Metal Supermarkets

10/26/2026

Common Aluminum Alloys and Their Uses

1100 Chemical equipment, food handling, reflectors, decorative trim, heat exchanger fins. Very formable and corrosion resistant, but soft.

2024 Aircraft fuselage skins and wing structures, rivets, truck wheels. High strength and fatigue resistance; poorer corrosion resistance.

2011 Screw-machine parts, fittings, fasteners. Known as the free-machining alloy for fast, clean chips.

3003 Cookware, roofing and siding, gutters, storage tanks, ductwork. The most widely used general-purpose alloy.

5052 Marine hardware, boat hulls, fuel tanks, electronic chassis, sheet metal enclosures. Great corrosion resistance and bends well.

5083 Shipbuilding, pressure vessels, cryogenic tanks, armor plate. Highest strength of the non-heat-treatable alloys; excellent in seawater.

6061 Structural frames, bike frames, truck bodies, machined parts, fixtures. The all-rounder: strong, weldable, machinable.

6063 Window and door frames, railings, architectural extrusions, trim. Smooth finish and takes anodizing beautifully.

7075 Aerospace structures, fi***rm receivers, rock-climbing gear, high-stress molds. Among the strongest aluminum alloys; hard to weld.

A356 / 356 Automotive wheels, engine blocks and heads, pump housings, aircraft castings. Flows well into molds.

Lets us know how we can help you with any of your aluminum needs, in plate, sheet, angle, tube, channel or other.

10/22/2026

Congratulations to Kevin Berera, our Metal My Way Grand Prize winner! He and a guest are heading to SEMA in Las Vegas this November.

Kevin's winning project is a giant RC buggy. It's 5 feet long, weighs about 160 lbs and runs on a 70cc engine. He designed and machined almost every part himself, from the welded tube chassis to the 6061 aluminum components. He even built the tube notcher and bender he used. It took seven years of weekends, with metal from Metal Supermarkets Vancouver (Richmond).

Check out the RC buggy in action: https://youtu.be/NBfW_0HRV2Y?si=478LeBgcuDaq1ToR

Thank you to everyone who entered this year. You made the judges' job very hard.

10/21/2026

Metal Supermarkets is at FABTECH USA in this week! Come find us at booth N10012!

Stop by to spin our prize wheel and talk to the team about your metal needs. Whether you have a project in the works, a question about metal, or just want to say hi, we'd love to see you.

📍 Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth N10012 📅 October 21–23

10/20/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 Metal Supermarkets Trade School Scholarship recipients! 🎓

Skilled tradespeople build, repair and maintain the things our communities rely on every day, and the demand for them keeps growing. We're proud to support these students as they start their careers.

Thank you to everyone who applied. We can't wait to see what these students achieve!

10/19/2026

Titanium Alloys in Aircraft Maintenance:
Aluminum covers most of an airframe, but titanium takes over where things get hot, heavily loaded or corrosive. It weighs about 40% less than steel, keeps its strength at high temperatures, and has outstanding corrosion resistance. Its use keeps growing, especially on composite airframes, because aluminum corrodes when it touches carbon fiber and titanium doesn’t.
Here are the alloys you’re most likely to encounter.
Commercially Pure (CP) Titanium (Grades 1–4)
Unalloyed titanium is softer and easier to form than the alloyed grades, and it has the best corrosion resistance. It’s used for firewalls, ducting, exhaust shrouds and other non-structural parts that need to handle heat. Grade 2 is the most common.
Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5)
This is the “2024 of titanium,” the alloy used in more aerospace parts than any other. It’s 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium, and it’s strong, heat-treatable and works up to roughly 400°C (750°F). You’ll find it in engine fan and compressor blades and disks, airframe fittings, fasteners, landing gear parts and structural brackets. A higher-purity version, Ti-6Al-4V ELI (Grade 23), is used where fracture toughness is critical.
Ti-3Al-2.5V (Grade 9)
This is the tubing alloy. It’s easier to form than 6Al-4V while still much stronger than CP titanium. That makes it the standard for high-pressure hydraulic lines on modern transport and military aircraft, where it saves significant weight over stainless steel.
Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo (Ti-6242)
This is a high-temperature alloy for jet engines. It holds strength and resists creep at temperatures beyond what 6Al-4V can handle, so it’s used in compressor disks, blades and cases in the hotter stages of the engine.
Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al (Ti-10-2-3)
This is a high-strength “beta” alloy used where steel-like strength is needed at lower weight. Its best-known use is in large forgings for landing gear, such as the main gear truck beams on the Boeing 777.
Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr (Ti-5553)
This is an even stronger beta alloy used for heavily loaded landing gear and structural forgings on newer aircraft like the 787 and A380.
Maintenance tips for working with titanium
• Keep it clean. Chlorinated solvents and some cleaners can cause stress corrosion cracking. Use only approved cleaning agents.
• Watch your tools. Cadmium-plated tools and fasteners can embrittle titanium, especially at elevated temperatures.
• Expect galling. Titanium threads and sliding surfaces tend to seize, so use the specified anti-seize compounds and lubricants.
• Machine it carefully. Titanium work-hardens and holds heat at the cutting edge. Use sharp tooling, slow speeds and plenty of coolant.
• Grind with caution. Titanium dust and fine chips are flammable. Keep work areas clean and never use water to put out a titanium fire.
The takeaway: Titanium is expensive and demanding to work with, but nothing else matches its blend of strength, light weight, heat resistance and corrosion resistance. As composite airframes become standard, mechanics will be seeing a lot more of it.

10/19/2026

The Aluminum Alloys That Keep Aircraft Flying: Part 1
Walk into any maintenance hangar and most of the metal you’ll touch is aluminum. It’s light, strong for its weight, and easy to form and rivet. But “aluminum” covers a whole family of alloys, each with its own job. Here are the ones you’ll run into most.

2024 (usually 2024-T3)
This is the workhorse of aircraft sheet metal. Its main alloying element is copper, which gives it excellent fatigue resistance but vulnerable to corrosion, so it’s almost always used clad or primed. It is the go-to for fuselage skins and lower wing skins, which flex with every pressurization cycle.

Alclad
Alclad isn’t a separate alloy. It’s a sheet of 2024 or 7075 with a thin layer of pure aluminum bonded to each side. The pure aluminum corrodes before the core alloy does, protecting the core. When you do skin repairs, keep scratches and scribe marks to a minimum, because cutting through the cladding leaves the core exposed.

7075 (7075-T6 and T73)
7075 is zinc-based and one of the strongest aluminum alloys in common use, approaching the strength of some steels. You’ll find it in upper wing skins, spars, stringers and highly loaded fittings. It’s less forgiving than 2024. It’s more notch-sensitive and more prone to stress corrosion cracking, which is why the overaged T73 temper is often specified where corrosion resistance matters.

7050
7050 is a newer cousin of 7075 used for thick structural parts like wing spars, bulkheads and forgings on modern transport aircraft. It holds its strength through thick sections better than 7075 and resists stress corrosion better.

6061 (usually 6061-T6)
6061 is the most versatile alloy on the list. It welds well, machines easily and has good corrosion resistance, though it’s not as strong as the 2000 or 7000 series. It’s common in fittings, tubing, brackets, and homebuilt or light aircraft structures.

5052
5052 can’t be heat treated. It’s strengthened by cold working instead. It has excellent corrosion resistance and bends easily, which makes it a favorite for fuel tanks, fairings, cowl components and fluid lines.

The rivet alloys: 2117 and 2024
• 2117-T4 (“AD” rivets) are the most common aircraft rivets. They can be driven as received, with no special handling.
• 2024-T4 (“DD” or “icebox” rivets) are stronger, but they harden quickly at room temperature. They have to be heat treated and kept refrigerated until use.

The takeaway: Always replace with the same alloy and temper unless the structural repair manual or AC 43.13-1B approves a substitution. Swapping a 2024 part for a 6061 part because the two look identical can cost you a big chunk of strength.

10/13/2026

North San Diego, your new local metal supplier is open.

Metal Supermarkets San Diego (North) carries more than 8,000 types, shapes and grades of metal, including steel, aluminum, stainless, copper and brass. We'll cut it to size, and there's no minimum order. Whether you're a contractor, fabricator, machine shop or weekend DIYer, we'll have what you need, when you need it.

📍 7030 Carroll Rd, San Diego, CA 92121

10/12/2026

Extraordinary service sometimes means being inconvenienced.

It’s the customer who walks in five minutes before close with a rush job. It’s the contractor who needs one more cut after the order is already wrapped. It’s the DIYer who isn’t sure what they need and takes twenty minutes of questions to figure it out. It’s the phone call that interrupts a busy afternoon.

Those moments are where our reputation is built. Anyone can provide good service when it’s easy. What customers remember, and what keeps them coming back and telling others about us, is the time we stayed a few extra minutes, double-checked a measurement, tracked down a hard-to-find size, or walked them through options patiently.

Being willing to be inconvenienced doesn’t mean having no limits. It means choosing to see the customer’s problem as our problem and asking, “What can I do to make this work?” before we ask whether it’s convenient.

Every extra mile we go is an investment in loyalty, referrals, and pride in the work we do.

10/07/2026

Stretch steel, also called expanded metal, is made by cutting a steel sheet and stretching it, not by punching material out.

Our latest blog covers how it's made and how steel behaves when it's stretched.

Read it here:

Learn what stretch steel is, how elasticity and ductility work, and what yield strength means for metal projects.

10/05/2026

Choosing Metal for Around Your Pool in Arizona

A pool area in Arizona combines three tough conditions: chlorine or salt water, constant splashing, and extreme sun. The right metal choices keep everything safe, rust-free, and comfortable to touch.

Basketball hoop posts
Use galvanized steel with a powder-coated finish. The galvanizing protects against rust from splash and pool chemicals, and the powder coat adds UV protection. Choose a post set in a concrete footing, and add a post pad for safety near wet decks.

Handrails, grab bars, and ladders
Go with 316 marine-grade stainless steel. It resists chlorine and is the best choice for saltwater pools, which are common in the Valley. Avoid 304 stainless, which can pit and show rust spots around pool water.

Pool fencing and gates
Powder-coated aluminum is the top choice. It never rusts, needs little maintenance, and is lighter and cheaper than wrought iron. Make sure your fence and self-closing, self-latching gate meet your city's pool barrier requirements.

Furniture, shade structures, and other features

Powder-coated aluminum works well for patio furniture, shade frames, and pergola hardware.
Stainless steel fasteners should be used everywhere so screws and bolts don't rust and stain decking.
Skip plain or painted steel near the water. It will rust quickly.

Arizona heat tips

Metal in direct sun can get hot enough to burn skin. Choose light-colored finishes, add shade over rails and ladders where possible, and test surfaces before letting kids grab them.
Rinse metal with fresh water now and then to remove chlorine and salt residue.

Safety note: Metal within 5 feet of a pool, including rails, ladders, and fences, generally must be electrically bonded under electrical code. Have a licensed electrician or pool contractor confirm it's done correctly.

10/05/2026

Choosing and Protecting Metal Exterior Doors in the Arizona Heat

Arizona summers are hard on exterior doors. A south- or west-facing door in direct sun can reach surface temperatures well above 150°F, so the metal and the finish both need to handle heat, UV, and constant expansion and contraction.

Best metals for the job

Galvanized or galvannealed steel is the most common choice. It's strong, secure, and its zinc coating resists rust. Look for 16–18 gauge steel with an insulated polyurethane foam core to keep heat out of your home.

Aluminum won't rust and is lighter, which makes it popular for security screen doors and storefronts. It conducts heat readily, so thermally broken frames help.

Wrought iron and steel security doors are common in the Valley, but they need a good finish to avoid rust during monsoon season.

Finishes that hold up

Powder coating is the most durable option. It's baked on at the factory and resists fading, chalking, and chipping far better than liquid paint.
100% acrylic exterior paint over a rust-inhibiting, direct-to-metal (DTM) primer is a good choice for repainting by hand. It flexes with heat instead of cracking.
Urethane or polyurethane enamels give a hard, UV-resistant finish that keeps its gloss longer in intense sun.

Arizona tip: Choose lighter colors when you can. Dark doors absorb much more heat, which can cause warping, seal failure, and faster fading. Some manufacturers will even void the warranty for dark colors on sun-facing doors behind a storm door.

https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/location/phoenix-west

10/02/2026

Real Projects, Real Metal: A Week at Metal Supermarkets Phoenix

Every day, businesses and builders across Arizona come to Metal Supermarkets Phoenix for the exact metal they need, cut to size and ready to go. Here are a few recent jobs that show what we do:

🚐 RV Repairs: A local RV company picked up 6061 aluminum 2" x 2" square tube for frame and structural repairs. 6061 is strong, lightweight, and corrosion-resistant, which makes it a go-to for RVs that need to stay road-ready without adding weight.

🚚 Commercial Truck Repairs: A commercial truck rental company purchased 1" x 6" aluminum rectangular tube to repair their fleet. When trucks are off the road, they're losing money, so getting the right material quickly matters.

☀️ Solar Panel Base in Northern Arizona: A customer used 4" Schedule 40 galvanized pipe to build a sturdy base structure for a solar panel array. Galvanized pipe stands up to Northern Arizona's weather, from summer monsoons to winter snow.

From fleet maintenance to renewable energy projects, this is everyday work for us. No minimum orders, precision cutting, and fast turnaround.

Need metal for your next project? Stop by or call Metal Supermarkets Phoenix today.

10/02/2026

Tolerances separate a part that fits perfectly from one that doesn't fit at all.

Length, thickness, diameter, flatness... Every dimension needs acceptable limits, and different manufacturing processes deliver different levels of accuracy. Our latest blog explains what dimensional tolerances are, why they matter, and what to consider when specifying them.

Read it here:

Learn what dimensional tolerances mean for metal parts, how they affect fit and function, and how to specify them correctly.

09/30/2026

What. A. Year. 🔥

Thank you to every single person who shared their work with us. Your builds are a reminder of just how much skill, creativity, and dedication lives in this community.

Stay tuned... We'll be announcing our winner soon!

09/28/2026

3 days... That's it.

Metal My Way ends September 30 at 5pm ET. If you've got a build sitting in the shop or on your camera roll, now's the time to share it for a chance to win!

Submit at metalmyway.com before time runs out.

09/23/2026

7 days. One Grand Prize. Your project. 🏆

You've got just one week left to enter Metal My Way. Got a build worth showing off? It's now or never.

Submit at metalmyway.com.

09/22/2026

Heading to FABTECH USA? Come find us!

We'll be at North America's largest metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing event in Las Vegas on October 21–23.

You'll find Metal Supermarkets at Booth N10012. Stop by to meet the team and talk metal!

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Visit us at Booth N10012 to meet the team, discuss your metal needs, and learn more about our products and services!