Where are all the long shafts at?

I guess this is the place to post this - I'm sure I'll be informed shortly if it isn't!
I'm quoting a 24' long shaft, 5.750 finished major diameter. As it's longer than my lathe, I need to find a cold rolled, at minimum, preferrably TG&P bar stock so we can steady rest it in a few spots and keep it nice & round. I'd like a a 25' long bar so we can machine it at the chuck end and cut it off.
I'd like to find ETD150 - emailed and called LaSalle steel, no answer yet. I hate voicemail... Called all my normal distributors around St Louis, no luck. Tried Central in Chicago, still have a few feelers out, but it doesn't look real promising. A fatigue proof or stressproof material would also work, 4150 would be great if it came cf, rather than hot rolled. I spent a bunch of time on the internet trying to get specs and availability, but hit a bunch of dead ends. Distributors tell me a special would be a minumum order of 5000 lbs, this shaft will be about 2200. Definitely don't need to go that route!
Any ideas or advice? It would be a pretty tall order for our small shop, but I think I've got it figured out, and we could use the work! Should be an interesting job, if it comes about.
Thanks!

If all else fails you could get a shop that deals with commercial propellors and prop shafts to turn a shaft for you to spec.

Try Scott Forge/ Ellwood city forge in Pa? PM sent.

I would check out Dura-Bar (no affiliation) continuous cast iron products if it can meet your specs. They have some great distributors, at least in the Northeast, and it ends up being cheaper than steel and machinability is great. Their website has more than enough information to tell you whether or not it may work for your application.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check on Scott forge. I don't think the dura-bar would fly in this application, as the stock's going to grow up to be a prop/tailshaft for a towboat. I know the tensile strength is pretty high, but not in the same league as the medium carbon steels.
But thanks anyay.
I knowthis stuff's out there,but probably pretty specialized, and the people that do have don't want to sell to a little guy like me- that might be competition...

But hey, you don't know if you don't try, right???

Might try these guys...

The Steel Supply Company
800-323-7571
Rolling Meadows, IL. 60008

http://www.steelsupply.com/

Not sure if they go that big..Have purchased from them before..EDT150 , Hard Chrome plated, Electreat 50..

Easy to deal with, good service..

Good luck

Here's another contact:

Speciaty Steel Supply
281-821-7111

Contact: Dorbert (First Name..Great Guy)

http://www.specialtysteelsupply.com/

Thanks WMS -
For some reason I didn't think of Steel Supply. We use them for hydraulic cylinder repair components fairly often- they're my 'go to' supplier for that stuff. I wish everyone was a seasy to deal with! I'm not familiar with Steel Specialties, but I'm about to be - thanks! I did try Central Steel in Chicago, no luck there.

Most boat shafts I have had contact with have been stainless.

we do lots of boat shafts down here.ive never seen a shaft that wasnt stainless or brass.
http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/fix55it/?action=view&current=5INCHSHAFT.flv

nice shaft Fix!

Ooooh - nice big shaft you're playing with there, Fix! Buttress thread & all.... exciting!
I've been around these types of shafts for a few years, and it seems that the 5"-7" range is where they draw the line at using stainless vs. med carbon steel, I'm sure for cost reasons. And that's not set in stone, either.
The biggest I've dealt with were 12" diameter. I had a customer who ran 65 shafts on 39 different boats (some had 1,2 or 3 shafts), all were carbon steel. They were painted, and had stainless undercuts that were welded up and remachined back to the shaft diameter in the areas where seals, and sometimes bearings rode.
We developed a mechanical seal for them, which was damn good work, plus they held up good as long as the pilot kept the props out of the sand and gravel. On top of that, they were designed and fixtured so they could be resurfaced several times instead of thrown out and replaced with new.
Due to politics the port engineer that I dealt with is gone, and the pup that they replaced him with (5 yrs out of the merchant Marine academy, and knows everything-you'd think he was a friggin' teenager...) decided that he doesn't like dealing with vendors who know more about the process than he does... Especially when it saves $$$ and makes sense - I think he's grooming himself to be a politician. Wait, nope he already is, the POS.

This shaft has a couple of inlaid ss areas, and a ss sleeve just inboard of the prop taper.

BTW WMS, you're right-Dorbert's a good man. Hopefully have some pricing tomorrow in both 17-4PH and a med carbon steel. Sounds like they have a hell of a set up down there. Thanks again!

your absolutely correct Zeb about the 5 and over shafts being carbon with stainless wear journals.