[vivek16]

Well,

I wasn't sure where to put this thread or if one like it exists (didn't see one) but I am sure everyone has a few tips on buying stuff in FIRST.

I'll start.

When you are buying tube stock, bar stock, or rod, it is often cheaper to get large uncut sections.

For example, I was looking to buy some 3/8" hex shaft and I needed 6". I hit the wrong drop down tab and clicked 6' instead. It was around 7 dollars. I corrected my mistake and it was still like 6.25 dollars! Thinking it was a mistake, I checked the price for 1/16 of an inch and sure enough, it was still 6 dollars. Turns out, they charge 6 dollars for cutting the metal so I can save significantly by just purchasing a 12' section of the material (this way I have enough for many years to come and it is only 7.25 because it is unaltered by the supplier).


If purchasing sheets of some material (rubber, plastic/lexan, or metal), the above trick works. If buying thick(er) sheet metal such as 1/4" aluminum, look into flat bars of it instead of having them cut from a plate. For example, I can buy 1/4x6x15" bar for 17.5 dollars where the same with sheet metal would be higher (for my supplier anyway. It seems they charge 6 dollars to cut for bar stock and 10 to cut plate.)


Also, if buying from the same company, try to get your whole order shipped together to make it cheaper. This is especially true if you have lighter parts (like pneumatic fittings) where the weight is not much of an issue in shipping.

hope it helps, Vivek