Materials from scrap yards in West Yorkshire

[richard3267Participant @richardrogalewski21509]

I am a beginner. I need some mild steel tubing 1 1/2" OD and the wall thickness from 2 – 3mm.

The first port of call I think of is calling at a local scrap-yard.

I'm near Wakefield in West Yorkshire and wonder if anyone can recommend a scrapyard where I might get things like mild steel tubing, bar and plate and such things.

Sure a lot of scrap-yards, but mostly car scrap. I don't think I'm going to get engineering materials at such places. Thanks.

[richard3267Participant @richardrogalewski21509]

[richard3267Participant @richardrogalewski21509]

I might be beeter going to Dunkerely Steels. Not far from me.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Try this e-bay seller I've used them in the past for tube.

[keithmartParticipant @keithmart]

Hi

You could try these:

http://www.metalsupermarkets.com/

They are next to the roundabout at morley/bradford road.

They do quite a big range, but I am not sure about steel tube. it could be worth a phone call.

Regards

Keith

Leeds UK

[KevinWParticipant @kevinw]

Richard,

You could try Blackgates Engineering. They are at Shaw Cross Business Park in Dewsbury.

http://www.blackgates.co.uk/

Regards

Kevin

[Robin teslarParticipant @robinteslar]

RR

What about some scrap scaffold tube, that is 1.5ins NPS, appox 3mm wt

Robin

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

Richard,

What are you using it for (What are you building)?

I would be wary of anything from a scrap yard (or scrap bin for that matter), you don't know what you are getting …. for some things it does not matter but for others it does.

Dave

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Scaffold tube is about 1 3/4 (44mm) OD not the 1 1/2 that the OP wants.

J

[AndyfParticipant @andyf]

You could try M-Machine . 10SWG = 3.25mm, 14SWG = 3.25mm.

Andy

[richard3267Participant @richardrogalewski21509]

I'm making home-made acros out of scaffolding tube. The distance between floor and celing is 2.4m. Scaffolding tube is 2.1m. Each end of scaffolding tube will have 1.5" pipe, 3mm wall thickness. I think scaffolding I have is about 48.3mm OD and about 32mm ID.

Dunkerley Steels don't sell 38.1mm tube as it's not a standard size.

I contacted Eric France, but they don't sell the tubing.

I see 38.1mm tubing on Ebay. But, I'm trying to pick up locally.

Edited By Richard Rogalewski on 29/11/2012 12:14:10

Edited By Richard Rogalewski on 29/11/2012 12:28:54

[richard3267Participant @richardrogalewski21509]

Posted by JasonB on 28/11/2012 12:49:15:

Try this e-bay seller I've used them in the past for tube.

Yep, at the moment I'm likely to get tubing from Ebay. Thought I might be able to source from local scrap-yard, but no joy on that front.

[richard3267Participant @richardrogalewski21509]

Posted by Robin teslar on 28/11/2012 16:55:24:

RR

 

What about some scrap scaffold tube, that is 1.5ins NPS, appox 3mm wt

 

Robin

Oh, is that a smaller size of scaffolding tube that is 1.5" OD?

Answer: No, standard size of scaffolding is 48.3mm OD and is I think 1.5 NPS.

But, there is I think scaffolding pipe that is smaller than 48.3mm OD.  But, I'm probably wrong about that.

Edited By Richard Rogalewski on 29/11/2012 12:31:07

Edited By Richard Rogalewski on 29/11/2012 12:39:10

[Martin WParticipant @martinw]

RR

If you are making acros, then depending on the load you intend to support, I would suggest you need to know the type and characteristics of the metal you will be using. If you go to a scrapyard then you will have no idea of the type of metal nor its history. Could be in the extreme a recipe for disaster.

Martin

PS

Does really fall into the remit of model engineering?    

Edited By Martin W on 29/11/2012 12:38:24

[richard3267Participant @richardrogalewski21509]

Posted by Martin W on 29/11/2012 12:35:09:

RR

If you are making acros, then depending on the load you intend to support, I would suggest you need to know the type and characteristics of the metal you will be using. If you go to a scrapyard then you will have no idea of the type of metal nor its history. Could be in the extreme a recipe for disaster.

Martin

PS

Does really fall into the remit of model engineering?

Edited By Martin W on 29/11/2012 12:38:24

 

Probably not, but the question was about materials from scrap yards.

But, yes, maybe I ought to buy new.

Edited By Richard Rogalewski on 29/11/2012 12:44:27

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I'd be worried that the 38mm tube is too thin unless you go for thick wall. Accrows have the inner part the same size as scaffold tube and the outer larger. Also make sure you allow a good overlap.

[richard3267Participant @richardrogalewski21509]

Posted by JasonB on 29/11/2012 13:07:55:

I'd be worried that the 38mm tube is too thin unless you go for thick wall. Accrows have the inner part the same size as scaffold tube and the outer larger. Also make sure you allow a good overlap.

So, professionally made acros have it wider at the ends. Noted. Given the job I have to hand, I think 3mm thick-wall will probably do. Tubing at one end affixed. Top end made adjustable just a bit. I was thinking no less than 200mm overlap at top with a 500mm tube. So, there would be 300mm variation possible on top tube, although that might not be neccesary. I am going to chock-up the acro with wooden chocks at the bottom.

Without acros, the ceiling would probably not fall anyway, (that has been established in general), but I ought to err on the side of caution.

Edited By Richard Rogalewski on 29/11/2012 13:33:13

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

Richard

is it really worth the time and effort as well as cost to make Acrows when you can hire them for about £7-£10 a week?

I know which I'd prefer to do.

Keith

[Martin WParticipant @martinw]

RR

If the load is as light as you are suggesting then why not use wooden supports to secure the ceiling. These will be lighter, quick and easy to cut to length, simple to chock into place and probably cheaper than steel/scaff bar. Might even be able to use it later on another project i.e. wall studding .

Martin

[Robin teslarParticipant @robinteslar]

Yup, thats what I did. Bit of 4×2 and I drilled a hole in 13mm hole in one end to take a 1/2w bolt/washer nut. the bolt was 6in long and the hole was 3in deep so fine tuning for loading was easy. I only had to support the floor above a bay window, i used 2 and the load was <100kg each

OBTW I nailed the bottom to the floor

No probs

Robin

[richard3267Participant @richardrogalewski21509]

Yep, the more I think about it, the more I feel I ought to buy some 100mm x 100mm x 2.4m reclaimed timber. Cheaper that way, and when done I have timber I can use.

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Hi,

Why not 4×4 fence posts, you should allow for 2×4 or 2×6 long spreaders at top and bottom. Folding wedges at bottom will adjust accurately – nail wedges into spreaders when loaded. You could use the fence posts afterwards for a new fence or sell them on.

Regards

Terry

[Martin WParticipant @martinw]

Terry

Hey that's getting into heavy engineering wood wise but at least if the job takes a time, super moist conditions etc they won't rot. Mind you if they come from the usual merchants they will have been in the open and will weigh very heavy.

Cheers

Martin

[AndyfParticipant @andyf]

Is this just a domestic ceiling? If so, it shouldn't take too much holding up. Wooden posts. a bit shorter than the floor to ceiling distance, the shortness to allow for the thickness of a loose plywood or similar spreader pad at the top, and for a bit of wooden shimming under the foot. Hold the pad up against the ceiling with the pole, and add shims beneath until the post starts jamming when it's a couple of degrees away from vertical. Then whack the foot with a lump hammer until the post does reach vertical, lifting the ceiling fractionally as it jams in place.

I used this technique when single-handedly cladding my workshop ceiling joists from beneath with heavy 8×4' sheets of 12mm chipboard, and it should work just as well to support a whole ceiling, if you use enough props. My old Machinery's Handbook quotes 550lbs per sq inch of cross section for low-quality pine in compression along the grain, so if you use 4×4" (100x100mm) timber, each post should be good for about 4 tons. 1×1" posts would be OK in theory, but in practice they would probably bend.

Andy

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

acroprops cheap to hire

Bob

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