Where do you get your metals?

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lugnut

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How much do you guys pay for ? 6061 aluminum? Here on the Oregon coast where I live we have Welding/boat repair/ machine shop that will sell to individuals like me. In fact they are real great to deal with. They will cut you any length or sell you any amount you want. They have a big drop bin with all sizes of stuff. I have bought most all my metals from them. The Aluminum has been about $3 a pound for some time now. Mild steel is about 70 cents a pound. Where and what do you do for metals?
Of course I still have my eye out for the freebies and leftovers. And once in a while piece at a yard sale. (they are the best)
On line Metals has got some my funds also.
Mel
 
Mel
I deal with a local scrap yard, as well as frequenting flea markets. I also have a local CNC shop owner who is kind enough to let me rummage around in his aluminum drop bin. Pieces too small for his production work are often perfect for my nonproductive self. I also have a relative who is a machinist by trade and he sometimes finds me some premium stock that the company has decided to trash.

Local scrap prices have gone up a bit this year but my last purchase garnered Hot and Cold Roll steel for 30¢ / pound, Aluminum was $1.30/ pound and brass was $2.50 /pound but they had none on hand. It sure made me happy that I stocked up a while back. I also priced the bronze that I've got on hand, from a cut and ship supplier, and I nearly fainted. You can bet that stuff gets used judiciously. I'm also shepharding my copper round bar supply closely too.

It's amazing how far you can stretch your supply line when not even the smallest stubs are thrown away. I've made shims and washers from pieces almost too small to grip in the chuck. I made a small wedge shim just last night from a shard of brass the size of a typical toothpick. Now that I've got my metal storage situation under control, I'm back on the prowl to add a few more treasures

Steve
 
I get 1' aluminum shaft for about $3.50 a foot.

My brother owns a machine shop, I can go get most anything I want or use any larger machine for free.

I do grab a broom and clean up in trade.
 
I get most of my materials at work.
Our company allows us to buy stock from the saw shop at their cost.
For materials we don't have there, my first shopping ground is eBay.
There are several venders selling drops and bar ends below retail costs.
If that fails me I go to Online Metals

Rick
 
Last I was at Boeing Surplus, they were selling blocks (10"x6"x3" or so) and slabs of 7055 AL for ~$1.50/lb, but that was a year or so ago, so I bet the price has gone up. I'll see if I can sneak over there on my next business trip to Seattle. The rest I get as short bar-ends from a friend with a machine shop.
 
I get most of my metal at a local scrap "Recylcing Center" where a good friend will sell alunimum for $1.00 per pound and steel is usually free but I never know what it is, it's just metal in the shape that I need. They never seem to have much brass, it's just hit and miss because it's primarily an auto scrap yard. He usually hooks me up with whatever I need for a particular project.
 
I get a few pieces from the company scrap dumpster. Owner wants to charge me by the pound, so I ask the foreman, he's an easier guy to deal with, being a modeler himself. There's a local "used" material dealer, last winter he charged me $2 per lb. for aluminum, $3 /lb. for brass. This summer he charged by the piece about 75% of enco price for extruded aluminum stock. Way expensive for random cutoffs and drops.
 

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