Sometime you just get lucky.

[Andy_B]

Yesterday I visited my local scrap dealer checking on mystery metal for sale. Saw a huge tri-wall full of aluminum cutout/offs. Seems that there is a company in the area that does specialized aluminum panels for various applications using a liquid abrasive process. They toss all the waste material in a tri-wall and sell it to the scrap dealer. Takes them about 2 to 3 months to fill a box depending on their orders. The alum is 6061 T6. The thickness ranged from 3/4" to 1-1/4"s. I think with a little judicious planning that I should not have too much waste since the engines that I plan on building are very small. My first, which is in progress, is Elmer's Wobbler. I know you guys recommend that for a complete novice first engine. I definitely fit that description.

Anyway, here's a picture of my haul. ;D

Andy

 

[Maryak]

Andy,

Lucky you

Regards
Bob

 

[Bernd]

Nice haul Andy. Looks like a life time supply right there. ;D

BTW, those parts were cut by a water jet cutter. If you need to cut a small piece from those that you have. You can use a table saw with a carbide blade.

Bernd

 

[ChooChooMike]

Nice stash ! I'm slowly building up my scrap box by scrounging small metals pieces from wherever I can !!

 

[dparker]

Andy: Good Score!!! That stock ought to keep you going for quite awhile. When you build a little engine you can pick up brass tubing at the local hobby store for cylinder liners or bearing surfaces. I also go to the welding supply and pick up brazing rod and arc welding rod in various diameters to use for pistons or axles. A bit of tapping with a hammer to get most of the flux off and then to the wire wheel to clean it up. Enco and other suppliers have small bearings and bar stock on sale at times also. This makes me think I better take a little trip out to my local scrap yard and see if their prices have come down for what I may be interested in.
Good Luck and have fun----don

 

[Cedge]

DParker
It's probably worth the trip. One of my sources was charging me $2.00 per pound a few months back. I dropped in on him a couple of weeks a go and although he was out of brass, he quoted me "under $.80". He said he had to unload his on hand stock quickly in recent days or take a big loss.

I've been watching the international spot market prices since then and they're down around $.50 per pound for yellow brass and around $1.00 for red brass.

Check it at
http://www.universalwrecking.com/Sections-read-72.html

My best supplier is getting a little bit greedy. Even with falling prices, he's still got his rate stuck up there at $2.25 per pound for mystery brass. He's got some nice metal that I'd like to buy, but I'm simply waiting him out.

Steve

 

[Kludge]

The situation here in the islands is a bit different. Scrap prices are still high due to supply and demand, and it's cheaper for me to order what I need from the mainland even at the prices most seem to complain about. As a result, I order what metal I need - brass mostly with some occasional stainless - when I can, mostly in the form of K&S Engineering stock shapes or whatever I can find on eBay.

On the other hand, bamboo grows wild here and, yes, I'm looking at building an engine using it.

Best regards,

Kludge

 

[ksouers]

A bamboo wobbler, now that would be really interesting!

 

[Kludge]

Good grief, you know me too well!

 

[rake60]

I missed this thread somehow.

Nice score Andy!

Rick