[TriEmbed] McMaster Carr is in a class of their own

[John Vaughters]

Check out Alro Metals in Greensboro. They will sell you anything if you pick it up. They only ship to businesses, usually on a flatbed 18 wheeler. They sell just about any metal and what you don't see they can probably get if you ask. Although I have never personally done it, I am of the understanding they sell their short cuts as well and for decent prices.





On Thursday, April 23, 2020, 12:39:36 PM EDT, Pete Soper via TriEmbed <triembed at triembed.org> wrote: 





I've been trading mail with the Metalsupermarket in Garner about some 
aluminum tubing because (so it seems) the only way to approach decent 
prices for some types is to buy lengths you can't afford to have 
shipped. As Brian said, getting this stuff from DIY stores is only for 
folks rolling in dough. So, if these guys can come up with some 6061T6 
(they first offered 6063 like lawn chairs are made out of) then my 
country Cadillac is going to Garner to buy some material for yagi booms. 
A quick check of McMaster Carr suggests about $750 not including 
shipping (but not sure they sell over 6' lengths as standard parts and I 
need at least 12). But the quote for 6063 locally was under $150. And 
yes,  they'll prop it on my truck in the parking lot: I don't have to go 
inside as with the DIY stores.

But as long as I'm on the subject, if you need the super high 
performance, precision telescoping aluminum tubing for yagi antennas 
there are exactly two sources to check out in this country: Texas Towers 
and DX Engineering. You can't get by with lawn chair aluminum for this 
application. :-)

-Pete