# Scrounged Materials



## Ken I (May 25, 2012)

Based on a comment by Herbiev - I have started this thread on scrounging materials.

Manufacturing companies scrap can be a great source of materials, I have also found that if you tell them you use it to build model engines they will generally give it away. In such cases I normally go back and show them a finished engine - pointing out the bits they supplied - thereafter its generally "anytime you need some come and help yourself."

Some tips below.....

Barstock

Manufacturing machine shops & auto shops throw away a lot of short bar ends.

Visit scrapyards not just as a source of raw materials - but if you see anything usefull try to find out where it came from - ask their truck drivers which company's throw out what.

Armature Winding Wire

I "scrounge" my winding wire from rewinders and transformer manufacturers who consistently throw away near empty spools - still plenty of wire on them but not enough to bother with the next "run".

Solar Cells

I scrounged the solar cells off some dead Chinese pathway illuminators (garden lights) - these cheapies tend to die within a year and are then discarded - I have contacted a local supplier to try and get my hands of dead warranty units which they would otherwise throw away.

Wood (for presentation bases)

Find a custom woodworking shop (preferably one that specialises in solid wooden furniture) they generally have an overflowing scrap bin of exotic offcuts which they invarably have to clear out from time to time.

Let's hear other scrounging ideas.

Ken


----------



## Herbiev (May 25, 2012)

Thanks for getting the ball rolling Ken. I'm looking forward to seeing what other freebies are out there. Last week I found an old microwave oven that was put out for garbage collection. By removing the transformer and rewinding the secondary I hope to build a spot welder as per these plans 
http://www.5bears.com/welder.htm


----------



## mklotz (May 25, 2012)

We're in the process of having our kitchen redone. My wife went to the local Home Depot and brought home sample tiles of virtually every material suitable for countertops so she could stare at them and make the sort of artistic decisions that only women can manage.

A number of the tiles were Corian, thus machinable (I'm told, never did it). They look perfect for bases for small engines such as the Verburg wobblers.


----------



## Blogwitch (May 25, 2012)

Friends and neighbours are my usual source.

A friends wife looks at everything being thrown out of the factory where she works, and brings home items such as this, redundant stock.







Then after 5 minutes of stripping, this is what you end up with.







Not bad for a one off, but in fact she brought me a dozen of them. So that equates to 36 high quality ballraces that have never been used.

If you don't ask people, they think you don't want it. At least 90% of my raw materials come to me in this sort of way.


John


----------



## Blogwitch (Jun 1, 2012)

The young man who arranged my wife's funeral recently, has an attached stonemasons yard to the funeral parlour (over the road).

He gave me his card, and a few weeks ago I phoned him up and asked if they had any small marble offcuts for me to make engine bases out of.

Anyway, every time I called him back he was on holiday, but this morning he phoned me and asked me to call in. He had a few pieces waiting for me, and said that if I needed any more, just give him a call and he will drop them off, as he goes past my house each evening on his way home.

The black one at the very back is about 1/4" (6mm) thick, all the others, 3/4" thick (19mm). The one with the lighter standing on it is about 14" long x 6" wide. The other thick black one actually has flecks of gold in it .

A quick bit of work with some carbide cutters and diamond polishing pads down the edges will soon make fabulous bases for some of my engines.







Anyway, not scrounging, but while I was in town I called to the open air market and found some lovely grinding wheels for my toolpost grinder. The large one is about 2.5" diameter.
2 UK pounds for all 3, and I get to keep the screwed mandrels for other jobs that might happen along.







A good day at last.


John


----------



## tel (Jun 1, 2012)

Nice scores, both, John. As you well know, you have to keep your eyes and ears open everywhere you go, it's surprising just what is 'out there' if you really look.


----------



## rleete (Jun 1, 2012)

mklotz  said:
			
		

> A number of the tiles were Corian, thus machinable (I'm told, never did it). They look perfect for bases for small engines such as the Verburg wobblers.



I recently got an oval piece that was the cutout for a sink. Looks like marble, cuts like acrylic stabilized wood blanks (for pens). I cut it using my HF bandsaw, and it went through quite well. Made some pens (it polished up very nicely) and a base for a friend's artwork. Cuts well with carbide router bits for the decorative edges of the base, and I used my crappy HF chisels to make the pens. Standard mill and lathe tooling works very well.


----------



## Blogwitch (Jun 1, 2012)

Tel,

I have a thought about doing things like asking for stuff. If you don't ask, you don't want, so you don't get.

They can only say one of two things, yes or no. If it is no, then at least you tried, but if yes, you are onto a winner.

My next cheeky ask will be to get the stonemasons to cut them to size and polish the edges as well (the faces are already highly polished and the slabs are perfectly square). They can do it in minutes, but it would take me a few hours with the wet diamond polishers I have.

They can only say one of two things.


John


----------



## rabdouglas (Jun 1, 2012)

too true I like the way you think
rab


----------



## dsquire (Jun 1, 2012)

John

I think you have it figured out pretty good.

Unless you ask they can't say yes. They can't say no either unless you give them a chance.

Many times I have heard yes when I would have bet money that I was going to hear no. :bow:

Cheers 

Don


----------



## seagar (Jun 1, 2012)

Tel,I would like to scrounge in your workshop.LOL :big:

Ian


----------



## Kaleb (Jun 2, 2012)

At the scrapyards, things I keep an eye out for are large gate and butterfly valves as well as sections of bore pumps. All of these will almost certainly have a stem or piston rod in them which are good souces of brass and bronze for machining. The piston rods of hydraulic cylinders/rams are made of steel that is fairly tough but still machinable. If you spot a lawnmower or whipper snipper(line trimmer), it can be well worth having, since many don't require much work to make them run, and you can make a bit of extra money by selling them once you've fixed them. (I've sold 3 whipper snippers already. I usually get between $30 and $50 Australian for them) Some V-belt pulleys and cast iron wheels can make great flywheels with a bit of lathe work


----------



## tel (Jun 2, 2012)

seagar  said:
			
		

> Tel,I would like to scrounge in your workshop.LOL :big:
> 
> Ian



 Rof} So would a lot of other people!


----------



## maverick (Jun 2, 2012)

A few scraps and bar ends are usually free for the asking at my shop, especially for hobbyists that bring a project
  for show and tell. Another good source are the scrappers that frequent industrial areas. They pick up scrap from many
  types of businesses and come across all kinds of finds. I try to talk with them often and let them know of things to look for like
  shafts, cast iron pulleys and bases, valves, motors and tools. They know they can sell things for well over scrap price.
  The latest good find was a 12 inch Starrett machinist level with a cracked vial, any ideas?

  Maverick


----------



## Troutsqueezer (Jun 2, 2012)

The local Goodwill store has yielded a number of solid brass items for only a dollar or two apiece. They separate the brass items onto one shelf so it's easy to scan. I've got a lot of 1/4" brass rod (from candelabras) in my collection as a result.


----------



## Ken I (Jun 2, 2012)

Re my earlier comment about scrounged photocells - I contacted the importer and asked if he has any warranty units - "no problem - we just throw them out" he's promised me 9+ on Tuesday. Im betting the photocells are just fine.

Like Bogs said all they can say is no - but when they don't......

Ken


----------



## Blogwitch (Jun 2, 2012)

Maverick,

I don't want to divert this post, but this link might help you sort out your cracked vial.

They are very easy to repair if you can get a new vial.

http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=2197.msg22986#msg22986

Hope it helps


John


----------



## maverick (Jun 3, 2012)

Thanks Bogs, just the ticket.

  Regards,
  Maverick


----------



## shred (Jun 4, 2012)

Old computers have useful bits in them-- sheet metal from the cases and frames of desktops. Sometimes nice miniature ball bearings in the fans (more so on laptops and once-high-end PCs). Hard drives are a good source of extremely strong magnets and several more ball bearings with varying difficulty of removal. I've heard old HD bodies once stripped make great casting material. Heat sinks are mostly anodized aluminum extrusion, though some contain useful quantities of copper.

Old printers are a good source of precision shafting and more motors and bearings.

Estate, Garage and Yard sales (boot & rummage sales for those in the auld countrie) sometimes have useful tools and material, though I spent an hour fruitlessly searching an estate sale for more bits after discovering a broken V-block and lathe handle in the dollar box of one sale not long ago. :-\

My dad built most of a shop running tools off old washing machine motors. He must have a dozen or more. The motors are never the part that's broken when they are out on the curb.

A great way is to let people know you're interested in scrap metal bits and what you do with it. A neighbor brought over four feet of 1" steel round not too long ago "I found this in my garage, can you use it?"


----------



## Mosey (Jun 4, 2012)

I went to my first machinist's yard auction some years back. It was raining and turned to snowing, so you know it was a good one. I bought nothing but hung around as the lathe and mill had been mysteriously sold before the auction. At the end of the auction, I saw a nice wheelbarrow go for $25.00 to the only bidder. I had a wheelbarrow, so didn't bid. Then I watched the guy who bought the wheelbarrow wheel it over to his truck. It had about 150 lbs of brass, aluminum, etc. in it. He didn't want the metal, just the wheelbarrow. I cried all the way home.


----------



## Ken I (Jul 10, 2012)

Re my earlier comment on scrounged photocells - the local importer sent me a box of 52 reject warranty units which they would normally just dump.

Based on prior experience I guessing 90+% of the photocells are just fine.

Ken


----------



## Tin Falcon (Jul 10, 2012)

20 plus years ago I was at an auction and they were selling a couple of old electric soldering irons I bid some ridiculous high price for the lot I think like 10 -12 dollars at the time. the lot Included most of a troy oz spool of silver solder I still have it .
tin


----------



## johnnyo (Aug 16, 2012)

Hi All
I find a good source of bronze, not sure what kind, in the old valves that are scrapped at the power plants I work at. Some are pretty big and yield a nice size piece 1.5" or better. Evan with acme threads cut in them there is enough material for many small projects. Good source for S.S. also.

Thanks
JohnnyO


----------

