were to buy aluminium

[b-rad26]

were can i get a good deal on some aluminium angle, tubing and flatstock in somewhat small quanities?

i bought some from the hardware store to build a bike stand and it cost me $60 for the materials . the stand i planned on copying was only $50 and had thicker aluminium. that is rediculous

so is there a website or something were i can order metal in small quanities for a decent price?

[KJ790]

I buy most metal supplies I need from mcmaster-carr. They aren't always the cheapest, but they are reliable and you have it in 2 days normally. http://www.onlinemetals.com/ seems to have some good deals on metal in small quantities.

[Jeekinz]

LOL, I wanted to make my own skid plate but the aluminum plate was more than a WC skid plate. Check out your Yellow Pages for local welding/fabricating shops even truck repair shops. They all usually have some sort of cut-offs/scrap bin. They may even just give you the material.

[aakmetz]

I buy most metal supplies I need from mcmaster-carr. They aren't always the cheapest, but they are reliable and you have it in 2 days normally. http://www.onlinemetals.com/ seems to have some good deals on metal in small quantities.

good source, have used them, fast shipping, great selection.

[b-rad26]

I buy most metal supplies I need from mcmaster-carr. They aren't always the cheapest, but they are reliable and you have it in 2 days normally. http://www.onlinemetals.com/ seems to have some good deals on metal in small quantities.

thanks that is a great link.

the hardware stores 1 inch angle i bought was $3 per foot, the link you gave is only $1.37 per foot. hopefully shipping isnt to much though

[Honda_Racer19]

why not just buy the stand? Buy the time you buy the materials $$$ and put the time in it calculate the technical cost of it. Even though you wont be getting paid for the time calculate that in there..

Example: Using my pay rate of $17.24 per hour

Guesstimate on materails materails come out with shipping as $38.00

Takes 3 hours to cut, weld/or screw, and balance so it sits level

3 hours at $17.24= $51.72

tecnically your stand that (no offense) probably wont be as good as the manufactured one will cost $89.72 instead of just buying one for $50.

[b-rad26]

why not just buy the stand? Buy the time you buy the materials $$$ and put the time in it calculate the technical cost of it. Even though you wont be getting paid for the time calculate that in there..

Example: Using my pay rate of $17.24 per hour

Guesstimate on materails materails come out with shipping as $38.00

Takes 3 hours to cut, weld/or screw, and balance so it sits level

3 hours at $17.24= $51.72

tecnically your stand that (no offense) probably wont be as good as the manufactured one will cost $89.72 instead of just buying one for $50.

my stand will be better than the $50 one i saw and it will be custom with diamond plate and everything. and nobody else will have the same stand

and besides i do welding as a hobby and i enjoy welding so the only cost i will have is the metal, welding rods and argon gas

also if you are getting paid 17 an hour you better be able to make that stand in a lot less than 3 hours

[b-rad26]

shipping ended up being $16 so i really dont save any money, that sucks

[londonbkokblockin]

most places charged 1$ pound, good grade too

[Honda_Racer19]

my stand will be better than the $50 one i saw and it will be custom with diamond plate and everything. and nobody else will have the same stand

and besides i do welding as a hobby and i enjoy welding so the only cost i will have is the metal, welding rods and argon gas

also if you are getting paid 17 an hour you better be able to make that stand in a lot less than 3 hours

I just used my pay as an example. I am not a fabricator. I had a friend build my custom lift stand for $30. ?

[Jeekinz]

Just used up most of my sticker collection on my new stand. Got this one from Rocky Mountain, comes with a little plastic pan to drain the oil. I bought it for the removable tool/parts tray.

[JSV]

Go to a local sheetmetal shop and you can get what ever you need, that's what I do. Fortunately I have worked in a sheetmetal shop and got all my material for free. Here's my stand, skidplate, tire changing stand, and a ramp I made.

[b-rad26]

i have a friend that works with aluminium tubing and he can get me some free scraps, but all they have is 1 inch square tubing. i could make a stand with is but it wont lok as nice as what i had in mind.

thats probobly what i will do though

[usmcpaul]

I always go to the local scrap yard or metal recycling centers. I'm like a kid in a candy store. I get my metal for just over scrap prices. For $50 you could probably get enough for 10 stands.

I also enjoy machining and welding as a hobby; so I totally understand why you want to make it yourself. Many/most times I build things that I could have just bought cheaper, but the satisfaction I get from doing it myself is worth it to me.

Not to mention the fact that, by the time I die I will have accumulated enough tools for my wife to have one hell of a garage sale to fund her retirement. ?

[markgoodall]

were can i get a good deal on some aluminium angle, tubing and flatstock in somewhat small quanities?

....so is there a website or something were i can order metal in small quanities for a decent price?

There's a chain of stores that sells EXACTLY what you are looking. They are all over the place (there are two in Atlanta). I buy steel and aluminum on a regular (monthly) basis. They sell "off-cuts" often priced a couple of dollars per pound.

The sell the same stuff you can buy at Home Depot, plus a ton other sizes and shapes. Home Depot is anywhere from double to 4 times the price.

If you've got one nearby it is defintely the best place to get small quantities for a good price. I think they ship, but it won't be cheap. I'd think any savings you make in the metal will be eaten up by the shipping costs.

http://www.metalsupermarkets.com

Good luck! ?

[b-rad26]

There's a chain of stores that sells EXACTLY what you are looking. They are all over the place (there are two in Atlanta). I buy steel and aluminum on a regular (monthly) basis. They sell "off-cuts" often priced a couple of dollars per pound.

The sell the same stuff you can buy at Home Depot, plus a ton other sizes and shapes. Home Depot is anywhere from double to 4 times the price.

If you've got one nearby it is defintely the best place to get small quantities for a good price. I think they ship, but it won't be cheap. I'd think any savings you make in the metal will be eaten up by the shipping costs.

http://www.metalsupermarkets.com

Good luck! ?

there are 2 stores, each about an hour away from me

1.5+1.5+3/16 aluminium angle is $9 per foot whats the deal with that, its twice as much as the hardware store

do they usually have a lot of good stuff in there scrap pile?

[b-rad26]

I always go to the local scrap yard or metal recycling centers. I'm like a kid in a candy store. I get my metal for just over scrap prices. For $50 you could probably get enough for 10 stands.

I also enjoy machining and welding as a hobby; so I totally understand why you want to make it yourself. Many/most times I build things that I could have just bought cheaper, but the satisfaction I get from doing it myself is worth it to me.

Not to mention the fact that, by the time I die I will have accumulated enough tools for my wife to have one hell of a garage sale to fund her retirement. ?

i never thought of that. i could make a hole bunch of crap for that price.

[usmcpaul]

I always offer them a tad less than what the total comes out to be and tell them I don't need a receipt, he generally takes it. (i.e if the total is $56 I pull out $50 in cash)

[Original_Prankster]

I get mine at scrap price from work. Then i can use the Welder and rod fo free ?

[markgoodall]

1.5+1.5+3/16 aluminium angle is $9 per foot whats the deal with that, its twice as much as the hardware store

? Wow, I think I've paid about that price for a 3' long piece.? I know the price of steel and aluminum has gone up alot, but not that much.

do they usually have a lot of good stuff in there scrap pile?

It all depends on what sort of orders they were filling the day before I get there. I drop in about once a month and some days they've got a bunch of normal stuff (pieces under 12" of common flatbar or angle) and other days they've got lot's of more specialize stuff (round, rectangle tube, C-channel), but there have been days where there really isn't a lot to pick through.

By the way, one of the places used to call it "off-cuts" while the other one calls it their "Drop-room"

there are 2 stores, each about an hour away from me

There are two in Atlanta, both about an hour from me. I often work down the road from one, so I drop in on my way home. But it's too far to drive just to save a few bucks. So if I need something in a hurry, I'll swing by Home Depot and buy it here. Otherwise I'll wait till my next trip to get it.

I needed some pieces that were $20/each at HomeDepot so I waited and got them for $8-$9/each at the Metal Supermarket.