Where to Buy Materials:
Metals: (Aluminum, Brass, Steel, etc)
Bootstrapper:
- Local Shop: Ask nicely – or ask where they take their scrap!
- Scrap Yard: Often “Rough,” bring gloves and be ready to negotiate
- eBay: Be wary of bad material specs, it can also take too much time to find the right size
Reliable Sources:
- McMaster-Carr: Generally have low shipping and handling, with fast shipping speeds and a strong inventory
- Onlinemetals, Speedy Metals: Beware of shipping and handling
- Alro, Yarde: Great for large orders (truck delivery) or small orders (UPS delivery); will-call
- Hudson Tool Steel: Carries small pieces of tool steel
Non Metals
- TAP Plastics: Carries various plastics in all shapes and sizes
- Alro: In addition to metal, Alro also carries plastics
How much does aluminum cost? How much should I expect to pay?
$2.35 per pound (as of early 2018) is a decent price. THIS PRICE VARIES! It varies on a number of factors, including:
- Market price fluctuations
- How large of an order (price may improve drastically once you are buying over intervals like 500 pounds, 1,000 pounds, etc)
- Processing – e.g. saw cutting material