Glenn Posted December 17, 2005 Author Share Posted December 17, 2005 Sometimes when you visit the junk yard you need to look in the corners, behind things, in the odd areas. Then you need to recognize what the underside, the ends, the odd angles of things look like. When I turned this over - surprise - it is a forge ! The pan is maybe 28" diameter with two side tables. The rest of the story? Seems someone cleaned out an old garage. The forge went to the junk yard alone with the rest of the rusty metal. One junk yard worker took 20 to 25 pairs of tongs to his father to be hung on the garage wall as decoration. Maybe that many more tongs were added to other scrap and shipped out. :cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meco3hp Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Hello, My buddy sent me home with some goodies here the last few days. This is a chunk of small rail, about 48" long, but wore badly. this pic is of a chunk of PTO shaft, a couple of rods, some linkage and a spring from a lawnmower deck, a couple of A36 stb axels, and a old saw blade. this pic is of a 5/8"? rod, a chunk of 3/4" BP, and a mess of 1/8"x1" flats. this is a pic of a galv. box for quenching, couple of rods, a clamp, and a ground clamp, a couple of rods of verious shapes. this is the rest of the misc rods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolano Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Blah. It seems like everyone has scored something cool at a scrapyard but me. I found a 25 pound vise before, but I had a better one already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meco3hp Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 Nolano, Always keep your eyes open! I find stuff in the trash out by the curbs all the time. Bed frames, old excerise machines, car parts, all kinds of stuff. Most salvage yards turn stuff real quick when it gets there, can't make any money if they don't. If you see something laying around go ask if you can haul it off. Also tell everybody that your looking for scrap. You might get alot of stuff you don't want but go ahead and take it so they'll keep bringing it to you! Thanks Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 8, 2006 Author Share Posted January 8, 2006 Nolano, best advice I can provide to to stop looking and start seeing. There is metal all around us being thrown away at an amazing rate. You just need to locate someplace that uses metal to find the scrap. Let me provide you just one example to get your started - the local garage. Anytime the garage makes a repair, what do they do with the old part? They throw it away, leaf springs, coil springs, sheet metal, stearing linkage, torsion bars, the stearing column, bolts, bearing races, and all sorts of things. Or they throw it into a bin for delivery to the junk yard. The valves that are sometimes filled with sodium from what I have read. Leave them alone it is not worth the trouble. Follow the trail to the junk yard and who knows what can be found there. Just remember that they do not hold on to the suff forever, you have to keep looking every time you pass the location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolano Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 Well, I have a mechanic friend who I acquire leaf springs, coil springs, and torsion bars from, but the stuff I mean are like the people who get lucky and find a nice #250 anvil at a scrapyard and whatnot like that. The neatest thing I ever found at the scrap yard was some wierd old shear or maybe press kind of thing. I have no idea what it was. But I do try to go the scrapyard as often as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 Think of it this way Nolano, would you believe that I reckon you're the luckiest man around. I've been looking for a wierd old shear or maybe press kind of thing for donks (donkey's years). I wish I was where you were that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 this is a pic of a galv. box for quenching, couple of rods, a clamp, and a ground clamp, a couple of rods of verious shapes. And of a really neat looking chair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredlyFX Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 I love scrounging at yard sales. I seldom get out to the scrap yard because the closest one is about an hour drive from here, and from what I've heard tell I may mortage the house and go nuts if I ever go there. Here is a pic of my last great yard sale day. I picked up the air compressor for $300 at a yard sale. It's a 5hp Ingersol Rand with an 80 gal tank that worked great. I rented the trailer to get it home, and along the way stopped at another sale where a business that had repaired heavy trucks was closing down. I got the 2 tables and shelving unit and all kinds of other great stuff. Down inside the trailer is a whole pile of large U shapped shackle bolts used to bolt axles to springs, and a bunch of large pieces of brass that they had used to pound out bearings and things. I also got a nice 4 point lifting sling. I even got them to throw in a 5ft digging bar because it had a broken corner, and I had bought so much other stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meco3hp Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Fredlyfx, Welcome to IFI! Looks like you've got a nice haul there, the work bench looks good and stout! The AC would be welcome in my shop or most any shop out there. IR compressors or nice, easy to get parts for too! Keep up the good work! Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolano Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 Its still there, actually. Just came back today. Im sure with a major de-rusting and some modification, it could be a press. There was some neat stuff there. They even had large sharp carbide tipped sawblades, along with a lot of stuff you have to wonder why someone threw away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candidquality Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 withholding names and location to protect the not so innocent. I finally saw the guys working on the railroad and decided to stop and ask if they had any old spikes or pieces of track I might have. he said "sorry, I don't have any old ones at all." So I explained that I was going to make some knives from them. "how about a dozen or so new ones" he said with a grin. and proceeded to hand me 14 new spikes marked "W HC" I'm still grinning. not quite as exciting as a major find but a nice end to a long day nontheless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meco3hp Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 Hello, Did you get his name? It'd be nice to send him one after it was made into a knife. See guys, it never hurts to stop and ask! Thanks Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredlyFX Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 This was the luckiest scrounge I have ever made. I was at my local welding supply 2 weeks ago and we were just shooting the breeze. I had talked to him several times about a wire feed welder, but it always came down to not being able to afford one. I almost bought a worn out former rental from him once, but couldn't even afford that. So, out of nowhere he says, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandpile Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Good for you, Freddy. You got lucky on this one.. Probably you are pretty well up on your people skills. You might consider giving the man in the store some of piece of your work just show him you are proud of him.GRIN. Chcuk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredlyFX Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Yeah Sandpile, I have been building this relationship for a while. Even when I am in a hurry I take the time to stop and chat with the old guy whenever I buy anything. He is facinated by my forging. He has been a welder & fabricator all his life, but never did any forging. You were reading my mind. I was thinking tonight that I would make him something cool as a nice thank you. I've been playing with some cable trying to make some knives, and I will probably give him one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meco3hp Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 here's this past weekends new haul from my buddies! hope to have more next weekend! Now if it'd just rain so they'd lift the burn ban so I could forge something! the shorter chunk of pipe is drill casing, not sure about the longer one, although I think it is too. Also got a hand full of pullys off of verious elec. motors. the rest of the tube drops in a bucket, and one of the yard/shop cats, inspecting the latest haul. I know I"m not the only one that gets good stuff in all the time,,, lets see some more pics of your good finds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Burn Ban? two words: Propane Forge We're past being dry as dust here in NM but had a wet spring and so a lot of *very* dry grass and brush. The propane forge in the shop with the garage doors open doesn't lift an eyebrow from the local fire folk. With all those short pipe pieces you could go into production making bending jigs and selling them at a hammerin. Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meco3hp Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Hello, Thomas, 3 words, price of fuel! I've got a gasser, but I havn't got my little shop set up for it. It'd take a little work to do. I've got coal and it'd be easier to build a charcoal retort than to work on getting the gasser set up. Thats my thoughts on the tube drops also! now if there was any hammerins near by! The closest one is a 3 hr drive away. :cry: Anyways I ran across a find today!!!!!! I was headed down town and drove by a place that I guess the old folks had went to the oldfolks home or something. There was some furniture, a bagger from a riding lawn mower, and a old table saw!!!!! I know this isn't BSing related but the saw is such a find that I had to share it with you all! I've got another yardsale table saw, that I bought for $10, but this looks to be older and better built than it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 Yessir that is a good looking saw. Good find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 Cost of the propane for my forge is about $1 an hour---cheaper than a movie and I always try to make one "sales item" each time I fire up to cover it. You're only 3 hours to a hammer-in---you lucky devil! Most of the smithing meetings around here are at least 2 hours and for a hammer-in---I haven't heard of one that was less than a day's drive so far. I went 1500 miles to go to the SOFA Quad-State last year; do that a couple of times and you've paid for a power hammer... Nice saw---watch your fingers! I have a friend who's wife won't let him have a table saw, he's chopped off both index fingers---about 14 years apart and they did re-attach them... Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolano Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 A nice use for the table saw is to replace the blade with an abrasive cut off wheel. Makes an excellent cutter, for whatever kind of steel. And the blades only cost $3-4, tops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GobblerForge Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Make sure you get all the sawdust out before you cut steel. Might get exciting. Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meco3hp Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Hello, Here is the finished results! All thats needed to finish the beader is I need to get my wood lathe restored so I can turn a new wooden handle for it. I'm also looking for any dimensional drawings for dies. I've got a set of Ogee dies right now, but need to turn out some of the others on my metal lathe. Some of the dies I could figure out pretty easy, but some would be dificult. Anybody have a manual for one of these? Enjoy the pics! Thanks Richard . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henerythe8th Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Got a drill press? You can "turn" yourself a simple handle for now using it like a vertical lathe, I made a handle for my Champion blower that way. Granted it's not as smooth as one turned on a lathe, but it provides good grip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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