Simply amazing, where do you source your billet from, I can not find ANYWHERE reasonable for round stock and size.I enjoyed making this reel. It took 12 solid hours on the fiber laser to execute the work!
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Ya aluminum has gone through the roof the last few years. I'm lucky that I can ride on a big machine shop's coat tails near me that buys 5" dia. billet by the transport load. They sell me 6 feet at a time of 6061 for less than half what Metal Supermarket sells it for. But sometimes if I need smaller bits I'll use MS. When I do I ask for the certificates for it to make sure it's from Canada or the US as I got some from them once and it was from India! Lets just say I had to scrap all those parts after trying to anodize them.....was not good! 🙁I can not find ANYWHERE reasonable for round stock and size.
I have been interested in making a reel for many years but greatly lacking in skill as I am self teaching, and have to pay full retail for everything. Burning materials and tossing them in the scrap bin makes me sick just to think about it, we get so hosed on everything in Canada, I believe it truly goes to kill innovation unless one has deep pockets.Ya aluminum has gone through the roof the last few years. I'm lucky that I can ride on a big machine shop's coat tails near me that buys 5" dia. billet by the transport load. They sell me 6 feet at a time of 6061 for less than half what Metal Supermarket sells it for. But sometimes if I need smaller bits I'll use MS. When I do I ask for the certificates for it to make sure it's from Canada or the US as I got some from them once and it was from India! Lets just say I had to scrap all those parts after trying to anodize them.....was not good! 🙁
I would agree, but eventually you'd get to a point where you don't make mistakes, I say that and chuckle so I should rephrase that and say "as many" 😀. For me, if I do, the material can be repurposed eventually. That said I am paid to do that stuff so the money isn't an issue.and have to pay full retail for everything. Burning materials and tossing them in the scrap bin makes me sick just to think about it, we get so hosed on everything in Canada,
MM..
AHHHHHHHH, the dream job, say no more...... 😉I would agree, but eventually you'd get to a point where you don't make mistakes, I say that and chuckle so I should rephrase that and say "as many" 😀. For me, if I do, the material can be repurposed eventually. That said I am paid to do that stuff so the money isn't an issue.