Aluminum Bits for sale (scrap price)

[milotrain]

Original thread:
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=12570.0

I have a huge metal supplier near me who sells aluminum by weight at around scrap price. Currently I think it's $1.50/lb. My thought is that for people who constantly feel like they are buying small bits from Online Metals or whatever to send me a PM and when I go there this weekend I'll pickup 10lbs of small to medium aluminum bits, stick them in a box and ship them for pretty cheap. Cost would be roughly [10lbs of bits = ~$17 raw after tax, ~$15 shipping = ~$35 total shipped]. I'd collect money through paypal on Monday and ship Monday or Tuesday.

List:
1. coolgoose
2. doransignal

 

[mu38&Bg#]

Where is this place? Probably nowhere near me.

 

[milotrain]

It's in the original post but I should have added it here. It's IMS (Industrial Metal Supply) in Sun Valley California (the "valley"). They have a number of locations in Southern California and one in AZ.

 

[1hand]

I'd love to have a place like that by me!! Thm:

 

[John Rudd]

I'd love to have a place like that by me!! Thm:

Ditto... A bit too far across this side of the pond..

 

[bearcar1]

That's quite a rorschach looking avatar you have going there MiloT'. Is that a train rail, no wait, the light at the end of the tunnel no wait, I see it now, it's two ladies facing each other.... oh never mind. I can tell you right now that I have issues without such tests ;D ;D

It would surely be nice to have a metals outlet like that in this part of the country looks like some nice drops they have on offer.

BC1
Jim

 

[milotrain]

Jim, you got it! I put it together a little while ago when I came up with a name for my dream company "Train Industries". I'll never be as big as Mitsubishi but I can hope right?

The company is pretty great, their normal stock prices are good as well. They are also a fantastic source for large cylinders of steel and aluminum so that you don't have to turn down large square stock. However the real steal is in the remnants bins, they have such good cutting systems and such good cutting prices that a lot of manufacturers who buy from them get their material precut, the wonderful thing about this is that if manufacture X needs 25 sticks of some length then there are 25 end cuts left over which are all the exact same length. Instant table legs for scrap prices!!

The Cylinder and Disks Bins

 

[bearcar1]

Do they have any cast iron rounds or flat bars or shapes?

BC1
Jim

 

[milotrain]

I know they have cast iron, I don't know if there is any of it lying around the rems bins. I'll ask when I'm there if you want, and if there is something good and cheap I'll grab it (no commitment, I'll use it if you don't).

IMS Cast Iron

 

[wareagle]

Drool... Man, that is great! Wish I could find such a place here!!

I have an outlet for cutoffs close by, but their selection is no where near as good. The place here also will keep a hold off stuff much shorter for prime inventory. No real deal on the normal prices! By the pound for cut offs.

There is also a scrap yard that I have bought things from in the past, but you get into the mystery metals there quite a bit. I bought a hunk of round mystery steel there a few years ago, tried working with it and ended up carrying it back for scrap. It was terrible to work with. Lesson learned!

 

[milotrain]

I like how IMS paints everything. 6160 is blue 7075 is pink. Hot Rolled is Yellow, Cold Rolled is Red.

 

[milotrain]

I did some shopping! :big:

Link to zoomable image

You'll notice that almost everything is in a multiple of two, that's because there were two on my list, so coolgoose
and doransignal you'll get half of almost everything that you see. I got a little carried away and the things that are in pairs or quads make up around 7.8lbs so the rest I'll make by cutting equal chunks off the longer stouter bars unless either of you really want some of that 3/8" wall tube in which case I'll cut up some of that for you. I tried to keep it to stuff I though would be usable on both a mill or a lathe and the only exception to that might be the rod and it's usefulness on a mill but it's so light that it doesn't really count.

I'll pack it and ship it out Monday if I get a paypal by then. Paypal should got to my username on this forum @ gmail dot com.

Now for the final price. Good news and bad news, bad news is that aluminum rem price went up to 1.68 since I last was there and tax in CA is near as makes no difference 10% so 10lbs of aluminum is $16.80 + $1.68 = $17.80. Good news is that I can ship out for $15. So let's call it $35 which is $2.80 (less paypal fees which I pay) for going and picking this up and mailing it. See I'm not in this for the money (or if I was someone should hit me).

All in all I think it's a pretty good haul for $35. I didn't always live here and ordering all this stuff from Online metal supply would not be pretty (although it would all be in 12" lengths).

 

[doransignal]

Later today i will send you paypal.

 

[Bill Gruby]

I will be in Big Bear Ca in two weeks. This place has just been added to the top of places to get to. Thanks for posting the location.

"Bill Griby"

 

[kvom]

The 2x2 bars are good for vise soft jaws.

 

[milotrain]

Bill, you should go to the one in the Inland Empire (it's closer to Big Bear anyway) and I hear it's the biggest one they have. If you can get some pictures I'd love to know if it's worth the drive.

One hint though, don't get too googly eyed right off the bat, it took me three visits to find the Brass remnants, SS remnants, and only on this last visit did I find a shelf behind a saw that was Aluminum mic plate remnants!!! How I missed that before I'll never know.

doransignal, I'll pack stuff tonight after I get the paypal and ship it tomorrow with a tracking number.

 

[coolgoose]

Sent you a PM and payment

 

[ironman]

Just sent you a PM.

ironman (Ray)

 

[ironman]

Thanks Milotrain. Payment sent. ironman (Ray)

 

[milotrain]

Coolgoose and doransignal have their packages. I have new stuff I picked up yesterday for Ironman, and possibly a guy from Alaska (I don't know how shipping will work but he's military so I'll figure it out even if I have to break my normal "only fedex" rule).

I also picked up a little pile of flywheel blanks (just large diameter round cutoffs) in aluminum and steel. I'll post some photos later today to see if anyone is interested in a round two!