Worlds most stupid recycled aluminum tech tip

These aluminum disks were supplied with the newer Monogram BiG T model kit from the last (2005) release.. To me they look like the bottoms of a pop or beer can...

 

For anyone else questioning my integrity, here in Florida the old signs are simply thrown out at the landfill sites, or like posted you simply get the old signs from the highway department. As I stated in the O/P, please DO NOT steal the signs off the roadside. Thank you.

 

Rocky, interesting you say that, I have been wondering about the actual alloy myself. I haven't tried to weld with it yet, but machining is a real pleasure. It's quite interesting, these signs are very old also, and zero sign of corrosion. I'm quite close to the beach here in south Florida too. TR

 

I went to a Okla. Highway Dept. surplus auction one time there was 2 piles of road signs that would have filled a semi that were auctioned off to the highest bidder. So i think they can be bought .
Good tech post . Making something yourself is more gratifying than buying something any day of the week.

 

I got my free road sign that was inbeded in my grill after drinking that $35 worth of beer!

 

Yep!! The place worked at before the layoff gave me a piece of 1/4" thick aluminum sheet.. And I made a carb heat shield out of it with mounting holes for both sides of the carb so I could mount a Holley fuel regulator on each side for quad fed fuel bowls.. I'll post a picture of it one of these dayz..

 

So, was it worth it????

 

I remember a certain now famous Funny Car Driver and HUGE team owner from So Cal that was having traction problems at Beeline Dragway in the late '70s during Fri Night qualifying and the next day they had a new rear spoiler extension that was aluminum on top. When you looked close at the back of it it had a ADOT (AZ Dept OF Trans) symbol on it... Hmmm...

 

I made a sand board out of Yield sign once. The smooth paint on the one side made it boogie right along on the sand/water.

 

And Dirty Dug your either and idiot...or an idiot...[/QUOTE]

And you're not smart enough to know when someone's pulling your chain. Who's the idiot now?

 

Well I'm in the "spend two hours to save a buck" club, so anything I can make instead of buying is a good thing to me! Unless I get in a hurry, and then it's just the oppostie!

 

Thank you everyone for the input and positive feedback. The heatshield is coming out quite nicely, and the material is a real pleasure to machine. It's all a postive experience, recycling, do-it-yourself, made better than you can buy one, and 100% MADE IN AMERICA!! I call that a traditional all American ingenuity WIN-WIN!! { I have $35 to now spend on my friends and buy them a beer }

 

I used a "No Shoulder" sign to make the firewall for my father's speedster, and the dash instrument clusters for both his and my speedster, and some tail light brackets . . . That sucker was 1/8" aluminum, took a while to get the retroreflective crap off wtih a razor though.

And no I didn't steal it, it had been used as "decoration" on the back of the first speedster project we purchased.

 

hey why not? my friend used a do not enter sign to fill the spare tire well in his 240mph Bonneville car. so yeah.. go for it.. $35 can be better spent on something else...

 

BangerMatt, I picked up a small can of the Aircraft Stripper at AutoZone, cost maybe about $10, and I probable didnt use a dollars worth. Put some on with a 10 cent H/F foam brush, waited 15 minutes and with a razor scraper, the sign side all came right off. Then a rince in some cold water, and I had a very nice piece of aluminum to work with.

 

So you got a stolen sign and made a speed part and saved $35. Now put the money on a gas card. Now when your ready to get out of jail and call a friend. Tell them where the gas card is so they can get you. .

Geez all this bla bla bla about a stolen sign and jail.

 

Thanks for posting man, got a couple that have been sitting in the back yard for years 'cause I could never figure out an easy way to get the reflective shit off. Gonna have to dig em out now

 

Iceberg460, glad I could help. our Autozone has 2 diffrent quart size paint strippers, I get the " aircraft " one. Its made by Klean-Strip, called LOW ODOR AIRCRAFT Remover. You might have a small spot or two with some residue, just hit the area with another coat just on the spots and wait 5 minutes. Its NON-COROSIVE to metals, just rinse with water.

 

Sorry man, just stuck the stupid part in to get folks to check out the post.

 

When I was living in Kansas we used to use cow pies for carb insulators. They's cheep n plentyful ifn ya live in the country...Just make sure you get a dry on or you''ll be in fer a BIG gushy suprize!

 

Holy SHIT!

 

Shrooms grow on those...

 

And you're not smart enough to know when someone's pulling your chain. Who's the idiot now?[/QUOTE]

way to throw it in reverse...you win, you got me...

 

Rolling through Nevada to Wendover the Nevada DOT has nice mile markers. And if your car happens to be # 331, that marker out in the middle of nowhere may look pretty good. My car is 104 which happens to be the turn off for Lovelock, so it has always been pretty safe. But one year the NHP came in the pits looking for cars with numbers matching newly missing signs. Crime doesn't pay. But it pays better if you grab your sign on the way home.

 

I think I found the stupid part - the folks missing the part about legally aquiring your signs.

Hell, I follow an online auction place that does county and town surplus and a while back a city near me had two lots of brand new never used signs up for bids. One all stop signs, one various types. Some old traffic lights, too. I forget the final price or how many in the lots but I think they went off for around $3 each for a group of 30 or 40. How about doing the whole side of the garage in Stop signs?

 

DING, DING, DING, we have a winner, rustynewyorker!!!!!!! thanks man. The only thing I would ever steal is a hot hippy chick away from my good friend pork-n-beaner Metal in general in Florida is rather pricey, and that much of .080" aluminum around here would be really quite expensive. If I lived somewhere else, I would buy some used ones without thinking too. They clean up real nice and machine like butter. We here in Florida have a pretty good turnover of signs. Lots of senior citizens and general crazy's and of course accidents. They promptly replace the signs that may have any damage. I grew up in Orange and Ulster county's, that anywhere near you?

 

That explains it.............................

 

signs signs ??? we have had signs lol

 

I agree with the do it yourselfers, but splurge on the good stuff that $18.00 a 30...........

 

I smell popcorn.......