Don't be afraid to ask!

B

bjalongi

Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
640
I spent some time driving around the industrial park near my house yesterday, asking the managers at various shops and industrial supply warehouses what they did with their scrap steel.

Here's what I brought home after only an hour of effort:

4 1/2 feet of 2" high strength industrial steel cable
20+ feet of new 2" bandsaw blade
10+ feet of new 1 1/4" bandsaw blade
6 worn out chainsaw chains
4 old lawn mower blades
2 worn out motorcycle chains
1 large semitruck wheel bearing


The key is being very polite and engaging them in casual and freindly conversation, before asking. It's tough to quantify how much I would have spent to acquire this much high carbon steel. A few of them even offered to save chains, blades, and bearings for me in the future!

This will keep me busy for quite a long time.

Thought I would share my good fortune with everyone. Thanks again for all the help from the old timers in this forum. Even though I haven't posted in a while, I check the makers forum daily.

Take care,
BJ
 
The large semitruck wheel bearing is made of case carburized steel and will not be any good for knife material. It's low carbon inside and high carbon shell, kind of like an M&M candy. When you go to forge it out, you'll lose most of the high carbon in the outer shell to decarb and diffusion with the inner low carbon soft core. In other words, you won't be able to get it hardened after forging.

Just thought I'd let you know before you put too much effort into it.
 
The lawn mower blades are likely to be of non-blade steel type,too. They are best left for making guards.
Stacy
 
I should try that in my town too, I would like some bandsaw blades, and something made of 52100, something like a leaf spring if i ever want to practise forging, and some wrought iron :D
 
Keith_H said:
I should try that in my town too, I would like some bandsaw blades, and something made of 52100, something like a leaf spring if i ever want to practise forging, and some wrought iron :D
Click to expand...

I dont know where in bc you are but if you go down river road in delta there are always always a few giant bandsaw blades or at least pieces along the roadside in the metal bins and such
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top