Free sources of materials.?

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

Posted by OldMetaller on 11/01/2016 10:51:14:

• Several lengths of silver steel down from 10 mm to 2.5 mm

If you measure the rods with a micrometer it seems that they have been quite accurately ground and so can be used as a poor man's 'test bar' to check chucks and collets.

Most of the ones that I have salvaged are good to a tenth of a thou. Also, they machine sweetly.

* Danny M *

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Not silver steel, but stainless. But super quality.

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

I'm off this morning to collect a old steel fire extinguisher which will be cut down to make a cooling tank for one of my engines.

When my daughter was smaller she used to have an inflatable bed when we camped at rally's, I bought a truck compressed air tank which I would charge up and take with us and then inflate her bed, it saved on buying another pump and I still use it when I need a greater volume of air than the compressor tank can hold.

 

Martin P

Edited By martin perman on 24/01/2016 08:49:06

[mick70Participant @mick70]

Posted by the artfull-codger on 23/01/2016 22:17:17:

Posted by naughtyboy on 10/01/2016 16:44:58:

Posted by the artfull-codger on 10/01/2016 12:43:09:

We all love "free" or "cheap", that's why we hoard so much [well I do!!],following naughtyboys post, I was stripping down some of my old cycle wheels mainly for the alloy for the foundry & I wondered what the spokes were made from,I did a quick heat to red & quenched in water & did the "file test" & it was hard as rock so I assume they were a carbon steel.

Where abouts are you?

Got loads of ali rims you can have

Hi Naughtyboy, just noticed your post & kind offer,don't know where you live but I live a few miles outside stockton-on-tees n.yorks.

Graham.

jct 27 m62 is near me.

shame you didn't see post last week was in gateshead could have met up.

as far as i know they are still at my old place along with loads of bits of ali. if they are you can have it all

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Cheap rather than free:

Some UK coins [i.e. those which are not made of this material] probably have more intrinsic value than monetary value; especially the 10p.

… 'though of course we would never dream of defacing them.

MichaelG.

.

Edit: Bronze enthusiasts might find this page useful.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 25/01/2016 13:09:34

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

 

Reference my previous Post [too late to edit] :

This page appears to date back to 2012, but is still interesting.

MichaelG.

 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 25/01/2016 13:25:08

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

This is interesting "The 2p coin is legal tender for amounts up to 20p."

Only the £1 and £2 coins are legal tender for any amount.

Neil

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

So if I have 22p, can I make washers from them ? Also, did you know they are magnetic.
BobH

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

darn it, didn't read the previous page re Armour plate.

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

You obviously need twice the value in pence of the number of washers required +20p. If you had 22p worth after one washer you are back to legal tender again.

Duurrr

Martin

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

I often drill 2p coins to make washers, cheaper than buying decent washers!. I once did some research and found that it was not illegal unless fraud was intended. I do not know if this is true. If I am not heard of again then I was wrong.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

The text in 10 (1) of the Act is 'interesting' [as regards applicability date]

… to those of us with an interest in such things.

.

 For the comfort of washer-makers : see this Wikipedia page.

.

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 25/01/2016 17:04:46

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 25/01/2016 13:54:08:

This is interesting "The 2p coin is legal tender for amounts up to 20p."

Only the £1 and £2 coins are legal tender for any amount.

Neil

Hi Neil, Funny thing this legal tender thing. You can of course pay a debt of 80 pence with 80 One Penny's or 40 Two Penny's legally, but only if the person/parties you owe it agree to accept it. However if you offer 20 One Penny's 20 Two Penny's and 4 Five Pence's, that should be classed as legal tender and you should not be able to be taken to court for non payment of your debt, on the other hand you can settle your debt by paying £1.00 and no you cannot demand 20p change. **LINK**

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 25/01/2016 18:50:49

[VicParticipant @vic]

Oh dear!

**LINK**

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Vic on 25/01/2016 20:44:45:

Oh dear!

**LINK**

.

It's O.K. Vic … we lived through it.

Article was posted : 11:00PM BST, 03 Sep 2010

MichaelG.

 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 25/01/2016 21:35:05

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Got some 10 in bits of ali tube from the work skip today. Seems to be 1/4in alloy tube with orange plastic outer skin so at first I thought it was fireproof alarm cable. Not sure what they have been working on. It might have been water cooling tube or even refrigerant cooling from the IT lab. Can't think what to do with it but its free so can't just walk past it.

[Cyril BonnettParticipant @cyrilbonnett24790]

Bob Brown 1

That didn't work when one of our engineers who was trying to lift a battery from a dinghy up onto the deck of a motor launch dropped it, he held onto it and disappeared beneath the waves only to surface after what seemed a rather long time gasping for air.

Why didn't he let go? because he wanted to see where it landed so he could tell the divers where it was.

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

Copper slate straps come in useful for a magnitude of things. Especially shimming.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Hollowpoint on 11/03/2016 21:25:56:

Copper slate straps come in useful for a magnitude of things. Especially shimming.

.

… and making impromptu soft linings for Stilson wrenches, Mole Grips [Vise Grips], etc.

MichaelG.

[Danny HeghParticipant @dannyhegh44921]

Never had any problems with window weights ,the old man even made valve seats out of them!

other stuff :- shock absorbers (as mentioned before) a good source of hard chrome bar and seamless tube,boot and bonnet struts ,the same but smaller,the usual stuff in cars ,drive shafts,axels rear and front wheel drive( the best cold chisel I made was out of a front wheel drive Mazda (Had to give it to the young bloke I had working for me as I was showing him a bit of black smithing stuff) Exercycles cast iron fly wheels, nuts an bolts. bits of steel tube (in non standard sizes)you might be lucky and get the meter of it and it works! Washing machines ,motors (large pancake motor (F &p) 3 ph motor Bosch (I think) both of these have permanent magnets (wind generaters?) Aluminuim stuff see Micheal Cox's article about casting build yourself a furness even if you don;t do any fancy castings you can pour metal into cans to make lumps for turning ,cat food cans are good, fly spray(here in Aus there about 300 long)

There is more but you might be getting sick of reading this!

Cheers Danny

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