Where do you buy your aluminum sheet from?

[alanbird_87]

Where do you all buy your aluminum sheeting from?

 

[DrNip]

www.discountsteel.com

I called the Texas plant and had them cut and bend my casting deck. Pretty cheap on all their aluminum.

 

[alanbird_87]

Unless i misread but their shipping to NC isnt very cheap unless that is a normal rate.

 

[DrNip]

If you are getting big pieces shipping can get to be expensive.

 

[overboard]

I don't know if you have one in your area. I bought mine from an industrial salvage yard.

 

[vahunter]

Scrap yard is cheapest if they have what you need. If not, call around to machine shops and fab shops get a price from them and also ask where they get that material locally. You'll probably find there is a cheap "wholesale" supplier somewhat local. In my case, for .090"x4'x8' 5052 sheet the local shops charge $120-180/sheet. BMG metals (their supplier) is about 45min out had it for $80 I think it was. Aluminum angle is dirt cheap there too. Can only buy standard lengths though but a 4' piece at Lowe's is roughly the same price as a 16' at BMG

 

[overboard]

Good heads up on buying aluminum angle. I bought a 25' (1 1/2"x1 1/2"x1/8") piece for $2.00 more than two 8' pieces would have cost at local hardware stores. I ordered it through a machine shop that one of my buddies works for.

 

[alanbird_87]

$2 for a 25' piece now thats cheap!

 

[overboard]

$2.00 more than buying two 8' pcs.> (16'). Got 9' more for an extra $2.00.

 

[WebbsWelding]

I buy a lot of aluminum. A 5x10 sheet of 1/8 inch in Memphis was $315 last time I priced it. I can get the same sheet delivered to my house from Eastern Metals in St Louis for $167. I am not sure how far they deliver but they are the cheapest I have found. I do know if you are looking for small pieces ebay is a great place to look. I needed a piece of 6061 1/4 inch to make a custom hydrofoil on a lower unit. I found a piece already cut almost exact size I needed, saved me buying a whole sheet, cheap shipping too, Tight Lines, Adam Webb

 

[smackdaddy53]

Stainless and Aluminum in Lafayette Louisiana sold me 48"x144" sheets of .125" 5052 for $180 a sheet but prices fluctuate some.

 

[driz]

Hit the scrap yard. Aluminum is expensive so they tend to keep it near by and not in the huge dangerous mountains of steel you see . That way it's easy to see what you want and actually get at it. The Good Ol Boy scrappers are a lot better than the "Recycler Greenie" places :---) who tend to rip you off if they can.
Aside from that you can always buy it new at the local Steel Fabricators. That's the guys who make buildings and heavy steel things on an industrial scale. They all have aluminum and are glad to sell small quantities. Also don't forget to ask about the scrap bin. Some of those scraps are big and they often sell it as scrap or nearly scrap price. Those places generate a lot of scraps of all sorts ad sizes.
The place you never go is True Value, Lowes, HD ect. [-X unless you want your wallet lightened badly for the same thing you can pick up across town.