 100 year old building to find the rack with the right stuff.  The stock is pulled out and sawn to length and the paper is marked with the actual length cut, or, if I’m lucky, the length of the leftover cutoff that works for me.  Then I take the paper to the counter to pay and I can load the metal in my truck.  Sometimes, I can just sit here on my chair and click the Amazon “buy it now” button and get the stuff tomorrow.  But, General Supply will have stuff like 8” Schedule 80 pipe or 16” I-beams in stock. They do service the fishing boats in New Bedford harbor. 

[8E45E]

I must admit, I've been very pleased with our local Metals Supermakets here.  They have a good stock of nearly everything metal.  Metal Supply | Steel Supply | Metal Store | Metal Supermarkets

 

Craig

[dodge28]

Wrap files with oiled dampened paper or cloth after use. 

[chistech]

On 3/14/2023 at 8:51 PM, Gary_Ash said:

Ted, I didn’t try at General Supply, though I have been there many times.  For those who haven’t been there, it’s an old style place that sells raw metal (steel and aluminum), tools, and shop supplies.  It’s ten minutes from my house. The people are very nice but patience is required. I tell the woman at the counter what I want, she hand writes it on a scrap of paper, and sends it upstairs on a little elevator.  The paper returns in a few minutes with the price per foot.  For metal, I take the piece of paper to the cutting floor and we wander through the 100 year old building to find the rack with the right stuff.  The stock is pulled out and sawn to length and the paper is marked with the actual length cut, or, if I’m lucky, the length of the leftover cutoff that works for me.  Then I take the paper to the counter to pay and I can load the metal in my truck.  Sometimes, I can just sit here on my chair and click the Amazon “buy it now” button and get the stuff tomorrow.  But, General Supply will have stuff like 8” Schedule 80 pipe or 16” I-beams in stock. They do service the fishing boats in New Bedford harbor. 

Gary, that’s an excellent, play by play description of General Supply! Don’t forget about tools though. They have a lot of high quality tools on the shelf and many have been on the shelf for years. The have a small table out front in the sales area where they offer old or odd items. I bought a box of 1000 black 1/4-20 square nuts a while back plus four really nice files all discounted from their normally high prices!😄 But, when you want something odd and right away, General Supply is the place!

[Gary_Ash]

40 minutes ago, chistech said:

But, when you want something odd and right away, General Supply is the place!

Good, fast, cheap - pick any two!

[Studemax]

On 3/15/2023 at 12:05 PM, dodge28 said:

Wrap files with oiled dampened paper or cloth after use. 

NO. You can buy camphor paper that will keep ALL your tools - files - and the rest, rust free in the toolbox. No greasy tools.