Engineers,
I've been thinking about starting a sort of modular furniture business and came across this shelving unit in the alley that is almost the exact construction method I want to aim for. I could certainly measure everything up and make the changes I want, and send it off to local machine shops or welding shops. But I'm looking to get the cost per unit down so I don't have this $400 weldment that could hold up a tank.

This 3/4" square tube has only about.035" wall thickness and most of the steel tube I find is much thicker wall, so the first question is where does this stock even come from?

My other question is what is the best way to find a factory to make something like this? Is there a forum that I could post pictures to where they bid on it? I'd like to find one that has experience making this kind of product and so it would be a natural fit with the other things they make. There are some pretty innovative joining methods like how the tubes telescope and are pierced and tapped quite accurately. The tapped end caps are also buried deep in the tubes so you can't see the beads. I can see having a local welder confidently say they can do it and then find it's actually harder than they imagined.

I have a feeling this kind of thing is made in China by the thousands and sold in Home Depot for $40 but I'm in Chicago so I'd prefer to use a local supplier who might be fine with making a hundred or so at a time. I'd love any sourcing advice you have. Thank you all for your help!

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