What's new
By:
Filters

Where to buy chunks of lathe/mill stock

SKULLYOTA

SKULLYOTA

NOOB
Joined
Jun 30, 2023
Member Number
6564
Messages
374
Is there a go-to place to buy chunks of metal for lathe/mill projects? The local place never has thick stuff in the remnant pile and I’ve been buying stuff off eBay when I have a specific project in mind but it feels too expensive

For example:

www.ebay.com

5" ALUMINUM 6061 ROUND ROD 1.05" LONG T6511 Solid Extruded Lathe Bar Stock New | eBay

You are buying 1 piece of 5.0" OD 6061 T6511 Aluminum Solid Extruded Round Rod 1.05" long +.07"/-0". This is extruded bar not sanded or polished and may have scratches from handling.
www.ebay.com

BA56AD59-62D5-4B91-BA89-E94A7231EA1E.png


Almost $24 for a piece the size of a sandwich and I need two of them :shaking:

Where’s the best place to buy this kinda stuff?
 
steel shops usually have piles of this stuff, pay by weight. Not sure where you're located, but I'd bet there's a steel shop somewhere within an hour from you, pro tip, buy more than you think you need :laughing:
 
Wisconsinite said:
How much do you think that piece should be?
Click to expand...

Yeah. That's actually very reasonable price considering it includes shipping. $6-7 of that is shipping cost.
Probably about 1/2 of what it would cost at McMaster after shipping.
1729542239053.png


That same seller has a 10 pack that brings the price down to about $14 apiece.

1729542319997.png



I have an Alro outlet near me that sells drops and will cut for you and only sell you what you need, but you're going to pay a cut fee and ~$2.25/lb for aluminum and I doubt it would come out a whole lot cheaper than that, plus you have to hope they have a drop in the size you need.



OP - might look at this guy's inventory or shoot him a message and see if he has what you need. He's always selling in the FB machinist groups and seems to have pretty good pricing. Best bet is to buy enough to fill a flat rate box to get the most out of your shipping costs.

Facebook

www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
 
I keep all the useful drops
check with friends if I need something specific
last result is online, its expensive, but so is buying a 20' stick of material for 6" of it
 
Last edited:
I guess I’m off my fuckin rocker then thinking it should be cheaper :laughing:
 
Scrap yard usually sell material. I have one near me at only does non ferrous. I have seen guys buying bar stock.
 
I'd bounce around and hit up a few shops. Most everybody hangs onto that kinda stuff and will sell it
 
This was the cheapest option I found for what I needed: 2-8"X1" and 4-6"X1". I needed those qtys, emailed the seller, and he made a custom buy it now listing.

1729556469346.png
 
No suggestions, but I started buying from Stoner metals before moving to Colorado. Got moved near Colorado Springs and realized that place was there in town. I was able to walk in and buy the same pieces for almost half the price. Owner has a monster of a stereo system in the back, too. :grinpimp:
 
JNHEscher said:
No suggestions, but I started buying from Stoner metals before moving to Colorado. Got moved near Colorado Springs and realized that place was there in town. I was able to walk in and buy the same pieces for almost half the price. Owner has a monster of a stereo system in the back, too. :grinpimp:
Click to expand...
you can put your weed in there, man! :lmao:
 
One local metal supply yard/recycler, A&S metals in San Jose, used to have a bitchin yard full of drops and usable scrap. They closed it early in the pandemic, and never reopened.
 
Metal Supermarket up here is usually the go to for small cuts of whatever metal. They will cut to size whatever you need in stock (aka I only want 1 foot of this round) but of course you pay a higher rate than just buying the entire round. They also have shelving full of off cuts that you can buy by the pound, so that's usually where I grab random stock if I'm not too fussy. Cash deals also possible there (eh I'll give you $20 for this stick), which can be nice.

Otherwise there's another metal supplier I use for tube mostly that only sells full lengths but is WAY cheaper, but could buy full sticks of solid bar/rounds from them as well.
 
We just got a Metals Supermarket about 45 minutes away. I haven't checked them out in person, but online (for pickup) their prices are significantly higher than other local options. As has been said, many places will only sell you full lengths, though. There is one place that will cut to order and also sells drops, but unfortunately they're further away and I don't get there often.

I've gotten some stuff off eBay and through Amazon third party sellers. That can be an option for smaller stuff that fits in a flat-rate box, but otherwise shipping is usually a killer compared to local prices.
 
PAToyota said:
We just got a Metals Supermarket about 45 minutes away. I haven't checked them out in person, but online (for pickup) their prices are significantly higher than other local options. As has been said, many places will only sell you full lengths, though. There is one place that will cut to order and also sells drops, but unfortunately they're further away and I don't get there often.

I've gotten some stuff off eBay and through Amazon third party sellers. That can be an option for smaller stuff that fits in a flat-rate box, but otherwise shipping is usually a killer compared to local prices.
Click to expand...

Usually the in person prices at metal supermarket beats their online numbers, not by a lot, but a decent amount that makes it less insane. It's a shop for the DIYers though, so cut offs and the premium price you pay for that, is just part of the game.
 
Bobco in LA on Alameda / south of Washington blvd use to get good deals but the new "Inflation" might have changed the deals.
 
Find a machining business nearby, make friends with someone there, get permission to dumpster dive the recycle dumpster, stop by somewhat regularly checking the dumpster for useable sized randos.
 
Where I source totally depends on the project I'm doing.

If I'm trying to build a shop tool, I use what's laying around. What's laying around comes from friends for free, or cheap from the local metal recycle (scrapyard). Equipment implement pins, random flame cut scraps, odd sizes of plate, etc.

If I'm doing a cnc plasma project I intend to sell, I'll buy hot rolled or p&o plate from an industrial supplier to get good bulk pricing, if it's a sheet or more.

For small projects, I almost always buy from metal supermarkets or McMaster. If it's small enough and I have a refined design for the mill or lathe, I'll just order a little more than I need for that specific project. It's more economical for me to spend a little more for the convenience of getting exactly what I need, rather than spend time finding a deal on more than I need for that specific use, just to store the rest for a "rainy day".

Ymmv, but that works for me, and minimizes how much I keep on hand.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh