Cost of Aluminum

3271 Views 18 Replies 15 Participants Last post by Cobra1, Jun 27, 2009

holorinhal

Discussion Starter · Jun 26, 2009

I have been trying to find 3/8" aluminum plate to build My rail kit engine plates. There are only a couple of shops here that handle it and there are rarely any drops in the remnants bin.
The steel shops here will not sell any thing less than a 4'x8' sheet if there are no drops.
After checking with them for about two weeks straight I finaly had to breakdown and buy a 1/2 sheet ,4'x4'x3/8" that one shop had. On top of that ,they sell it at $2.68 or so per lb. the sheet was almost $250 bucks tax and all.
Even the angle for the rails they will only sell a full 25' stick. The price for the angle was not bad at around $52 bucks for 25'.
I was lucky enough to find a 24"x24" piece to make the transom plate, for $35.
Well at least I have enough material to rig My Daytona if I ever get around to it!
I was just curious if every one else out there has any problems finding small drops ,to build the rigging that they need?.....Hal

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Squirtcha?

· #2 · Jun 26, 2009 (Edited)

Tell me about it. Last year when I was rigging my gullwing I bought a 2'X2' piece of 3/8" plate to make a new back motor plate and it was $100.

It's really gotten crazy.

When I was redoing my trailer a couple months ago I put diamond plate on the tops of the fenders where I always step and was going to do the actual step portions too, but ran out of plate. Local hardware store had a piece of 1/16" 2'X2' tread/diamond plate for $54! I still haven't finished it.

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Brad @ SCJB

· #3 · Jun 26, 2009

out in california....i would always go to industrial metal supply (IMS) for all my shit....place had scrap for days...they would even cut it to length for you.

out here in vegas, i ran into the same troubles you have....only place i found that had any scrap was copper and brass sales on the north side of town on pecos. they didnt have much to pick from....and no plates big enough to make motor plates for a rail kit....but they had the ods and ends i needed to mount my race seat.

Outlaw

· #4 · Jun 26, 2009

a little late but this is where i got my rails from,

http://www.metalsdepot.com/

I got my diamond plate and engine plate material from a place in El Paso.
very good prices

Squirtcha?

· #5 · Jun 26, 2009 (Edited)

Brad @ SCJB said:
out in california....i would always go to industrial metal supply (IMS) for all my shit....place had scrap for days...they would even cut it to length for you.

out here in vegas, i ran into the same troubles you have....only place i found that had any scrap was copper and brass sales on the north side of town on pecos. they didnt have much to pick from....and no plates big enough to make motor plates for a rail kit....but they had the ods and ends i needed to mount my race seat.

Hmmn almost sounds like a business opportunity in Vegas doesn't it?

I use Capital here in Phoenix. Dan Nelson who owns Jett Performance Marine turned me on to them. They always have a real nice selection and you don't end up buying a whole butt load of extra to get the size piece you need. Prices are fair, but hell let's face it..........it's all expensive right now.

johnray069

· #6 · Jun 26, 2009

factor in a bellhousing, drive shaft cover, motor blocks, polishing and labor and it is understandable why some of the vendors ask what they do for a nice rail kit.

mcderns

· #7 · Jun 26, 2009

If they are selling it to you for $2.68/lb, thats not a bad price.

Circular

· #8 · Jun 26, 2009

holorinhal said:
blah, blah, blah
On top of that ,they sell it at $2.68 or so per lb. the sheet was almost $250 bucks tax and all.
I was just curious if every one else out there has any problems finding small drops ,to build the rigging that they need?.....Hal

$2.68/lb is cheap. Quit complaining.

Circ

holorinhal

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jun 27, 2009 (Edited)

Circ You must be a metals vendor ?
I am not complaining about the price . I am just saying that You have to buy twice as much material as You need, at least here in Vegas!..

Oldsquirt

· #10 · Jun 27, 2009

holorinhal said:
I am not complaining about the price . I am just saying that You have to buy twice as much material as You need, at least here in Vegas!..

That's a fairly normal practice, buying a whole "stick" or 1/2 plate, particularly if they don't stock it. I have a local supplier of new material that does the same thing. I also have a metal salvage company about 30 miles away that buys and sells a lot of new material that was someone else's surplus. They sell any amount, by the pound.

If I need something fairly small and don't mind waiting a few days I have used Online Metals.

DuaneHTP

· #11 · Jun 27, 2009

2

We sell the complete unpolished rail kit with motor plates, pump brace, rail protectors and blocks for $575.00 for a BBF or BBC.

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Delemorte

· #12 · Jun 27, 2009

DuaneHTP said:
We sell the complete unpolished rail kit with motor plates, pump brace, rail protectors and blocks for $575.00 for a BBF or BBC.

I want those so bad!!!.... Maybe next year.

holorinhal

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jun 27, 2009

DuaneHTP said:
We sell the complete unpolished rail kit with motor plates, pump brace, rail protectors and blocks for $575.00 for a BBF or BBC.

Duane, Those are some mighty fine rail kits and at a good price. I had contemplated buying one,but I just wanted the hands on experiance of building one My self. I just did not realize that smaller pieces were so hard to come by and that I would have to buy enough material to make four kits.
I do have another project for the future and atleast i will allready have the material for that one as well.

lbhsbz

· #14 · Jun 27, 2009

I think I paid $1.95/lb for scraps (new, less than full length pieces) of 6061 a couple weeks ago at M&K in Gardena...I've never tried to by a full sheet though.

superdave013

· #15 · Jun 27, 2009

Yeah well now ya know why things cost so much. Try to make a living at it. It can get rough when guys expect the part to cost less then material cost.
Toss in a few $65.00 end mills, a few $30.00 drills, some carbide inserts at $16.00 each and a machine payment or 2 and it really gets fun.

bennyb

· #16 · Jun 27, 2009

superdave013 said:
Yeah well now ya know why things cost so much. Try to make a living at it. It can get rough when guys expect the part to cost less then material cost.
Toss in a few $65.00 end mills, a few $30.00 drills, some carbide inserts at $16.00 each and a machine payment or 2 and it really gets fun.

Yes it does.

coffee are you going to be around Monday Dave? I need to stop by
Ben

Xerophobic

· #17 · Jun 27, 2009

And you guys wonder why all aluminum hulls are so expensive

Cobra1

· #18 · Jun 27, 2009

Squirtcha? said:
Hmmn almost sounds like a business opportunity in Vegas doesn't it?

I use Capital here in Phoenix. Dan Nelson who owns Jett Performance Marine turned me on to them. They always have a real nice selection and you don't end up buying a whole butt load of extra to get the size piece you need. Prices are fair, but hell let's face it..........it's all expensive right now.

keep this under your hat. davis salvage, yea baby.

Cobra1

· #19 · Jun 27, 2009

Xerophobic said:
And you guys wonder why all aluminum hulls are so expensive

yup it's the cnc machine they use to cut them recylcled beer cans.

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