kinda ot... 10" x 10" x 10" aluminum block/bar, does such thing exist?

[Mickey]

me and a few guys are working on a 9.5" x 9.5" x 9.5" aluminum case, the case thickness is around 1/5", we want the whole thing to be machined from a single block of solid aluminum, like the mac mini cases i am selling but much bigger, the problem is we still could not found anything close to that size, do you think aluminum block/bar this big actually exist?

[badman]

I'd be looking for cast boxes- enclosures for whatever. Then mill from there.

[simon7000]

Boeing mills wings out of solid aluminum. But the blank is cast for them. Around here I could get blanks that size made, but it would be easier to get over size boxes cast and finish them by milling.

[Roscoe Primrose]

They have 8" aluminum square bar here: http://www.metalsdepot.com/products/alum2.phtml?page=square&LimAcc=$LimAcc&aident=

$512/ft :-(

If you can find 10" square bar, it'll be ever worse.

Roscoe

[454Casull]

Not a smart idea.

[simon7000]

Originally Posted by Roscoe Primrose

They have 8" aluminum square bar here: http://www.metalsdepot.com/products/alum2.phtml?page=square&LimAcc=$LimAcc&aident=

$512/ft :-(

If you can find 10" square bar, it'll be ever worse.

Roscoe

8 x 8 x 12 x .096735 = 74.2925 pounds. $6.89/pound!!!

Gee the commodity price is around $1.20!

[Roscoe Primrose]

Originally Posted by simon7000

8 x 8 x 12 x .096735 = 74.2925 pounds. $6.89/pound!!!

Gee the commodity price is around $1.20!

Yeah, when you buy raw aluminum by the ton... Processing, extrusion and shipping to the vendor isn't cheap....

[simon7000]

Originally Posted by Roscoe Primrose

Yeah, when you buy raw aluminum by the ton... Processing, extrusion and shipping to the vendor isn't cheap....

In small quantities $3 a pound is high!

[Roscoe Primrose]

Apples to oranges. You're comparing raw materials cost to s finished product cost. Unless you can demonstrate that some else is selling the SAME product at a significantly lower price, you're just blowing hot air...

The raw materials to build a FirstWatt or Pass Labs amp cost a small fraction of the selling price as well, I guess Papa must be ripping us off....

[simon7000]

Originally Posted by Roscoe Primrose

Apples to oranges. You're comparing raw materials cost to s finished product cost. Unless you can demonstrate that some else is selling the SAME product at a significantly lower price, you're just blowing hot air...

The raw materials to build a FirstWatt or Pass Labs amp cost a small fraction of the selling price as well, I guess Papa must be ripping us off....

I buy small quantities of aluminum all the time. It has ranged from $1.25 to $3.35 per pound depending on the market. I can buy very small pieces under a pound up to 10,000 pounds at a time. The price per pound doesn't vary by much. But there are cutting and delivery charges if the order isn't a minimum size. Yesterday I got in about 1000 pounds of assorted shapes of metal.

If you buy really small quantities most distributors will have an assortment of cut offs for scrap pricing!