Election Sign Steel Gathering

[dwczerr]

Hello Group, I'm a longtime lurker making his first post. I reside in NC and have been working on constructing my workshop for the past two years and the end is near. I can't wait to get back to blacksmithing once I get moved in to the new shop.

With that in mind, and given the election next week, I was going to ask about scavenging steel from election signs. Seems that a lot of the smaller signs use 1/8" diameter steel for support, the cheap ones are plain and the more expensive signs appear to be zinc plated or galvanized (not a good choice). Obviously I would wait until the election is over, maybe head out late in the evening or the next day, but beyond that are there any other rules or proper etiquette for collection of these signs? Are they free for the taking, or does it depend on the candidate? Any other thoughts or suggestions on the subject? What items do you make out of this stock?

Thanks! David

[eyrian]

You really should not take signs from people's yards without asking, even if the election is over. Your best bet is just to go door to door, asking if you can have them. Depending on the sign, you may get a more positive reaction if you say you want to recycle them.

[dwczerr]

Eyrian, I agree completely about taking signs from people's yards - I should have been more descriptive in my original post that most of the signs around here are along routes with businesses, shops, and commercial development. I figured that signs at residences may have been obtained by the homeowner and hold some value to them, but the signs I've seen put out along the commercial areas are typically done by workers in a truck with 100's of signs.

However as you have pointed out, asking is the best route to go. I wonder who owns, intalls, or removes the masses of signs that are put out along the business corridors?

Thanks for the reply! David

[CurlyGeorge]

I agree. Ask first. You may be suprised at just how many you can gather. I have about two dozen in my shop, right now. I use them to make the prongs on weenie forks and on squirrel cookers, etc. They work great. I just arc weld them on.
Camp Cookin' - Blacksmith Photo Gallery
There are two holding the chickens and an extra behind the wind break.

[ironrosefarms]

Some candidates will collect as many of their signs for use the next election cycle as well. However in the past I contacted a loosing candidate who was glad to let me have all the signs he had to go out and pick up. Heck he even dropped them off at my home for me so I didn't even have any gasoline involved.

[Frosty]

They're owned by the candidate so you should contact him/er first. Other people's property is not up for grabs ethically.

Frosty

[Walking Dog]

There will be an abundance of abandoned signs in my neighborhood - more than I would need. I've used them in the past for wire wraps around a welded element to conceal the weld. Typically, I find 3/16-inch wire in the signs.

[ThomasPowers]

I have never worried about the ones placed on public rightaway along highway entrance ramps *after* the election. I know the maintenaince crews hate them as discarded ones lie in the grass and get wound up on the mowers come spring making a big mess for them.

For private property; even commercial property, *ask*. Of course frames with no signs---a common occurance out here in windy NM I consider up for grabs. Note that one good season will often outfit you for years to come.

I make basket S hooks from them, basket handles for camping pots (Revere ware has a nice handle stub to rivit to), and marshmallow roasters---take a piece and double it over and twist all but the end 4-6 inches. Form the tines from the open end and the handle by opening up the closed end a bit.

Good Hunting!

[Truman]

For local candidates, you should phone the person up (or their campaign HQ) and ask if they want their signs back and if not, if you can collect them.

Most responsible campaigns will pick their signs up after the polls close on Tuesday or the very next morning. Many candiates & parties save their signs (AND wire frames) for future elections.

However, any sign that is on public property a week after the election is abandoned property, i.e. litter.

[Sam Salvati]

Grab em before the election, no one needs that visual garbage laying about .

[ThomasPowers]

*NO* political speech is a shinning gift of the framers of the US constitution's bill of rights.

And even the folks I strongly disagree with have a right to it!

Of course I have asked my neighbors for their old sign's while not mentioning my private beliefs...

[Dutchmancreek]

The signs are the property of the particular campaign. Around here, couple of years ago, a person was prosecuted for theft when he was caught taking election signs from the public right of way. I'd contact the campaign headquarters and get permission, in writing, to collect them or ask the campaign to give them to you after they collect them. Getting arrested for minor theft would not be a good thing.

The same goes for picking up spikes, plates, etc along rail road rights of way. It's considered theft.

Steve

[Sam Salvati]

people like to throw out the damaged ones that get bent over, So you can get them one of two ways, charge them to fix the signs or just haul them away for them at no cost:D. How do they get bent over? just take a little detour with your right front tire in the middle of the night:D.

[jayco]

I can remember several years ago when the wire frame election signs first gained popularity around here. It seemed that every candidate for every office had a sign at every intersection.
That's a lot of signs!

The funny thing is.....for the first few years they were used .........no one picked them up......In fact, the county and state mowing crews ran their bushhogs right over them after the elections were over.

After a certain amount of time, folks started complaining of the 'trash' problem.
Kentucky has a program called " Adopt a Highway". ( in other words..you volunteer to pick up the trash along a certain section of highway.

My father-in-law adopted a couple of sections, and I wound up helping him a few times.
Needless to say, I now have plenty of the election sign wire in my resource pile!

Now, the candidates come back after the elections and pick up their signs ( at least most of them). They discovered that it was just good "PR" to do so.....

[dwczerr]

Wanted to say thanks to everyone for their input, certainly a variety of repsonses! I think at this point I will see if my local steel yard will special order some 1/8" (or 3/16" as one poster mentioned) stock in lieu of trying to collect election signs. Normally they don't stock it because, as they say, no one wants it and it gets damaged (bent & twisted) to easily to bother stocking.

Seems like it will probably be the simpler option, and I'll rest easy knowing it was obtained legally. It may cost a little more up front, but I bet it's cheaper than my wife posting bail and the cost of hiring a lawyer to avoid being prosecuted for theft!

Thanks everyone! David

[ThomasPowers]

If you don't mind straightening stuff the wire that they use for shipping large rebar is almost always discarded and is a very soft steel. Make a friend at a major construction site and *ask* for it.

My brother brought me a pickup load---probably a 3 lifetime supply at the rate I am using it.

Steve; are they also prosecuting the folks who put them up illegally? I've come close to having several accidents due to signs blocking the visibility on enterance/exit ramps.

I ask for any that are not bare wire; but we get a lot of bare wire ones left around here; shoot there is one I pass regularly that has been up since the last election---just not in a safe spot to retreive; it's not worth getting hit by a car!

[NateDJ]

I think at this point I will see if my local steel yard will special order some 1/8" (or 3/16" as one poster mentioned) stock in lieu of trying to collect election signs.

Try a wire supplier, they usually carry wire in these sizes and it would be much cheaper than special ordering I would think.

[CurlyGeorge]

Buy it, if you like. But I'm cheap!! I'll ask permission to remove signs, locally. That supply will be more than I'll use, before the next election.:)

[creek]

You can go to that persons election board office and ask if you can volunteer to pick up signs as your duty to the country, hehehe. They should be able to tell you where they are and a lot of signs are on public land, intersections, right of way on highways, and such. Have fun scavenging.

[ThomasPowers]

When I was voting this morning one of the ladies at the polls offered me all her signs after the election.

[divermike]

I was out taking signs down this morning (legally, as I am a zoning officer for the Town), and I stripped a bunch of em, and lo and behold, now my truck has a bunch of rose stems in it, yeeehaw!!

[Grant]

Good Morning All

I just lugged my load of campaign signs in; You just got to love congressman Purlmutter, long name and enthusiastic supporters. Makes for lots of long wire. In the past I have sent the mylar portion of the sign to the land fill. Has anyone come up with a clever use for the mylar and would you share?

Have a good day. -grant

[Frosty]

Frankly politicians here abouts are too cheap to use wire frames, they're all wood stakes.

The plastic signs can be used like cardboard to make boxes, etc. They also make pretty decent roofing shingles that will last several years provided you don't get a strong wind. A 4' x 8' campaign sign has been covering my coal bunker for six years and is still in good shape.

Frosty

[creek]

The signs could be used for folders to hold paperwork, I've also used them to make templets for making multiple parts. They could be put in the bottom your shoes to cover any holes in the soles so you don't wear holes in your socks.