There appears to be a steel shortage going on right now. When Ann 1st said that she couldn't find canning lids where she was I thought odd, but then one of my A.C. customers told me that he can't get any flex duct due to the lack of metal spiral internal wire. Out of stock for maybe 6 weeks. So I called my steel co. supplier. They won't get anything in until maybe the middle of August. And these guys are a big operation out of Houston on the ship channel. So whats going on? I remember when Obama was in + there was the steel shortage + price increases then due to the fact that as China set up 11 new smelters, they got 1st dibs on all the coal,coke, + sulpher (all necessary for the galvinization process)from us before any American companies. So is the new administration selling us out again? Just like my Houston supplier, I might find it hard to stay in business with no materials to sell.

That seems to be with everything nowadays.

Why is it that everything nowadays automatically turns into a political coverup.

Instead how about because of covid lockdowns there wasn't anyone working to produce the products that are now in short supply. Some supply chain shortages just took longer before you noticed them.

Not true!

I am buying copper, steel and aluminum rods cheaper now than 4 years ago!!??

All I do is place my order, and 4-6 weeks the dealers delivers to my house!

Just wait until China shuts us off. That's what precipitated Japan's decision to attack the US.

Grizz

That's true Grizz. The japs had no natural resources on their home island. Saeed; my point exactly ( I assume that was said in jest). I know that the last sheet copper I needed would be quoted when they were loading the truck. Helluva way to try to bid jobs. Cougrz, no not everything is a conspericy + yes covid has damaged production rates but availability of product has been diminished greatly by the petrol situation, which IS the effect of Biden's decision.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
Cougrz, no not everything is a conspericy + yes covid has damaged production rates but availability of product has been diminished greatly by the petrol situation, which IS the effect of Biden's decision.

So I guess that makes all the other shortages the effect of trumps decisions.

Actually, the metals we get here are from India.

Very good quality and supply line.

There are Chinese metals available here, but I refuse to buy them.

What percentage of the US steel production has been handed over to other countries? Who are the major steel producing countries (percent of total by country)?
What is the world's steel demand compared to production?

I guess one could substitute any metal (other commodity) in the questions above.

the US has the ability to produce steel??

quote:

Originally posted by Lamar:
the US has the ability to produce steel??

The US is the 4th largest steel producer in the world.

In reference to canning lids. Many people of course have gone to buying chinese knockoffs on Amazon. These cheaply made lids are buckling during the canning process. I won't waste my time and product to such trash.

There is not a single reasonable explanation to shortages for anything we face these days.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
In reference to canning lids. Many people of course have gone to buying chinese knockoffs on Amazon. These cheaply made lids are buckling during the canning process. I won't waste my time and product to such trash.

There is not a single reasonable explanation to shortages for anything we face these days.

You have an over abundance of politicians and lawyers!

Get rid of 99% of these and you might be able to lead a normal life!

Saeed, I agree with you 100 %. But I don't know how to do that anymore than I know how to disuade the insurance companies charging us for every vehicle owned when one can only drive one at a time. But then we are back to square one, right?

I just got off the phone with a buddy who builds steel buildings + barns,+ arenas, etc. up in the Stephenville area. He had a contract pending with a customer with the understanding that steel prices were honored for 24 hours. The lady waited 3 weeks to pull the trigger then gave the go ahead but by that point the steel price had increased by $9000.00 for the job. Lets not even get into whats happening to groceries.

Watch what happens in the next 90 days. The inflation rate will drop low on the books of the Demacrap. The rate for us people with SS will drop to maybe 1% so that we will not get enough increase to cover the increase of Medicare which will go up. I have paid taxes since 1950 and if they can keep this low rate down in October when they meet and vote on the SS, then the rate of inflation will go back to maybe 5 or 6% after the meeting votes.

It will get scary; hell, it already is. Les, please don't forget; I am still interested in your vise as soon as you finish your current job. Maybe that will help with a bit more of income.

Its scarier than you think...

here is a link to the up to the minute commodity prices..

Take a look at neodymium which is a rare earth metal needed for all these "batteries" that are gonna power the world for free..

https://tradingeconomics.com/commodities

While picking up feed at the local co-op yesterday some folks were asking to buy a couple of 16 foot cattle panels. Common enough item. Store clerk laughed in frustration and said, "we haven't had any of those for 6 months now. No idea when we will get any either!"

I had 3 more jobs called in today + I have to ask folks to be patient. I can't build it if I can't get the metal. Thanks for the boost to the economy Joe.

Not a metal shortage issue but I have been trying to get the local pump guy out to modernize the well that serves my house since last January. They can't find enough people to cover all their jobs.

Due to this they have only been able to do new drill jobs. I have a broken hydrant (badly leaking, I have to keep that well switched off at the breaker) that needs to be dug up and replaced too. Rather disappointing this is taking so long but I am somewhere in line...

Ann in another life I installed and repaired many hydrants like yours the hardest part is digging the hole.

They are a very simple item to install.

Go by a new one dig up the old one replace and fill in the hole.
It is most likely not very deep as far south as you are.

Up here we would put them down 8 to 12 feet depending on the area.

If I had normal ground here and a sound back I would dig it myself but it is all rocks and clay here. You need a machine. My lower lumbar has been fused and it still isn't right. I have a lot of pain in the SI joints so my days of swinging a pick ax and pulling up 100 plus pound chunks of ledge rock are over.

I'm also going to have the guy who excavates look at replacing my sewer line. Due to the ground here open lagoons instead of buried septic fields are what are used. We do get quite cold temps in the winter it's just a lot shorter than where you are. The discharge pipe is supposed to be well under the lagoon surface so they don't freeze shut in the winter. Whoever built the drainage here did it with the pipe outlet about a foot up from the lagoon surface. Dumb.

This property was my first experience with this sort of waste water system so I had no idea what I was in for until winter came 'round.

I have had to replace 2 freeze proof hydrants in the last year. I used the auger on the tractor to drill down beside them (careful of water line) and then open it up with a post hole digger. After replacing I filled the holes with gravel so next time it should be easier. If you live in the country finding anyone to do work can be a challenge. Contractors can't seem to be able to find anyone that wants to work and that will show up on a regular basis.
C.G.B.

quote:

If you live in the country finding anyone to do work can be a challenge. Contractors can't seem to be able to find anyone that wants to work and that will show up on a regular basis.

That seems to be the case here.

Few seem to be interested in a career anymore. Living in mom's basement is sooo much easier.

That seems to be prevalent all over, more so now that the Government has been giving out checks for folks to sit on their ass.

Oh + BTW, I was talking with another supply house today + was told that there's beaucoup of loaded ships off the California coast + no one to unload them. I don't doubt it, but that may just be another excuse of why we have no product.

Crazy times. Last night on the local PBS station was a program on automation and eliminating humans from most jobs that 'middle income' people do.

What was interesting is there was no reduction via technology for low wage jobs like housekeeping and home health care. Nor for high income types of jobs. So the trend will continue to be towards wealthy or poor. No middle class.

That begs what will become of so many unemployable people? The US really lost out off shoring manufacturing.

Ann, crazy times indeed. It appears there is no captain at the helm. I'm about as middle class as anyone + I'm not only concerned about making ends meet but about the future escalating property taxes. All these folks are moving in + bringing their ways with them + expecting those of us already here to finance their kids education; sorry, wrong term, schooling more aptly applies. These new schools with their ostentatious "splendor" has nothing to do with teaching the kids but has everything to do with promoting 4A football teams + a great benefit to the realtors. Meanwhile (back on the ranch) we still try to survive with no base materials to sell product with but are expected to pay these fees. As Joseph Heller said, "There was only one Catch + it was a good one."

Property taxes were big reasons why I have left two other states during my life. My experience was when property taxes go up so does everything else locally. I simply refuse to put up with it.

Ann, the thing is that although this small community (not so small anymore) is where I have been since 1970 + I don't want to move. A few years ago, my daughter-in-law went down to protest the taxes, (I wish she had a tape recorder in her purse) + the county guy flat out told her that we are raising taxes to get "people like you" out of there so we can make that area another Lakeway. Thus higher taxes.

I understand, Randy. Most people won't leave and go somewhere else. I sure wish my mother would but I know she won't and will just bitch about the situation each and every time I talk to her on the phone. That gets old.

Point taken. I might very well have to move at some point but I would prefer that I was doing it because I wanted to instead of being forced out. I know this analogy is really not in the same realm but I have thought many times over the years, why didn't more jews just get out of Germany when they had the chance? Some couldn't afford it of course but I think a large amount never thought it would get that bad. And I'm certainly familiar with the old frog in the pot theory. Hell when you get right down to it, where I live now was once Comanche territory; + they didn't want to move either.

Along those same lines I had/have a neighbor whose maiden name was Spivey. Anyway she + her husband had to move recently to the Goldthwaite area. She told me that REALLY pissed her off was that they HAD to move because they couldn't afford the taxes but that the Spivey family came here when Texas was still a Republic + now they can't afford to live here. I know that life is not fair, but that does not stop me being pissed off at injustice.

That's the problem, Randy. People often get priced out. The amount of property taxes I was paying when I lived in the northeast was astounding- many thousands. Where I live now- I have more land that is infinitely more versatile and pay less than $600 a year in taxes.

How well I know. I was on a teleconference with the tax people this spring + they just arbitrarily pulled out the figure that my house was valued @ $300K. I told them they were out of their minds; 1/2 that maybe. They were comparing it with other houses of the same square footage in my subdivision. I said I don't live in a subdivision. They said, yes you do, I said no I don't! + the guy said this conversation is over. Now they have never been to my house + since I + my carpenter buddies built it ourself, there is no record of price. All they have is an aerial view + that initself should tell them that I'm in the country + not a subdivision. Then they tried to tax all of my equipment in my shop + went up in value every year. WHOA!! Tools depreciate, not appreciate. And besides, you don't even know what these tools are or what they do so how can you access a value? More old man grumble!

I think depreciation went out the door a long time ago. My vehicles are old and have high mileage (I bought them used and with said mileage). An '03 caravan with 260K on it and a '12 impala with 155K and my insurance keeps going up. I have USAA who have always been the best for low rates but no longer.

Even my homeowner's keeps going up, up, up and I live in an old 1000SF, very modest home out in BFI. I bet rates will continue to climb. Can't escape it.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
I think depreciation went out the door a long time ago. My vehicles are old and have high mileage (I bought them used and with said mileage). An '03 caravan with 260K on it and a '12 impala with 155K and my insurance keeps going up. I have USAA who have always been the best for low rates but no longer.

Even my homeowner's keeps going up, up, up and I live in an old 1000SF, very modest home out in BFI. I bet rates will continue to climb. Can't escape it.

The vehicles are old enough that they should only have liability insurance. On them.


Do you have a straight value policy on the house or a replacement policy.

Replacement cost are going up greatly.

I have yet to see an insurance agent not driving a nicer vehicle than mine.

Now for getting the "temporary" pound of flesh from the tax man in my favor; I asked a buyer of a firm that buys + sells equipment at auction + generally gives you a penny on the dollar if he would inventory my shop + offer a price. He did, + on his company letterhead he stated what he would purchase all the equipment for. I took the statement down to the county + oh boy they did.nt like it but it was a legal appraisal of fair market value.The taxes dropped exponentially.Fxxk those bloodsuckers!