[TheForge] standard materials on hand

[Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer]

terry l. ridder wrote:
> hello peter;
> 
> On Sat, 13 Jun 2009, Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer wrote:
> 
>> Terry;
>> You might consider going heavier on the sheet and get some different
>> weights of plate. Also some non-ferrous stock.
>>
> 
> the heavy sheet and plate has to wait until i have a safe way to handle
> them. having one good arm and zero good legs ;-) limits what weight of
> material i am able to handle safely by myself.
The small pick up crane would be good for that..with a plate clamp.
> 
> i need to build up the non-ferrous stock and sheet. i have two people
> who have seen items in paul nooner hasluck's book on tinsmithing, an ice
> tea barrel and the picnic basket kit. they both would like quotes on
> what is would cost them for those items. they are both good projects to
> gain experience in tinsmithing and regaining some of my fine motor
> control back on my hands.
excellent.
> 
>> I like to have shafting in various sizes as well as concentric round and
>> square tubing. An assortment of black pipe is handy too.
>> Round stuff from wire to bar in size is good too.
>>
> 
> i have a vast assortment of black pipe from all the propane lines i put
> in in the past years. i even have some left handed black pipe. drives
> people crazy when they see my paper weight of 4 elbows and 4 nipples
> with no unions. so far no one had guessed the way i made it. left handed
> pipe dies and taps were a find at an auction of an old plumbing
> business.
That's funny! I knew an old man who did a lot of his exposed plumbing in 
a similar manner just to drive folks nuts.
> 
>> An assortment of allthread sizes and matching nuts and washers.
>>
> 
> i figure that i have the rod stock and the dies i can make nearly any
> size threaded rod i have a need for.
All thread is cheap and very handy...threading by hand is slow.
> 
>> If you are where it's damp or salty..the lighter Ga of steel don't keep
>> well.
>>
> 
> with all the slime we have in illinois from all the corrupt politicians
> we have trouble keeping the materials clean. ;-)
They'll test your mettle for sure.
> 
>> Don't neglect to build up a little junk yard! I like drive shaft tubing,
>> bed frames, steering rods, truck axles, and all sizes of springs.
>> For a beginning...grin...pf
>>
> 
> building a junk yard is difficult because of the above physical
> limitations. dimco, dekalb iron and metal, the local scrap yard no
> longer allows looking for usable steel in the scrap. they had serious
> problems last year when scrap prices were high. alot of theft and such.
> the slimeballs spoiled it for us. :-(
Sigh...steel is cheap now and roadkill is more commonly available.
> 
> i have been looking at stopping at the remote farms and asking about
> their farm equipment that is parked rusting into the ground. my friend
> gary, stopped with his son at a business and asked about their equipment
> that was outside rusting and they let gary and his son salvage out some
> nice brass and bronze.
> 
>