I just used up my last stock of 1.6mm thick annealed 1200 aluminum on
some spinning and went to re-order.

Guess what?

You can no longer buy anything but 5000 or 3000 grade aluminum sheet
in New Zealand!

I checked with all the limited number of aluminum suppliers here and
*nobody* can supply.

Talking with a couple of professional metal-spinners, they confirmed
the situation.

What a pain in the backside that is!

Neither 5000 series nor 3000 series sheet will spin (even when
regularly annealed) to anywhere near the degree that 1000 series does
so I'm stuck with looking at other options for making a new batch of
venturis. It's either cut and weld (which produces sharp contours and
is very time-consuming) or turn from solid which is also slow and
expensive.

What is the world coming to?

"xjet" wrote in message
...
I just used up my last stock of 1.6mm thick annealed 1200 aluminum on
some spinning and went to re-order.

Guess what?

You can no longer buy anything but 5000 or 3000 grade aluminum sheet
in New Zealand!

I checked with all the limited number of aluminum suppliers here and
*nobody* can supply.

Talking with a couple of professional metal-spinners, they confirmed
the situation.

What a pain in the backside that is!

Neither 5000 series nor 3000 series sheet will spin (even when
regularly annealed) to anywhere near the degree that 1000 series does
so I'm stuck with looking at other options for making a new batch of
venturis. It's either cut and weld (which produces sharp contours and
is very time-consuming) or turn from solid which is also slow and
expensive.

What is the world coming to?

This

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cas/press/cas81208-WT.pdf

JC

"John R. Carroll" writes:
"xjet" wrote in message

What is the world coming to?
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cas/press/cas81208-WT.pdf

I'm missing the relevance -- is titanium used in making 120-series
aluminum?

John R. Carroll wrote:

[snip]

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cas/press/cas81208-WT.pdf

What's their problem? They're afraid that heavy-duty aluminum foil hats
might fall into enemy hands?

--
Paul Hovnanian
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Have gnu, will travel.

"Paul Hovnanian PE" wrote in message
...
John R. Carroll wrote:

[snip]

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cas/press/cas81208-WT.pdf

What's their problem? They're afraid that heavy-duty aluminum foil hats
might fall into enemy hands?

LOL
Either that or they are tryiong to keep the specialty metals industry fromm
looking like Chinese milk.

JC

On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:48:56 -0800 (PST), xjet
wrote:

I just used up my last stock of 1.6mm thick annealed 1200 aluminum on
some spinning and went to re-order.

Guess what?

You can no longer buy anything but 5000 or 3000 grade aluminum sheet
in New Zealand!

I checked with all the limited number of aluminum suppliers here and
*nobody* can supply.

Talking with a couple of professional metal-spinners, they confirmed
the situation.

What a pain in the backside that is!

Neither 5000 series nor 3000 series sheet will spin (even when
regularly annealed) to anywhere near the degree that 1000 series does
so I'm stuck with looking at other options for making a new batch of
venturis. It's either cut and weld (which produces sharp contours and
is very time-consuming) or turn from solid which is also slow and
expensive.

What is the world coming to?


Did anyone indicate why no one is bringing it in?

Gunner

Whenever a Liberal utters the term "Common Sense approach"....grab your
wallet, your ass, and your guns because the sombitch is about to do
something damned nasty to all three of them.

On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:48:56 -0800, xjet wrote:

I just used up my last stock of 1.6mm thick annealed 1200 aluminum on
some spinning and went to re-order.

Guess what?

You can no longer buy anything but 5000 or 3000 grade aluminum sheet in
New Zealand!

I checked with all the limited number of aluminum suppliers here and
*nobody* can supply.

Talking with a couple of professional metal-spinners, they confirmed the
situation.

What a pain in the backside that is!

Neither 5000 series nor 3000 series sheet will spin (even when regularly
annealed) to anywhere near the degree that 1000 series does so I'm stuck
with looking at other options for making a new batch of venturis. It's
either cut and weld (which produces sharp contours and is very
time-consuming) or turn from solid which is also slow and expensive.

What is the world coming to?

Get it from Oz (I'll bet that's a pain)?

Start importing it yourself, since you know there's a need?

--
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Jan 20, 7:38*pm, Tim Wescott wrote:
Get it from Oz (I'll bet that's a pain)?

Start importing it yourself, since you know there's a need?

The problem is that I only use about a sheet a month and the cost of
importing (freight-wise) is just ridiculous). Besides which, we have
a *huge* aluminum smelter right here in NZ.

Apparently nobody wants 1000-series aluminum alloys any more so the
suppliers are just responding to the lack of demand.

Talking to a professional metal-spinner, he was saying that lots of
the (spinning) work that used to be done in NZ is now done in China so
the demand for 1200 sheet has dried up -- closely followed by the
supply.

Of course that doesn't help when you're prototyping and want
relatively small quantities of regularly changing designs.

I am not sure of the particular cause of the supply problem, but you might
check to see if the folks that make aluminum beer cans have any they can
supply.

The stock to make the aluminum beverage containers is a similar alloy, very
pure and very malleable. The process I am familiar with uses a small billet
to form the body of the can. If you could get some of that material you
might be able to melt and roll out your own sheet you can then spin, if for
some reason you cant get a supply of the 1200 alloy.

Another option might be to import it directly if you only need a small
quantity.


--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.

"xjet" wrote in message
...
I just used up my last stock of 1.6mm thick annealed 1200 aluminum on
some spinning and went to re-order.

Guess what?

You can no longer buy anything but 5000 or 3000 grade aluminum sheet
in New Zealand!

I checked with all the limited number of aluminum suppliers here and
*nobody* can supply.

Talking with a couple of professional metal-spinners, they confirmed
the situation.

What a pain in the backside that is!

Neither 5000 series nor 3000 series sheet will spin (even when
regularly annealed) to anywhere near the degree that 1000 series does
so I'm stuck with looking at other options for making a new batch of
venturis. It's either cut and weld (which produces sharp contours and
is very time-consuming) or turn from solid which is also slow and
expensive.

What is the world coming to?

It is available from McMaster Carr in the US. 1100 alloy, .063 inch thick
48 inches by 48 inches for US $112.13 plus freight. P/N2471T45 I am not
sure what kind of hassles you might get with customs and shipping.

They also have other sizes, as an example if you can get by with a 12X12
inch size that might be easer to box and ship, that goes for US $9.11 each.
P/N 2471T41

http://www.mcmaster.com/


--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.


"xjet" wrote in message
...
I just used up my last stock of 1.6mm thick annealed 1200 aluminum on
some spinning and went to re-order.

Guess what?

You can no longer buy anything but 5000 or 3000 grade aluminum sheet
in New Zealand!

I checked with all the limited number of aluminum suppliers here and
*nobody* can supply.

Talking with a couple of professional metal-spinners, they confirmed
the situation.

What a pain in the backside that is!

Neither 5000 series nor 3000 series sheet will spin (even when
regularly annealed) to anywhere near the degree that 1000 series does
so I'm stuck with looking at other options for making a new batch of
venturis. It's either cut and weld (which produces sharp contours and
is very time-consuming) or turn from solid which is also slow and
expensive.

What is the world coming to?

On Jan 20, 8:03*pm, "Roger Shoaf" wrote:
It is available from McMaster Carr in the US. *1100 alloy, .063 inch thick
48 inches by 48 inches for US $112.13 plus freight. P/N2471T45 * I am not
sure what kind of hassles you might get with customs and shipping.

They also have other sizes, as an example if you can get by with a 12X12
inch size that might be easer to box and ship, that goes for US $9.11 each.
P/N 2471T41


Owch! Those are *crazy* prices -- and that's before freight!

The last sheet I bought (8' x 4') was just NZ$130 (which is US$70 at
today's rates).

Looks as if McMaster is set up to service hobbyists and ultra-small
orders (like R&S Components do in the electronics industry).

The last time I tried to get something shipped from the USA to NZL the
*minimum* freight cost (for sea-freight) was going to be US$390 due to
the 1 cubic-meter minimum.

Importing this stuff would make it almost as expensive as gold :-)

On Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:12:23 -0800 (PST), xjet
wrote:

=
The last time I tried to get something shipped from the USA to NZL the
*minimum* freight cost (for sea-freight) was going to be US$390 due to
the 1 cubic-meter minimum.

Importing this stuff would make it almost as expensive as gold :-)


Hmm... US$390 for three tonnes of aluminium might be quite a reasonable
shipping cost.



Mark Rand
RTFM

xjet wrote:

Owch! Those are *crazy* prices -- and that's before freight!

The last sheet I bought (8' x 4') was just NZ$130 (which is US$70 at
today's rates).


McMaster is not the place for metals you would buy from a metals supplier. But McMaster
is a place where you can get about everything. I don't think Mcmaster will export to
anyone other than long existing customers now. It just wasn't worth the hassle.

I'd check US metal sales firms like metalexpress and others to see if they are willing to
do the export paperwork. That is the real problem.

What is your target size you need? What would it cost to ship it to you? Maybe someone
would be willing to help you out.

Wes
--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:48:56 -0800 (PST), xjet
wrote:

I just used up my last stock of 1.6mm thick annealed 1200 aluminum on
some spinning and went to re-order.

Guess what?

You can no longer buy anything but 5000 or 3000 grade aluminum sheet
in New Zealand!

I checked with all the limited number of aluminum suppliers here and
*nobody* can supply.

Talking with a couple of professional metal-spinners, they confirmed
the situation.

What a pain in the backside that is!

Neither 5000 series nor 3000 series sheet will spin (even when
regularly annealed) to anywhere near the degree that 1000 series does
so I'm stuck with looking at other options for making a new batch of
venturis. It's either cut and weld (which produces sharp contours and
is very time-consuming) or turn from solid which is also slow and
expensive.

What is the world coming to?

apple aluminium in brisbane carry the grade in 1.6mm.

you should have become part of australia years ago and made it all
simpler. :-)

Stealth Pilot

On Jan 21, 9:32*pm, Stealth Pilot
wrote:
On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:48:56 -0800 (PST), xjet



wrote:
I just used up my last stock of 1.6mm thick annealed 1200 aluminum on
some spinning and went to re-order.

Guess what?

You can no longer buy anything but 5000 or 3000 grade aluminum sheet
in New Zealand!

I checked with all the limited number of aluminum suppliers here and
*nobody* can supply.

Talking with a couple of professional metal-spinners, they confirmed
the situation.

What a pain in the backside that is!

Neither 5000 series nor 3000 series sheet will spin (even when
regularly annealed) to anywhere near the degree that 1000 series does
so I'm stuck with looking at other options for making a new batch of
venturis. *It's either cut and weld (which produces sharp contours and
is very time-consuming) or turn from solid which is also slow and
expensive.

What is the world coming to?

apple aluminium in brisbane carry the grade in 1.6mm.

you should have become part of australia years ago and made it all
simpler. :-)

Stealth Pilot

Unfortunately, the Tasman Sea is just about the most expensive piece
of water (on a per-Km basis) in the world from a freight perspective :-
(

It's just not economic to import a single sheet or two :-(

And they're supposedly trying to create a knowledge-economy here in
NZ. How can they do that when we can't get the raw materials needed
for prototyping and development?

Warning: idiots at the helm

I skipped the meeting, but the Memos showed that xjet
wrote on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:41:54 -0800
(PST) in rec.crafts.metalworking :
On Jan 21, 9:32*pm, Stealth Pilot
wrote:
On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:48:56 -0800 (PST), xjet
apple aluminium in brisbane carry the grade in 1.6mm.
you should have become part of australia years ago and made it all
simpler. :-)

Stealth Pilot

Unfortunately, the Tasman Sea is just about the most expensive piece
of water (on a per-Km basis) in the world from a freight perspective :-(

It's just not economic to import a single sheet or two :-(

And they're supposedly trying to create a knowledge-economy here in
NZ. How can they do that when we can't get the raw materials needed
for prototyping and development?

Warning: idiots at the helm

It is amazing how often the "knowledge" or "Service" based economy
requires material goods to function. Real computers have to sit on
real desks before the "virtual store" can open. Even CGI geeks have
to sit in real chairs at real desk in order to create virtual worlds.

The same goes for the Service industry - someone has to make the
real things which are used in providing services.

A society which accepts shoddiness in philosophy because it is an
exalted activity while tolerating shoddiness in plumbing because it is
not, is in serious trouble. Neither its theories nor its pipes will
hold water.


pyotr

--
pyotr filipivich
We will drink no whiskey before its nine.
It's eight fifty eight. Close enough!

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:41:54 -0800 (PST), xjet
wrote:

On Jan 21, 9:32*pm, Stealth Pilot
wrote:
On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:48:56 -0800 (PST), xjet



wrote:
I just used up my last stock of 1.6mm thick annealed 1200 aluminum on
some spinning and went to re-order.

Guess what?

You can no longer buy anything but 5000 or 3000 grade aluminum sheet
in New Zealand!

I checked with all the limited number of aluminum suppliers here and
*nobody* can supply.

Talking with a couple of professional metal-spinners, they confirmed
the situation.

What a pain in the backside that is!

Neither 5000 series nor 3000 series sheet will spin (even when
regularly annealed) to anywhere near the degree that 1000 series does
so I'm stuck with looking at other options for making a new batch of
venturis. *It's either cut and weld (which produces sharp contours and
is very time-consuming) or turn from solid which is also slow and
expensive.

What is the world coming to?

apple aluminium in brisbane carry the grade in 1.6mm.

you should have become part of australia years ago and made it all
simpler. :-)

Stealth Pilot

Unfortunately, the Tasman Sea is just about the most expensive piece
of water (on a per-Km basis) in the world from a freight perspective :-
(

It's just not economic to import a single sheet or two :-(

And they're supposedly trying to create a knowledge-economy here in
NZ. How can they do that when we can't get the raw materials needed
for prototyping and development?

Warning: idiots at the helm

have you ever thought of looking at the size of the market.
importing an economic quantity, then advertising the surplus?
you mention other metal spinners. wouldnt they become your customers
over time?
you have an opportunity there to diversify your business.

on the other hand is it economic to have a holiday in brisbane and
spin the prototypes while on holiday.

I'm sure if you are serious you'll get it sorted.
Stealth Pilot