[rweatherly]

I don't know where you are getting your plate, but the online price I have seen for 1/4" plate is $22 per square foot in a 3' by 4' sheet ($267 for the sheet).

[buscht]

rweatherly, Try this place for online metal purchasing. They don't always have the exact size but the price is pretty good.
http://www.lowcostmetals.com/index.a...S&Category=103

[rweatherly]

They do have good prices -- that's about $10 per square foot. Still MDF, is less than $.50 a square foot. I have just finished a JGRO, but have not yet gotten to the point of checking deflection. The most cost effective way of increasing the rigidity is probably a combination of MDF with steel angle -- depending on which part you are working on. (Steel has 1/3 the deflection for the same cross-section and is a lot less expensive)

Richard

[Halfnutz]

I get mine from Industrial Metal Supply in Irvine, CA. and I pay scrap ( around $2.00 a pound, but they let me weigh it myself and theyre not too picky) for anything on the remnant floor. Buying metal online is just way too expensive, it just doesent make sense. If you find a local supplier of plate you can get a good price on thier remnants. Sometimes if I buy a bunch of wierd shaped stuff they will knock 50% off, or give me steel price. Its like anything else, if you look around you can get it reasonable, but online is definately not practical compared to shopping around on the right side of town. You also have to buy what they have cut, not what size you want, its much, much less.

(The above oppinions are the authors and do not represent the views of CNCZone or its management.)

[strat]

i forgot (it was late ) i do have alum. angle running across under my mdf for cutting so no sag just cut a small notch and it lays between the alum ends and supports it