Purchasing 6061 Aluminum

[SND]

Every piece of chinese bar stock I've seen has been gummy garbage, huge ugly snowflake grain size, some of it went straight to the scrap yard.
Some sheet stuff is ok, but it's still retarded that they're bringing it all the way from there when we're supposed to be mining/making lots of it right here...

 

[Mike1974]

If I get a price will let you know. right now we are shopping for 250 pcs each-
1.75x5x7.13
1.x5x6.13

 

[latheman78]

Every piece of chinese bar stock I've seen has been gummy garbage, huge ugly snowflake grain size, some of it went straight to the scrap yard.
Some sheet stuff is ok, but it's still retarded that they're bringing it all the way from there when we're supposed to be mining/making lots of it right here...

I thought Canada exported aluminum, although I have never gotten any of it, only Russian, USA, and crap Chinese in decades of machining.

 

[Plane Parts]

I’ll preface this by saying I don’t run a machine shop. My company has a tool room with a new Haas mill. The majority of our materials are purchased cut to size or close to it as they are for one offs or prototypes.

Using the mill I have been prototyping a product on and off for the last year. It’s multiple components machined from 6061.

For the proto materials, I purchased cut pieces from McMaster. Now that I have successfully prototyped the product I am looking to assess actual costs to manufacture considering buying materials in bulk.

Really I have no experience in purchasing large quantities of material.
Can some of you folks fill me in on some best practices and help me get up to speed on this?

Just check with the closest metal supplier. I get the best deals on extruded 6061 from my local steel shop. And you will be surprised McMaster offers great prices. They may seem more expensive but their matrials are always clean and with next day shipping it save the time to drive out to the yard and load up a bar of aluminum.

 

[Plane Parts]

I thought Canada exported aluminum, although I have never gotten any of it, only Russian, USA, and crap Chinese in decades of machining.

Kaiser all the way.