Stop in for a cup of coffee

I have had good luck with that stuff at the local metal recycler. Here it is semi sorted, and they sell a lot of metal that way. Only place I get diamond plate from in semi small pieces. They get it in aluminum from a local coach business that does fire trucks.

I've picked up some from recycler before as well, they'll give you a huge price break if it's a shorter piece. That's where I bought the pipe I used, Skagit Steel. If I can't come up with scrap at shop I'm headed there.