Good source for extruded aluminum?

[Brian_WK]

Looking for 80/20 etc. I tried my local Fastenal but unless I want to pay freight from the factory not really cost effective. I just ordered a piece from Zoro which seems to have the best price and shipping on the sticks but the nuts etc seemed pricey. Is there a good online source?

Thanks
Brian

 

[Hephaestus29]

There's a place in Indianapolis near
30th and Emerson Ave. If it hasn't
gone out of business. I can't remember
the name of the business though but I
can check maybe tomorrow.

 

[Hephaestus29]

Here it is:

Mid America Extrusions
4925 Aluminum Dr.
Indianapolis Indiana
317-545-1221

 

[DenisG]

The closest distributors to NE S.Dakota are in Minnesota:
https://www.8020.net/distributor-lookup-results?zip=57266
But www.mscdirect.com is a listed source and McMaster Carr also carries 80/20 stuff:
www.mcmaster.com

 

[larry_g]

Looking for 80/20 etc

Be careful here. There are many competing company's in this field and most have proprietary fittings and fasteners. So my best advise is to find a supplier that can service you and stick with one brand. And then even 80/20 has metric and inch versions that will not always play nice together.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[E.rodz]

8020 has a ebay store for which they sell drop cuts and surplus parts. combined shipping reasonable, Bosch also makes extrusions but all the different manufactures use different hardware so keep that in mind.

 

[Brian_WK]

So far im using all 8020 but I ordered some fasteners from ebay that said they were 8020 T-Track and 4 other brands compatible. I guess Ill see when they get here. McMaster-Carr doesn't even list a brand just 80-20 compatible t-slotted framing.

Its for my homemade Track saw with parallel guides that is going on my Bosch circular saw. Ill post up some pictures when it is done.

Brian

 

[BCKinVT]

Last year I fabricated two workbenches from recycled 40 series 80/20 extrusion. Most of the parts I needed to purchase were inside brackets, screws, T-nuts, etc. I purchased some "compatible" parts on eBay to try to save a few dollars, but realized the parts were designed to be more universal (e.g. 15 series and 40 series compatible) and in some cases were slightly smaller in dimensions verses authentic 80/20 component for the metric extrusion. I decided to purchase the remainder of the parts on http://stores.ebay.com/8020-Inc-Garage-Sale

Sometimes I got lucky with some scratch & dent parts at the 8020 Garage Sale, but in the end it still cost me about $250 in parts for each bench.

 

[kf4zht]

I built a workbench out of 8020. Bought the faztek branded pieces from Zoro during a sale, the nuts from the 8020 store on ebay. Bolts were from Amazonsupply and the angle plates I cut myself. With a chop saw jig and drill press jig I made all I needed in about 2 hours.

 

[twarren]

Not trying to hijack this thread but, what is 8020 extrusion?

Warren.......

 

[BCKinVT]

Not trying to hijack this thread but, what is 8020 extrusion?

Warren.......

The best answer is to click here:

https://8020.net/

 

[Fcvapor05]

Not trying to hijack this thread but, what is 8020 extrusion?

Warren.......

Erector set for adults.

Commonly used in an industrial setting to build just about anything that doesn't require the strength or precision of heavy machined steel parts.

For example, if you go to an industrial show like IMTS, damn near everything in the room other than the machines- displays, kiosks, fixturing, enclosures, booths, is going to be built from some type of 80/20.

 

[IUEC Medic]

I've been researching 80/20 for the past few days... eBay is probably the cheapest option. There's the 80/20 "garage sale" which is the manufacturer's leftovers, and there are several other retailers that have used or nos. The eBay prices can be as good as 50% off retail, but it takes some serious digging to find what you need and figure out if it's a good price or not.

 

[Brian_WK]

I've been researching 80/20 for the past few days... eBay is probably the cheapest option. There's the 80/20 "garage sale" which is the manufacturer's leftovers, and there are several other retailers that have used or nos. The eBay prices can be as good as 50% off retail, but it takes some serious digging to find what you need and figure out if it's a good price or not.

My biggest issue with what I was trying to find on eBay was that I needed at least a 96" long piece to be able to reach end to end on a full sheet of plywood. The prices on eBay plus shipping were much higher than I was finding from online stores. The piece I got from Zoro was very well packaged and took about 5 days to my door. EBay I'm still waiting on some small parts I ordered. They are the last remaining pieces I need to finish the first stage of my project.

Brian

 

[mikegt4]

Be careful here. There are many competing company's in this field and most have proprietary fittings and fasteners. So my best advise is to find a supplier that can service you and stick with one brand. And then even 80/20 has metric and inch versions that will not always play nice together.

lg
no neat sig line

^^^^THIS^^^^
I used a lot of it at work and each brand makes very sure that no other brand will interchange with their parts even down to the fasteners.

Around here just about every industrial supply house in town sells one brand or another.