Cutting Charges

[Dave Haak]

My two cents:

Suppliers should "build-in" the cost of two cuts per 20-foot length.

We'll do the rest later.

Let the large quantity buyer receive a healthy discount for quantity and no cuts.

Dave

[cope]

The 3 suppliers I have dealt with in Houston have always made at least 1 free cut. Sometimes they will make more cuts depending on what you are buying.

[ChadRat]

I believe in one free cut per stick. What is considered a large quantity? 20 sticks? The guy who told me that they would start charging me to cut was the loader/cutter guy not the guy taking my money. I need to talk to the money guy and see what he says. The loader guy probably just doesn't want to do any more work than neccessary. They pay him to be there regardless of what he is doing. It is not like they hire someone special to do the cutting. I usually call in my order in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon. So it is not like I walk in and want them to cut it immediately.

[Mike Sherman]

Last year I spent $150,000 on steel at just one supplier and they still charge me for any cutting I have them do. If you find a way around it, let me know.

[cope]

Mike, the only thing I can tell you is to move your operation to Houston. We're just naturally friendlier in the South.

[Mike Sherman]

Back in the early 80's I lived in San Antonio. I was young, loud and had a very bad temper. I did not do well at all. I did like the weather though, I owned nothing but my motorcyle and could ride it all year. I was in San Antonio back when they got 13" of snow, it totally shut that city down. Up here in Ohio 13" is no big deal, we don't even close the schools for that. When I left Tx. I rode my motorcycle all the way to Cleveland Ohio. It was quite a ride.

[Bobby]

the steel houses charge cutting charges because they assume you're going to pass that right on to your customer. sucks for us that are just building stuff for ourselves. My steel house did cut the sticks in half for me, but their invoice was so wacky I couldn't tell if that was 'built' into the price of the steel that I bought.

[cope]

Originally posted by Mike Sherman
Back in the early 80's I lived in San Antonio. I was young, loud and had a very bad temper. I did not do well at all. I did like the weather though, I owned nothing but my motorcyle and could ride it all year. I was in San Antonio back when they got 13" of snow, it totally shut that city down. Up here in Ohio 13" is no big deal, we don't even close the schools for that. When I left Tx. I rode my motorcycle all the way to Cleveland Ohio. It was quite a ride.

Mike, that would have been January 1985. We had to drive from Houston to Hamilton ( central Texas ) for a funeral. North of Houston we encountered ice and could drive no faster than 15-20 mph for an hour or so. Then we got past the ice and made good time. That storm shut down the whole state as far as air travel was concerned. SA is a nice place to viit, but it seems that the temp. in summer time is always +/- 100!

[Mike Sherman]

It floods real fast when it rains too.

[Sberry]

Mike,, I bought a couple 5 inch channel, lightweights for about 40 a piece. The yard said prices were bouncing up and down lately. What do you have to give for them at your volume. Its just one size I remember the quote on.

[Old Man Stick]

Originally posted by Mike Sherman
Last year I spent $150,000 on steel at just one supplier and they still charge me for any cutting I have them do. If you find a way around it, let me know.

Just one Question here Mike. Do you deal a lot with Contractors? I bought a buch of stuff there last year. Thay shipped it to whare I work for free. I had then cut 10 Foot of two 40 Foot 6 X 4 X 5/15 Angle and thay cliped me 24 bucks. If I had knowen that I would have cut it at the plant!

OMS

[Mike Sherman]

sberry, I don't know offhand what I pay for 5" channel, I haven't purchased any lately. I know I don't pay $2/foot. OMS, I have not purchased from Contractors, I do know who they are, I usually stay with one or two major suppliers who deliver for free. The cutting charges are more a set up fee than anything else. 50 cuts do not cost much more than 10 cuts. I almost always do my own cutting, though sometimes it is just practical to have it delivered cut to size. I usually have large plates cut to size more than anything else. Just remember guys, that person who is charging you to cut material is no different than you or I, he is just trying to keep his business profitable. It is rare to have a monopoly in this day and age, after all he is steel supplier not a utility, you can purchase somewhere else.