Brasilikilt Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 ........You get overly excited about scrap metal. I went to a mini industrial area in my neighborhood that has this complex with a welding shop, mechanic shop, wood working shop, a steel yard and a small brass and aluminum foundry. I asked a guy standing next to his truck as to who owned the lot between 2 buildings. (this area had lots of old miscellaneous metal parts and rusting equipment) At first the guy thought I was a scrapper looking to grab some stuff and seemed pretty annoyed, telling me that they don't have anything to give away. When I expressed my dislike for Thieving, Meth-using, scumbag scrappers that frequent our neighborhood, saying "They're so destructive and ruin a lot of things for a shop guy like you, and a blacksmith like me." His face lit up and he asked "Ohh! so you're a Blacksmith!??!" I smiled saying "Yeah.....one of the new ones, I'm just starting." He opened up the gate saying "Come in, I'll see what I can find for ya!" I had a nice chat with the guy, and he sure loaded me up with some good stuff. I will have to return with a box of doughnuts :-) Here's a big spring off of a semi truck, set next to a 5 gal bucket for scale Here are some Mud-flap hangers from a semi-truck....the guy said that I might want these because they're "spring treated" steel. They're all 3/4" solid square stock, so I suspect they might make good chisels and punches. Here's a broken spring off of anothger big truck. You can see where it broke, so I'm guessing that the steel might not be very good quality. It's going to be a big job to cut these springs down since they're so thick, and I have no cutting torch...... Here are more springs......obviously from a smaller truck. [url=""] I have no idea what these are, and I forgot to ask......Looks like it's a gearing shaft used in the big trucks........1 1/2" solid round stock of what I suspect is good machine/tool steel...... I'm really excited about getting all this material, and you guys are the only ones who understand why :-) I have ideas on what to use this stuff for, because there's still a lot of really basic elements that I am lacking in my tool kit. I'm eager to hear any suggestions you may have, because your ideas are probably better than mine :-) One again, thanks for checking out my post. Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kashmire Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 sounds like you made a new friend. that's fantastic. the stuff you got your hands on im a little jealous. and as for the broken leaf-spring. its not bad steel or quality. it just went through alot of abuse being on a rig. but if your going to do alot of "scrap forging" i would suggest an a/o unit and a chop saw. they are indispensable tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Some of those mud flap hangers are made from high carbon or alloy steel. Spark test or quench test. Don't assume all of them are the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaylan veater Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 I have made chisels and punches from mud flap hangers and they work really well. The shafts in the last picture are shaft that are used to apply the brakes on a semi also some good steel maybe 4140 but i am not sure. Have fun whith it and you have found a good friend and supplier for junk yard steel treat him well!!! Gaylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48willys Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 The last picture are S-Cams used in air brakes to push the shoes out. Don't hold me to it but I think they are much like axle steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRobb Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Great find! I agree with Gaylan, treat him well. (excuse me a minute while I wipe the drool off my face) Ok, that's better. Enjoy your goodies. Remember to post pics of what you come up with. Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keykeeper Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 I see all kinds of tools in your "found treasure". Punches, chisels, different types of hardy tools, etc. There are endless possibilities there. Larger stuff could even be good to make a hammer or three out of. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Iain, I agree with these guys. You have made a good friend. Make him some sort of a little project and give him the donuts, too. Keep checking back. If you leave him your phone number, he may give you a call when he gets some new stuff in. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Good haul Iain. Ayup, air brake "S" cams. You should be able to cut the leaf with a hack saw, spring tempered is nothing like HARD. It'll be a little chewy but not as bad as you think. I have a couple stacks like that I pulled from the heavy duty shop's scrap bin and cut it with my band saw, no problem. Don't you just love how the, "I'm a blacksmith" line works? It's like a magic spell. Donuts and some good coffee are in order for sure. Frosty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 I have a big ol hot cut that I chop those springs with (HOT of course). I bought it (minus handle) at a flea market for about $4 I think. I have also used a cut-off wheell in a 4 1/2" grinder... it gets dicey with the big springs though, and is slower than the big handled hot-cut. My torch would cost a lotta money to cut those up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Browne Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Forget the coffee and donuts!! For a haul like that a slab of the finest would be in order There are enough goodies there to keep you hammerin for the next year's weekends. You are very lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 And there lies the danger! Once you luck onto a good source the temptation is to stock up on so much stuff you can't walk through the shop. I quickly found I could scrounge the stuff faster than I could give it away to other smiths. When it came time to move a smith friend with a small dumptruck came over and we went through the scrap pile me trying to give him all the "good" stuff, I only paid to move about a ton of scrap metal and most of that was wrought iron. *Moderation*! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Not to argue.. but I got some big leaf springs from a truck shop... they would peel the teeth off my hacksaw in about 30 seconds. Light pressure and slow cutting same result. I use a circular saw with abrasive blade with several shallow passes. I deep pass doesn't work so well . Takes time... but gets the job done. Wish I had got the several feet of 3 1/2 inch axle shaft they7 had take out. It was in 3 foot pieces. Can you beleive that they design a truck that you have to OA cut the old parts to get them out so they could replace them? Well done and good luck Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Yes I could well believe that. I once had a car where you had to remove the hood and right fender to replace a heating hose, 2" longer on the metal fitting and you could have replaced it in seconds removing nothing but the hose clamp. Also the dealership once told me that the way they replaced the sparkplugs on a Fiat sports car was to pull the entire engine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 (edited) You know you're a blacksmith when you're: overweight; wearing your balloon top decorative cap; wearing Carhartt bib overalls or Carhartt workpants with garish suspenders; over 6' 2" in height; frizzing your beard with heat; strong and sinewy; wearing a shirt size 19-38; able to look through a keyhole with both eyes...at once!* *Just being facetious and fatuous [sort of].Turley Forge and Blacksmithing School : The Granddaddy of Blacksmithing Schools Edited September 26, 2009 by Frank Turley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meinhoutexas Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 i thought you were a blacksmith when you could identify a lg frame on the side of the road at 70 mph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 You know you are a blacksmith when you make a 10 mile detour to pick up a nice piece of leaf spring from the side of the interstate hwy during rush hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedwards Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 You know you're a blacksmith when you're: overweight; wearing your balloon top decorative cap; wearing Carhartt bib overalls or Carhartt workpants with garish suspenders; over 6' 2" in height; frizzing your beard with heat; strong and sinewy; wearing a shirt size 19-38; able to look through a keyhole with both eyes...at once!* . . .Turley Forge and Blacksmithing School : The Granddaddy of Blacksmithing Schools Frank, I didn't know that we'd met. Except for the narrow beady eyes part that fits me to a T. And I'm not even a blacksmith, yet - just embryronic. How are things in Santa Fe? That's the place in NM I miss the most. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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