sheridan Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 i happen to live near an old shut down sugar mill / plantation. as a result i have a almost endless supply of any type of steel you can imagine (all free). please post your suggestions on other places to find free / cheap iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 How free is it when you get arrested for stealing, and trespassing? I live near an abandoned cement plant, but the cops have busted people stealing wiring out of it. The owner lives off site. Just because it is "abandoned" does not mean it is up for grabs, someone still owns the property, and the stuff on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 Look thru the Iforgeiron site and find the post "it followed me home". that lends itself well to your suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 make your local scrapmetal dealer a sculpture from his scrap and bingo bango free metal worked for me cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 well if you live in a area that has potatoe farms you could check with local supplyier of conveyor belts/chains. they usually get used ones and also ask to cull theyre scrap ben . the place i stop at usually lets me scrounge scrap ben for free, and the steel is 5160 spring (used to be 1084 but about 10 years ago they changed) usually the scrap is pieces that were misforged (ends not square with the others in belt ect..) i get the pieces that are 1/2 in round and at least 3ft .. even grabbed a little 5/8 rnd ! they go thru a lot of steel so usually they just give it away or ask for what ever your willing to pay (gave um 40 $ and a dinnerbell last time for over 100 3 ft rods)its worth checking out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Roy Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 I go the town transfer station(it's not a dump anymore) to drop my trash and recyclables. On my first trip after I started smithing, I told the manager that I was a blacksmith and asked if I could pick from the metal bin. He was agreeable and I have been a regular customer. The pickings are thin these days but I have found some very useful material at times. The price is right. I get most of my material at the local iron store, it's a more reliable source of sizes I need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuge Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 Around here they used to shore up the river banks with old cars. I kayak a bunch and have found some neat stuff. Abandoned bridges usually hold some good metal as well. All kinds of junk finds its way into the watercourse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisG Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 I work in a metal fab shop so I get all the metal I can "scrounge" for free. The only thing I have to buy is round and key stock since we don't get much in. As long as it is in the scrap bin or doesn't have a job # on it then it is fair game. As a matter of fact, that's how I made my anvil, my forge and my portable forge, and got a work bench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 I used to work near a medium sized ornamental iron fab shop and went over and introducend myself and asked if I could have some scrap. At that time they were *paying* to have the scrap bin emptied and so I got premission to take as much as I wanted to! I made the office staff some trinkets, aways talked to the office before getting anything, always wore PPG, and only went while they were on lunch break so no issues with moving machinery And ALWAYS left the bin neater and ready for more scrap than when I arrived. I took out *tons* of useful steel, lots of 3/8 and 1/2 in short usable pieces---getting a stack of 25 pieces of 1/2" sq stock tack welded at one end and sawn to 16" is pretty much like being handed cash if you do tentstakes! I also got some heavy sheetmetal, a little plate the odd piece of 1" and even some real wrought iron when they were replacing a fence that was hit by a car in the old historic district. Medium sized as the small ones often keep stuff to use on other projects and the big ones don't want the liability or bother of you being on the property. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Roy Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 Thomas I could use some of that 3/8 and 1/2 inch stock, but I guess NM is a little far to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 How free is it when you get arrested for stealing, and trespassing? I live near an abandoned cement plant, but the cops have busted people stealing wiring out of it. The owner lives off site. Just because it is "abandoned" does not mean it is up for grabs, someone still owns the property, and the stuff on it. Yep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don't tread on me Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 I have a friend that goes around buying old cars and other scrap, He lets me take what I whant, the other day he evan gave me some peaces of 2 1/2 inch angole iron, 5 to 6 feet long. I'm useing it to make a trip hammer. Ofcorse I tolded him he would have use of it when it was done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 Pat that was when I lived in Columbus OH. When I moved to NM I got rid of almost all my scrap save some alloy stuff and my wrought iron stash. A local Mobster drove his dumptruck over and we'd sort the stuff and ask him if he wanted it---yes we threw it in the back of the dump truck; if he said no we would wait until he went for another load and then throw it in the back of the dump truck... Even with such brutal culling it still took more than an entire flatbed semi to move my shop from OH to NM and the company didn't cover any of it. It cam out of the "build the new shop" fund I was bribed with by my wife to get the place with a nice house and no shop rather than the one with a nice shop and no house... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Parker Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 I have gotten some good stuff from the local 4x4 and mudding clubs. Make up a few knifes, bracelets made from chain or old wrenches and they will keep you in scrap. They will also trade for roses and things for their wives. Another plus - many are accomplished welders and mechanics, plenty of room to barter with these types of groups. They are the reason I own five Jeeps and have no spare time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 I used to pick up a fair amount of metal on "bulk trash pick up day", that is until the city decided it was stealing for me to do so. They went into the recycling business, I wouldn't have been so upset if they had recycled it all but they just recycled about half of the stuff they claimed as their own and sent the rest to landfill like always. A lot of money to be had plus good forging scrap gone to ground and buried for nothing. Silly people :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MG-42 Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 I made it a point to get to know property managers for commerical properties. When a tenant leaves they call me up to clean out a place. I have picked up all kinds of tools, steel and benches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheridan Posted June 16, 2010 Author Share Posted June 16, 2010 Forgot to mention, most of those roads are used frequently by bicyclists so people dont mind you passing through on a bike. I know some of the farmers that now use the land, and the rest dont mind you as long as you dont steal crops. Most of the metal lays along the roads and no one cares about it as it is junk that fell off vehicles or was just tossed away. Wanted to clear up that misunderstanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E Benz Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 Many places will let employees take theri scrap for free. My dad works as a drafter at a company that makes one off test rigs and they let him haul anything home from their garbage. His workshop is lined with chunks of metal and electric motors that weren't within tolerance for the company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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