Richard Lamb wrote ...
This message came in today from one of Tailwind gurus.

...
Over the years, America's ability to manufacture our own steel has
steadily diminished to the point where we are now dependent of CHINA
for 4130. They can charge whatever they want and deliver according to
their own convenience.


Having done a bit of work with the steel industry, I have to point out
a couple of common fallacies in the above.

#1, there is absolutely no problem in America's ability to manufacture
4130 sheet (or any other alloy). The limitation is not in the ability
to make it, but rather in the lack of demand. There simply isn't
enough demand to warrant making 4130 sheet, even in the modern, highly
successful and highly profitable mini-mills such as Nucor.

#2, regarding the Chinese, they're neither "charging what they want"
nor "delivering according to their own convenience". That's why you
don't see new stock being delivered at any price. They're not
interested in the 4130 sheet niche either.

Daniel