finding free metal

[Taylortractornut]

I was sick the other day went to the big scrap yard with a 20 yard load of tin i had acummilated from demo jobs. This old man had a 3x3 sheet of 3/4 plate and an old gof course mower with 3 hydraulic motors on it. I was behind him in line and asked him if he would like to sell it to me. Nope gonna make 7 cents a pound on it. I told him lets weigh it and Id give him 10. Still wouldnt take it. I finally offered 25 cents a pound and he just wouldnt budge. I hated to see it go up to the pile that way. That bed frame angle is great to make battery holders for equipment to.

Its sad t osee some of that stuff go infact i counted 10 wagons in there not for sale any waiting on the shredder.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I've used both bed rails and the ATV shipping racks. The bed rails are hard to drill, but if I cut them with an angle grinder and weld, they make good projects. The oldest stuff seems to be the best.

The ATV racks that I have used are made of very thin wall tubing. They are very workable, but do require some engineering to make the end project strong.

Old treadmills also have some good stuff. Once again, thin wall stuff, but there's tubing, plate, linear actuators, and DC motors that are all great for projects.

There's a guy in my area who used to work in the gas fields of Wyoming. He'd come home every few weeks and he'd be pulling a trailer overloaded with old pipe and tube that he'd picked up from the trash at the gas fields.

 

[Soundguy]

I've seen those shipping crate frames.. I've always wondered what happens to them..

soundguy

 

[Scotty370]

I've also stumbled upon cast-aways! The last was about 40 pieces of 1" square tube, 1/8 wall, about 30" long each, out for the garbage!! Grabbed all those babies! My experience with bed-rail has not met with great success. The high carbon content, had it 'disappearing' when I Oxy/Ace welded it. Have not yet 'stick' welded any. My visits to the 'scrapyard' have yielded great 'finds' and they were always willing to deal. Currently there's two L-Shaped forks from a fork lift that I'm contemplating......! I'm generally 'shopping', there, more than 'scrapping'. It can be an interesting tour, what with industrial scrap, moters, fans, gearboxes, hydro stuff etc, etc, etc....~Scotty

 

[Scotty370]

I had heard, that when the scrap market went sky-high, (a year-eighteen months ago) that the old tractors and equipment, parked in hedgerows were dragged out and scrapped. Great for China, Bad for collectors!! I've not been able to verify this claim, but makes (sad,) sense. ~S

 

[magicheater]

I have used bed frames for years.

Hence your handle?

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

With the price of scrap being around $240 a ton there isn't any scrap left laying arround in my area. One theif was even steeling the aluminum bleachers from the school and taking them to the scrap yard.
Bill

 

[Jim in ICT]

About the only time I find scrap out along the roadside is when I'm cleaned up and in the car and not in my pickup. Just my luck.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

About the only time I find scrap out along the roadside is when I'm cleaned up and in the car and not in my pickup. Just my luck.

...or late for something. That's my story.

 

[Chilly807]

Don't let little things like "clean" and "late" stop you... late is like pregnant, there's no such thing as a "little bit". And clothes wash, right?

I keep a tarp in the car for "just such an occasion", like Foghorn Leghorn.

Now, if it won't actually fit in the car, that's when the cordless recip saw comes out, and usually the people that used to own whatever it is too.

Almost kidding.

Chilly