Driving by our local machine shop, I spied a bunch of round stock in their scrap (recycle) bin. Went in and talked with them and offered to buy some of it. The manager advised that at the current scrap prices, I was welcome to take as much as I wanted no charge. It helped that they remember me from being retired from the police department.

The take consisted of 168 feet of 3/8 round mix of 1008 and 12L14 round rod, 20 feet of 1/4 1008, 28 feet 3/8 stainless rod and a bunch of 3/4 square cut offs.

There was a lot more in the bin but it was buried under some heavy drums full of shavings & stuff, so I couldn't get it, besides I didn't want to seem greedy.

 

 

Make them something as a thank you.

I intend to, probably a couple of stick in the ground drink holders for wine, beer, or water bottles.

Nice free haul. I love free  

probably why I got a ton of pallets dumped in my yard yesterday lol

Then today these stamping a showed up. They will make nice scales or something. 

for the round punchouts; Weygers used them to do ornamental nails, clavos is what we call them down here. His technique should be in the Complete Modern Blacksmith.

4 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

for the round punchouts; Weygers used them to do ornamental nails, clavos is what we call them down here. His technique should be in the Complete Modern Blacksmith.

We used to call them "slugs." I was always picking them up and bringing them home. I was going to weld them all together when I had enough and make something. An aircraft carrier or space station probably.

Frosty The Lucky.

If you set up a punch you could take out the centres and make washers from them.

Alan

42 minutes ago, Alan Evans said:

If you set up a punch you could take out the centres and make washers from them.

Alan

But what would he do with THOSE slugs? Oh you are a cruel man Alan!

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Those slugs are real handy, Das, and you've got a heap of shapes and sizes there. Our machine shop drops them off at my place too, but many of them are galvanised. They get the acid treatment before being welded or forged.

3 hours ago, Frosty said:

But what would he do with THOSE slugs?

This is Daswulf we're talking about: he'd do something creative and delightful. 

5 hours ago, Frosty said:

But what would he do with THOSE slugs?

You make smaller washers! duh!

                                                                                                                    Littleblacksmith

And so ad infinitum. (Until proportionally they become tubes.)

Alan

That's a good idea Thomas. The little round ones could work for small nails.

haha infinite washers. Well... The round ones are 14mm dia. x 2mm thick. If i need washers that size and don't have any that's always an option. I dont have a press at the moment tho. The other shapes are comma shaped, and rectangular. I Believe these will end up scrap art. I have them separated now and in bins.

Aus, luckily these are not galvy. so no bath needed.

These are a few of the items that have followed me home recently, the 5" makita grinder cost me £10, everything else was free. The stump anvil is wrought iron with a steel face which is delaminating so I think a future project will be to forge weld a damascus steel face onto it, just because I can. The timber is 12"x12"x22" of seasoned Iroko heart wood and will become the stand for my 125lb brooks anvil that followed me home last year. I don't know what I'll do with the canon ball yet, possibly use it for doming work but I had to take it. The two bars at the back are wrought iron.

This is the anvil on his new home, I need to forge some straps or staples to hold it down. This is my main anvil at the moment as I've recently moved and my big anvil is in storage until I can figure out the logistics of moving it and have a permanent home to move it to.

 

Simon.

Those are some awesome freebees!  I have a cannon ball I use for forming sometimes.

Block, ball, real wrought iron, stump anvil and a propane regulator that would work on a forge for free!---What's not to love!

Killer score! I love the pattern welded face for the stump anvil idea. Now I feel the need to go garage saleing! Like I need more stuff!

Frosty The Lucky.

Grabbed a few things last week.  Was looking for a post vise, found a guy on CL with an add for a vise and a second add for an anvil.  So I called him up to see if he would deal with both.  Next day I drove 120 miles to pick them up.  While I was there, we did did some chatting and he threw in some extras.  I did not get a great deal, but we both walked away happy thinking  it was a fair price.  $600.

150 lbs PW anvil, with large steel round base. Bounce is ok, about 85%.

5 1/4 inch post vise (missing the screw cap and a bit of the screw end broke off.  but still opens 5"+ with good thread engagement.)

3 leaf springs, coffee can of rr spikes, pair of 14" flat tongs.

Columbians often had non-beveled jaw legs and short screwboxes with no ends

Went to an auction today.  It was a retired machinest sale. had 2 milling machines, 4 lathes (1 was about 10 feet long), tons of scrap, flatbeds, tools etc.  If I had a means of moving, and somewhere to put the stuff... the prices was very good.  The milling machines went for 500 and 1000, the lathes 150 - 800. I didnt stay for the scrap, it was getting late.  There was a dozen pallets of shorts, and  the shop walls were covered with full length stock.

Anyway, I picked up another anvil.  118 lbs PW. less than $2/lbs. Also stopped a flea market on the way home and grabbed a punch and 3 1/2 lbs long handle sledge, together for $10.

Stopped by my local Tractor Supply Co two weekends ago. They see me frequently enough that some of the girls recognize me on sight. As I was leaving, i noticed this pile of steel tube pallets sitting next to a couple piles of wood ones way in the corner of the parking lot. I approached a sales associate and asked what was being done with the pallets. He said, "You want them? Have at it. You can take anything over there. The pallets. The bushes." I thanked him, then ran home for the trailer.

I'm slowly cutting these up into as much length as I can save. Square and rectangular tube steel. 1/2", 3/4", 1". Some of the long sides I'm getting almost 8 foot sections out of. 

I'm not sure what I'm using it for, but it followed me home.

looks like an A frame stock rack to me....

First pic is last trip to the scrap yard. Lots of coil springs, axles, drive shafts, etc. I've spark tested it and I'm gonna be a happy little tool maker for a while.

Somewhere in there I thought I picked up a cannonball. Nope. 12lb shotput. I'll figure out a use for it.

Second pic is the Lincoln that followed me home tonight. Couldn't resist the price. 

On 5/31/2017 at 11:37 AM, Alan Evans said:

To be fair cylinder mowers were not designed for rough work, that was their point. You had sheep and/or minions with scythes for that.

Triple and more gang cylinder mowers are still used for town parks, sports fields, football and cricket pitches over here. Walk behind cylinder's for the actual cricket wicket, tennis courts and bowling greens of course...and for many domestic lawns too. Though most people settle for a rotary mower finish for their gardens now it is true...the old tale about the American tourist and the 400 years to achieve and maintain a decent lawn has gone by the wayside!

Alan

 

 

 

Alan,

FYI cylinder mowers are still used quite a bit in correctional facilities. It allows for mowing grass by inmates within the walls without introducing flammable or explosive material such as gasoline or motor oil to the facility.

And they're a bit unwieldy to use as melee weapons. You could maybe get a swing or two before you're too tired to continue.