[simpits-tech] Interesting Visit

[simpits-tech@simpits.org]

Brian Sikkema wrote:
> 
> I know I'm going crazy now that I've gotten checked out in the metal shop at
> my school. I can build anything I want, so long as I provide the material.
> Once I get some money, I'll be turning out Mercsim parts like there was no
> tomorrow! :)

Check the metal scrapyards. I've bought hundreds of pounds of perfectly
good steel for about a quarter a pound. Aluminum is substantially more
expensive, but can still be had pretty cheap. I use www.onlinemetals.com
for new aluminum or, if I'm in a hurry, I hit Metal Supermarket in
Houston. A bit more expensive, even after shipping, but I can get most
anything I need NOW.

If you have access to a small foundry at school (not real far fetched,
really), try and keep the swarf swept into a clean bucket, melt it down,
skim it, and pour ingots. I might even be able to hook you up with
people that will buy clean aluminum ingots for their own casting
projects.

I'm working on a project right now that starts with a 2" dia. x 6" long
chunk of 6061-T6 aluminum and will be turned down to 1.75" with some 2"
flanges about halfway down, bored out to 1.5" for 5", then it gets a
latching cap made with a small air filter on the top and some AN
fittings in the sides. It starts out as about 3 pounds of metal and will
weigh about 8 ounces when done. Just an oil-air separator/crank breather
setup for my bike so it's not blowing oil back in the carb from the
rocker boxes. I'll be collecting that swarf, but I'm not sure why since
I can't melt it down yet. Hmm... I could fire up the torch and melt it
down in a ceramic crucible... That might work.
-- 
Steve
mysticz28@swbell.net
Jesus saves, Budda enlightens, Cthulhu thinks you'll make a nice
sandwich.