Sources of FREE handle material?

C

cjensema

Joined
Dec 29, 1998
Messages
288
A friend of mine who makes guitars gives me his exotic wood scraps.

Awhile ago someone mentioned finding shipping pallets made of cherry wood.

Someone else said he makes handle material by epoxying cloth strips together. (Works... I tried it.)

Dr. Lathe mentioned using broken CF airboat propellers for handle material.

Can other people suggest interesting sources of FREE handle material?


 
Meat processing plants use delrin sheets for counter tops and friction surfaces and throw them away if they get worn in the center too bad. the edges are usually thick enough to clean up for slabs.

A piece of 8 or 10 inch pvc pipe with walls over 1/2 in thick can be cut up and flattened into slabs.

Furniture manufacturers often throw away scraps of nice wood that can be used if you have access to a vacuum stabilizer.

various colors and thicknesses of fiberglass are used in boat building and can be scrounged as scraps.

People that cut firewood this time of year are usually willing to keep an eye out for burls for a very minimal price and give you a call. They usually KNOW their wood, but may have another purchaser for it already.

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I love my country! I just don't trust my government!
 
New home construction sites have a myriad of handle materials available. I've seen people almost make a living off of gathering the excessive materials that contractors just throw away. Just be sure to stick to the dumpsters - wouldn't want to end up in jail for pilfering the new stuff.
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Kelly

SenatorsPlace.com
AKTI Member #A000289

Deo Vindice


 
I roam around the local dump and am able to take pretty much anything I want. I also go to mini-sawmills and get to know the owners, they usually LOVE wood talk. Just got some "red" birch...awesome. Check the local scrap yards, got some stainless parts off an old truck, keep your eyes open.
 
try plastic distributers. they usually dont like to inventory small pieces. Especially if they have no idea about making knives.Buy them coffee or take a free bee of your's and present it to one of the salespeople.Believe me they'll almost always "overpay" you
 
If you live anywhere close to a port city get to know a long shoremen! I am still amazed at what other countries will use to make pallets....i.e. African blackwood, Lignum vitae, ironwood, bubinga!!!

Also, my uncle drives truck and he gets some pretty odd pallet material sometimes. He brought me a piece of wood that's 3"x4"x4' and it weighs about 43 lb.! Not even the biology prof or forestry tech at WSU has figured out what it is yet. All I know is it's orange with purple veins.

For those law-breakers, a speed limit sign makes a great spacer material. Not that I would ever accept a 25 mph sign in high school from a classmate for such a thing...

Saw mills still use lignum vitae for bushings and if you look at the old ones they replace, sometimes there is some pretty grain and it's so oily it needs no finish.

Nick
 
Try old microelectronic circuit. Remove all parts, clean surface with sandpaper, stick together 2 sheets (use epoxy resin) and you have very nice and cheap G-10.
 
Just enjoy the outdoors. Whilst walking in the woods, it's very easy to collect small pieces of timber; I don't say you should cut down some trees, but the leftovers of the forestry workers (wood harvesting) can be very interesting. I've found a piece of beech, sawn of the stem (it was some kind of wood cancer). I showed the finished knife to a wood trader and he didn't even recognize the wood.
I don't know the exact time of the year the deer drop their antlers, but in Belgium, it's possible to collect antlers (it's no sambar, but it's for free) during the months of march-april. One has to be quick, the mice eat them.
It's also possible to collect discolored woods. Many carpenters don't use brown colored ash, red colored beech, ... and sell it very cheep (or give it away).
Check out the smaal wood samples wood traders give to customers and technical school use for teaching wood determination. I bought a couple of interesting pieces of wood (in Belgium): zebrano, padouk, curly maple and ash, ... for 0,5 $ a piece (size appr. 14 cm long, 8 cm broad and 1 cm thick). It makes nice handles.
 
couldnt anyone get in touch with a indy car racing team, everytime they smash up one of them cars, there should be an ample supply of carbon fiber, or even some Ti.?

Also used turbine blades arent they made of stellite or talonite?? for blades i mean.



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Claus Christensen

When you have playboy channel, why get married
 
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