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How to score free metal for your project

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by fiat128, Jan 13, 2009.

  1. fiat128
    Joined: Jun 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,426

    fiat128
    Member
    from El Paso TX

    From the "I'm a poor ass" school of problem resolution:

    I keep a close eye on my local craigslist and freecycle. Every couple of weeks someone seems to always post a "Free scrapmetal" ad. You've got to be really quick because hundreds of scrappers are watching too but sometimes you get there first. Sometimes is crap, sometimes it's great stuff.

    Yesterday I answered one that said it was a fence and got several hundred feet of good useable square tubing in pretty good shape. It looks like this fence was up less than a year or so and it's hardly rusty. The larger stuff will probably be used to replace the rotted wood frame of my cab and the smaller stuff for all sorts of misc needs, like bracing the cab, the battery tray, behind the dash etc.

    The one I answered before that yeilded a yard full of mostly junk but mixed in were lots of 50s-70s car parts, which I have been selling off to fund my project (as much as I tried to "wish it true", I didn't find any vintage speed parts).
     

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  2. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,820

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    free is good. the guy next door to me builds X-Ray equipment and always brings back the old stuff and puts it out for the scrappers so I go out and pilfer all the stainless hardware and fancy knurled knobs and other goodies off it, as well as any useble steel.
     
  3. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,775

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    I got a big sheet of new steel plate from the scrapper who lives across the street. I paid him $10 for it but he really wanted to give it to me. I said I was just apying him for his labor and delivery expenses. He smiled and now he asks me if there is anything I want/need . I told him I'd like to see any new metal he gets, shop drops, etc. I'm sure that steel would have cost me $60-80 at a steel place.
     
  4. Mark Lester
    Joined: Dec 12, 2008
    Posts: 224

    Mark Lester
    Member

    I got a couple of those "scrapper" guys who come by regularly. they are some of the best guys I know! don't know what I would do with out them and they're always on hand to haul stuff away too! Just got all the new copper pipes for my new radiator tanks from one. Yep, I say bless the scrappers!
     

  5. Von Rigg Fink
    Joined: Jun 11, 2007
    Posts: 13,418

    Von Rigg Fink
    Member
    from Garage

    I work and live close to 2 steel mills and 2 large steel scrapping facilities..I have all kinds of scrap steel of all sizes and thickness.
    I get it free, off the side of the road.
    This year alone I have probably passed up more scrap than i could take.
    there is a portion of the freeway that i take to and from work each day, it has been under construction (a 42 mile stretch has always had something going on for the past 7 years)
    while sitting in traffic jams and anytime i see stuff on the side of the road I pull over and throw it in the back of my pickup truck..so far have made alot of shit for the last 2 projects just out of what i have found on the side of the road.
     

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