How much should 6061 cost?

[mdierolf]

What is everyone paying for 6061 & mild steel?

The place i've been going to charges $6/lb for 6061 and $1/lb for mild steel.

How does this compare?

Mark

[Geof]

Your $1.00/lb for mild steel seems okay for small quantities.

The $6.00/lb for 6061 seems a bit rich; but I have to admit I have not been keeping really tight tabs on aluminum costs recently.

[fpworks]

$6/lb for 6061 is insane, generally speaking.

If you're buying extruded (6061-T6511) you should be paying in the neighborhood of $2.30-$2.50 / lb this week depending on the size of the material you're ordering. This is what you usually get from <most> service centers when you order bar stock.

If you're buying cold finished (6061-T651 or 6061-T6) you should be paying $5-6 / lb at the fair market value.

If you're ordering small quantities from one of the online suppliers, you're probably paying for the online convenience and possibly a cut charge.

[mc-motorsports]

There are a lot of factors, gas prices being one of them. And then you figure that when I buy 3" X 6" extruded bar, I pay $4.50/lb. But if they are out of bar stock and I need it today for instance, I can have it sawed from plate at a cost of $7/lb.