[TheForge] Re: standard materials on hand

[Mike Spencer]

Terry Ridder wrote:

> ...i was wondering what others keep as a 'standard' supply of metal
> on hand at most times.

It's going to be really hard to compare. Matter of taste, matter of
what work comes in the door, available tooling, lifting capacity etc.

FWIW, I find that 4 items are the handiest for bailing me out of "gotta
make a widget now" occasions:

  + 16 ga. m/s sheet.  
           Heavy enough to make sturdy stuff, light enough to cut
           easily with a nibbler, Beverly or sabre saw.  Heavy enough
           to weld easily.

  + 1/4" x 1"
           Make all kinds of brackets, pivots, hangers, braces,
           cleats, etc. etc.

  + 1/8" x 3/4"
           Same as above, for littler widgets.

  + 1" x 2" HSS 
           Make light but really sturdy stuff that will support a
           couple or three tons. Anvil- or tool-stands, truck
           extensions or racks, electric motor mounts or hangers,
           machine supports or braces. Anything short of earthmover-
           or excavator-level abuse.


Otherwise, find it's guesswork.  I have some new solid-bar stock that
I haven't touched in several years.  Discovered that my dozen pieces
of 1" black pipe that were supposed to be a lifetime supply nearly
vanished over night when ad-hoc-ing a temposary deer fence together.
Have some 3/8" round that I bought circa 1979 and haven't used up.

pf> Don't neglect to build up a little junk yard! I like drive shaft
pf> tubing, bed frames, steering rods, truck axles, and all sizes of
pf> springs.  For a beginning...grin...pf

Yeah.


- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^