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Ideas on getting free/inexpensive stock/scraps
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Yes, I have a local Tractor supply etc. where I can buy metal. But as with most subjects, I find experienced people have tricks up their sleeve. I just want some stuff to learn to turn with. B/c I am not experienced I am thinking old railroad spikes, making a forge and melting aluminum cans (I know its low grade, but i just want to learn to make chips with different metals), large bolts, etc. But what are some ideas other hobbyists have found for obtaining metal to turn while not cracking open the wallet and shelling out big bucks? I don't even have projects in mind really, just wanting the hands on experience with different metals.
Thanks for any ideas, Lee |
开云体育
A railroad spike is going to be very hard and depending on the lathe you have, might be too much to ask from it.?
Go online to ebay and buy metal from there. You can find cut off drops of a foot or less in length for 10-20 bucks.?
Buy some aluminum, brass, and 12L14 steel. stay away from the high grade steels like 4140 as they are harder to machine with a small lathe.?
Don't be afraid to screw up. that is how most of us learn. plus, youtube has a lot of beginner?videos.
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Lbrewer42 <lbrewer_42@...>
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2024 10:15 AM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: [atlas-craftsman IO] Ideas on getting free/inexpensive stock/scraps ?
Yes, I have a local Tractor supply etc. where I can buy metal. But as with most subjects, I find experienced people have tricks up their sleeve. I just want some stuff to learn to turn with. B/c I am not experienced I am thinking old railroad spikes, making
a forge and melting aluminum cans (I know its low grade, but i just want to learn to make chips with different metals), large bolts, etc. But what are some ideas other hobbyists have found for obtaining metal to turn while not cracking open the wallet and
shelling out big bucks? I don't even have projects in mind really, just wanting the hands on experience with different metals.
Thanks for any ideas, Lee |
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On 3/21/24 09:15, Lbrewer42 wrote:
Yes, I have a local Tractor supply etc. where I can buyUgh!? Both of these materials will NOT be easy to machine! Aluminum cans are pure aluminum (1000 alloy) and will tear and crumple when you try to machine it.? Harder alloys (2024, 6063) are much easier to machine. I have no idea what railroad spikes are made of, but I can't imagine they are anything considered? to be "free machining". Jon |
开云体育Shop... no one place is always best. I get most of my metals from the local metals scrap yards.? I'm in Portland OR and there's one with a good supply of aluminum.? They have pretty much everything but for steel I like one in Salem OR. I've also had good luck at the new metal houses.? Some have surplus bins other will sell odd ends to the hobbyist at a good discount.? It helps a lot if you take the whole piece... like you need 10" and the one on the shelf is 19.5"... take the whole piece. Keep an eye out for "good stuff".? If you see a piece of stock that fits the kind of thing you do, grab it... save a trip and a lot of time later. Greg Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device |
开云体育McMaster Carr has drill rod and 12L14 in round stock at decent prices.?You can also see if your local scrap metal recycling company might let you buy from them.? On Mar 21, 2024, at 7:58?AM, Peter Ross <rosspm@...> wrote:
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? See if you have a Metal Supermarket? In your area. They usually have what you want. Our store in Raleigh. Nc has a rack of short left over(drops) at reduced prices.
On Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 10:43:02 AM EDT, Jon Elson <elson@...> wrote:
On 3/21/24 09:15, Lbrewer42 wrote: Yes, I have a local Tractor supply etc. where I can buyUgh!? Both of these materials will NOT be easy to machine! Aluminum cans are pure aluminum (1000 alloy) and will tear and crumple when you try to machine it.? Harder alloys (2024, 6063) are much easier to machine. I have no idea what railroad spikes are made of, but I can't imagine they are anything considered? to be "free machining". Jon |
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And is much more dangerous. Pouring molten metal can be very hazardous.
On Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 10:58:28 AM EDT, Peter Ross <rosspm@...> wrote:
go to a local welding shop and buy some drops. setting up a forge and melting aluminum may be fun but won't be less expensive than buying new material.? |
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Glenn N
开云体育Scrap steel right now is hardly worth hauling into the breakers, so it is usually easy to find drops and left over chunks of unknown steel. Learn to spark test it for carbon and then test with a file for hardness.You don't say what part of this earth you are on so it makes it tough to be specific. Knowing what kind of lathe you have might be helpful too. I turn a lot of old axles on my 12" A/C. Sometimes I have to anneal things if it is too hard to start with. You can download an app called iScrap from the play store to locate metal suppliers near you. Many times old plumbing parts have very usable bits of brass. For melting aluminum I like pistons mixed with some extrusions. Last batch came out awesome and made some nice blocks to carve on the mill and a round disk to make a sanding disk out of... when I get there LOL. Here in Oregon we get 10? a can so it is not reasonable to melt them down for anything. Collect them trade em in and buy a hunk of real metal. The other issue with cans is the chance of getting some liquid left and causing a steam expulsion. So for me, I get my metal from friends and acquaintances that know I have a shop. If I have a project that requires a bunch of metal I just go to the yard and buy it. After 25 years or so of collecting I have a pretty fair stockpile. One more tip I have. Mark any known metals so you will know what they are. 12L14 turns wonderfully, as long as you don't need to weld it. Spend some time reading about the properties of the different metals. When you go "dumpster diving" take a magnet and a small file with you to help identify metals. Drive around an look for places that use metals and don't be afraid to knock on some doors. Also, very important, figure out how and where you are going to store it all. One nice trick for shorts (less than 4 feet) I made a box around some pieces of 4" ABS pipe, longer in back and shorter in front. On 3/21/2024 7:15 AM, Lbrewer42 wrote:
Yes, I have a local Tractor supply etc. where I can buy metal. But as with most subjects, I find experienced people have tricks up their sleeve. I just want some stuff to learn to turn with. B/c I am not experienced I am thinking old railroad spikes, making a forge and melting aluminum cans (I know its low grade, but i just want to learn to make chips with different metals), large bolts, etc. But what are some ideas other hobbyists have found for obtaining metal to turn while not cracking open the wallet and shelling out big bucks? I don't even have projects in mind really, just wanting the hands on experience with different metals. |
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Lee,
Good question and some good suggestions. ? ? I have one more to add, in addition to browsing machine shops and Metal supply houses for ‘drops’.? Due to the high prices of machine tools…..drills, endmills and the like, you might want to think about starting with mostly aluminum and brass materials, since your tools will last longer.?Especially Aluminum and specifically 6061-T6 ( commonly referred to as ‘aircraft aluminum’)……..anywhere you can find it. Scrap yards IMO, can be a crap-shoot when finding specific materials unless the operator/owner can point them out to you…..you’ll be buying by the pound. ?Lots of the stuff you see in the bigbox stores is a little softer than 6061-T6 unless it is printed on the material itself. ? I had the good fortune of finding a Metal supply house that would let me browse thru their ‘drop’/scrap box and take anything I wanted. I visited them often, although sometimes the box was empty) Eventually they started selling their scraps to one company and my supply dried up. But by that time I?had a pretty good supply stored up. :) I might add that I was? also a small over-the-counter customer of theirs, so they knew me. Good luck, it’s a great hobby. Tom? ? |
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On Thu, Mar 21, 2024, 8:00?AM Greg via <gregj=[email protected]> wrote:
Greg, I'm in Portland also. I have an abundant supply of steel rod and hex. If you need something, I'll trade for the name of your aluminum scrap yard? ??. Email me off list Rex |
开云体育
Be careful if you are not familiar with brass. It can tend to dig in because it is so soft. It is normally drilled and turned with zero or negative rake tools, including special brass drills that have zero rake flutes. Read up on it before you get surprised.
A light duty lathe or drill setup (IE: hand holding the piece being drilled with a large diameter drill on the drill press table). |
开云体育I believe Clickspring has a vid on YouTube on how to modify?
drill bits for brass , may have something lathe tools too animal
On 3/21/24 3:29 PM, rfmarchi1 wrote:
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开云体育I agree that buying it from a known supplier is good when you know what you want to make and want to know its properties so it will work best.? However if you are not picky I have a few suggestions. ?I work at a print shop and the machines there are all serviced regularly which means that parts like rollers are routinely tossed out when needing to be replaced.? Most of them are made with very nice steel so I bring them home and have made many projects with them.? You may find a local business that might do the same.? Also I have purchased drops at a local metal fabricator shop picking though their scrap bin.? I usually go about 11:00 am so when I bring my find for the day to the office, the guy sitting behind the desk is thinking about lunch.? He is wondering where he is going and how much that might cost.? I always pay in cash.? Usually I get a good deal when he sees his lunch money in my hand. ? John Johnson |
开云体育While just practicing making chips without a project in mind may seem like a good idea, in reality it’s not. ?Yes, you can practice with 12L14, brass, delrin and other free-machining materials, but the projects you eventually pursue will likely require materials with different properties. ?You may as well start working with them now, because learning the tricks of machining them is just as important as learning how to operate your lathe itself.Someone mentioned 4140 as a difficult steel. ?Yes, it won’t turn as nicely as 12L14, but there times when 4140 pre-hard is exactly what you need. ?And it really doesn’t turn too badly. I don’t think I’d waste my time on railroad spikes. ?Junk auto or truck axles are another matter. ?Pretty tough to turn as found, but put them in a wood stove overnight and they are much easier. Take on some projects. On Mar 21, 2024, at 10:16 AM, Lbrewer42 <lbrewer_42@...> wrote:
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Lee,
purely based on .... "I am not experienced" People here are much more experienced than me so take this for what it's worth. As I went down my inexperience path here's what I do different..... ? Start your journey with maybe only the one think you'll know... what the material is. I could get cut offs, surplus from a local steel supplier. Pile it all on a scale and pay $/lb, no matter the type of steel. Can get a lot for $20, but you may or may now now what the material it is and being inexperienced I wasn't proficient with the spark test either.? Chuck in in the machine.... this piece I'm doing pretty good, this piece not so much. ????? lots of variables to learn, the machine itself, speeds/feed, cutting tool geometry, material and properties yada yada yada. Eliminate the one variable that easiest to? control, the material. I'd BUY a known steel material, low carbon, or free machining. Get a $20 hunk of 1" diameter low carbon, sketch up some type of fake shaft of different diameters and tolerances, shoulders etc and have at it.? I'd not mess with brass until you at least get comfortable with that, it can be nasty for the first time apprentice.? I''d skip the aluminum for now. -- Kevin B. |
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Whenever I have to swing by the dump, I go to the metal dropoff to see what's there. You never know what comes up, but a lot of times I'll see scrap that's good for welding or making something out of. Whenever I see a bed frame thrown out, I snap it up because it's a great source of angle iron. Sometimes there's rebar which is good for round stock. It rarely happens, but sometimes there's a rim made of aluminum that I can melt down to bar stock. It's always worth a look, since it's all free. On Thu, Mar 21, 2024 at 10:16?AM Lbrewer42 <lbrewer_42@...> wrote: Yes, I have a local Tractor supply etc. where I can buy metal. But as with most subjects, I find experienced people have tricks up their sleeve. I just want some stuff to learn to turn with. B/c I am not experienced I am thinking old railroad spikes, making a forge and melting aluminum cans (I know its low grade, but i just want to learn to make chips with different metals), large bolts, etc. But what are some ideas other hobbyists have found for obtaining metal to turn while not cracking open the wallet and shelling out big bucks? I don't even have projects in mind really, just wanting the hands on experience with different metals. |
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On 3/22/24 19:23, eddembowski wrote:
Whenever I have to swing by the dump, I go to the metalBed frames are horrible stuff.? Yes, it looks like angle iron, but is VERY hard and tough on cutting tools. Jon |
Lbrewer42
Jim F
Clayton Percy
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