Quote:
Originally Posted by Nathan Streeter
About once a year or so we drop off our aluminum scrap with a local metals place for them to recycle, and in exchange they let us pick up a variety of larger cutoff pieces (i.e. 12" x 48" or some pseudo-rectangular piece about 24"x24")... our fabrication sponsors are usually willing to donate the materials they fabricate, so those two options cover most of our aluminum sheet or plate. Work to establish relationships like these, because aluminum isn't cheap.
When we do order aluminum (extruded, sheet, plate, rod), we usually do so from Online Metals, which now has multiple distributors spread out across the US. Their 36"x48" 5052 .063" thick is $48, which comes to $4 per square foot or $4.50 per pound. They have a pretty wide variety of thicknesses, alloys, extrusions, etc. so we can almost always find what we want from them. |
I will second the use of Online Metals. They have always had a quick turnaround for us and very good prices with a decent inventory.
For us in Seattle they are in a northern suburb so we can usually order and within a day or 2 we just go and pick it up.
At the facility they also have a variety of cutoff pieces of rod and extrusion along with thicker plate... this stuff is very reasonably priced.
FYI