Aluminum Supplier

[adjones419]

Any recommendations on where to get good 6061 billet to make some miscellaneous angled brackets and plates?

[Racey]

I'm sure there is a metal supplier close to you that can get it, we usually go with Kaiser or Alcoa as far as the 'brand' or foundry, it has the best finish quality. Just call em up and see if they carry those brands. If you are looking for smaller peices rather than buying full sheets or lengths it might be tougher to find rems where you are, But the larger suppliers will move enough product to have a good selection of remnant peices.

[Moneypitt]

If there are no suppliers near you, try talking to the local job shops, (machine shops). Quite often they have stock left over from a job, scraps too big to throw away, and I've found nice pieces, reasonable, to make what I need from them.......MP

[Rexone]

Let me know what you need. We buy tons of material (literally). I may be able to hook you up depending on what you're looking for.
I'm considering actually stocking common bar sizes for sale. I purchase 1000-5000 lbs at a time. I would be able to cut to order as I have a cold saw. If you guys have interest in this type of thing please give me some feedback. If no one indicates interest I may not do it. I continually see people looking for material and where to get. To me it would be conveinient to call up, order what you need, and have it arrive on UPS (assuming it's within size limits [cut]). Full bars obviously could not go via UPS.
This would be very simple for me to do especially on sizes we utilize for building parts anyway. (Many many sizes).
Current bar pricing would indicate I'd need to sell 6061 material in the neighborhood of $3.00 lb to make it pencil out.
I also purchase pretty good quantities of stainless bar. Stainless bar prices are all over the map right now though.
Again please give me some feedback on this idea.

[adjones419]

I would feel more comfortably buying aluminum from a reputable marine parts dealer, such as Rex, than an average metal shop. I'm not saying anything bad about metal suppliers, but it would be nice to call and order some aluminum along with any other boat parts that a person might need.
I don't need a whole lot, just some angled aluminum to make some brackets that would fasten a strut support to the engine rails and small things like that...and maybe a flat plate for other miscellanous support devices and brackets. You can never have too much aluminum sitting around!

[Rexone]

I would feel more comfortably buying aluminum from a reputable marine parts dealer, such as Rex, than an average metal shop. I'm not saying anything bad about metal suppliers, but it would be nice to call and order some aluminum along with any other boat parts that a person might need.
I don't need a whole lot, just some angled aluminum to make some brackets that would fasten a strut support to the engine rails and small things like that...and maybe a flat plate for other miscellanous support devices and brackets. You can never have too much aluminum sitting around!
Bar and angle would be pretty easy for us to handle in "cut to order" quantities.
Sheet and plate are a different animal because most suppliers don't like selling rem pieces. And I don't have a saw in house to cut sheet and plate. So unless it were large quantities (that used a whole plate) that probably isn't real feasable for us.
But if we could come up with some common plate sizes (like would work for most motor mount plates for example) that might be feasable to buy a plate cut into those sizes.

[Sherpa]

For $3.00 per pound on an "ordered-quantity/size" basis, you can't beat that
price that Rex is offering..........
the bigger recycling operations here are getting $2.25 for aluminum scrap,
and the "theif" operations are asking more than 4 bucks/lb.
--Sherpa

[sgdiv7]

By the time you pay for shipping & handling you can go to the highest price metal place in your area and it will still be cheaper.
Bill

[dossangers]

By the time you pay for shipping & handling you can go to the highest price metal place in your area and it will still be cheaper.
BillBut if REX cuts it to size its a no brainer if your not set up to cut it yourself. besides all metal shops charge per cut and if its not a rem and they take it off of Lg stock you pay a premium!

[Morg]

We used to have a place here in town that would sell aluminum stock. Built alls the stuff for the boat through them.
They closed a few months back.
I would be very interested in buying cut to length stock.
In fact I will be needing some angle for new strut braces. Mike I'll get you some dimensions.

[Riverkid]

Bar and angle would be pretty easy for us to handle in "cut to order" quantities.
Sheet and plate are a different animal because most suppliers don't like selling rem pieces. And I don't have a saw in house to cut sheet and plate. So unless it were large quantities (that used a whole plate) that probably isn't real feasable for us.
But if we could come up with some common plate sizes (like would work for most motor mount plates for example) that might be feasable to buy a plate cut into those sizes.
Pretty good with tubing, too.
Thanks Mike, Those will be perfect.

[Rexone]

You're welcome RK, glad I could be of help.
Tubing is pretty easy for us too, I buy alot of it on a regular basis for product we build.
Thanks

[Riverkid]

I don't see Topless moving her trailer in there with the plethora of pallets you've got in the back. :D
New shop looks good. You're almost finished. Lotsa room in there....

[Rexone]

I don't see Topless moving her trailer in there with the plethora of pallets you've got in the back. :D
New shop looks good. You're almost finished. Lotsa room in there....
I like to keep it crappy looking out there. Keeps the criminals out as well as the trailer rats. :D
I tried the trailer thing didn't work out that well. Rent always late, power bill not paid....
Almost finished... I wish... We are working on the store part now though, it's been marginal at best since we moved in. :(