Do engineering companies pretty much use all their offcuts? I need some alu bar for a project with some school kids, about 4 sections of 30mm by 60mm. Do engineering companies scrap this kind of size or do they use everything? Dont wanna ring round and annoy a load of people if its something they arent gonna have.

We get almost all of it recycled as it’s better environmentally and obviously gets us some cash. That said, that sort of size would probably not be a problem to give away (not us, I’m afraid, we’re a steel/Ti place).

Or ebay is great for this sort of thing.

If you mean 4 lengths of a bar which is 30 x 60 then it depends on the lengths. Most engineering companies will have scrap metal collected but if you are after small offcuts I would have thought they would give them to you.

It really depends on who you get to speak to. You will just have to ask, I have always found companies very helpfull if it is going to a good use.

send someone hot in to ask. our entire uni course used to send ‘the hot girl’ (well it was engineering!) in for our stuff- most of it free or trade!

We use every last bit of everything generally, off cuts go on a shelf to be used up.

I assume you mean 60×30 in profle – what sort of length are you talking about?

+1 on ebay etc… also worth calling your local stockholder rather than individual engineering companies.

Also be aware that alu is often stocked in imperial dims, so might be worth banding around a few imperial dimensions to companies – i.e. if the 30mm can be 1 inch then you’ll probably have more luck.

Anywhere using significant amounts of metal will have a scrap bin.
Ours is full of old bus bits, if you can find somewhere that does a lot of aluminium manufacturing, theirs will be full of aluminium scrap.
It’s always worth going in the back door and speaking directly to the guys in the workshop.
There’s a good chance they’ll let you have a few bits for a donation to the tea kitty.

Why not pop in to your local scrap yard?

a number of small engineering shops etc sell small offcuts and ends etc on ebay:

see:

Click Link for Ebay listing

Sorry round bar 30mm diameter 60mm long x4

So you reckon they should be amicable, could send one of the kids in.

Or scrappies should have alu bar?

Have you tried Aluminium Stockists? There’s loads about and they often cut lengths to suit so should have off cuts. The closest you’ll get in imperial will be 28.575 (1 1/8) or 31.75 (1 1/4)
A google search will bring up loads of stockists.