# Let's See Your Stack!



## Riaan (Oct 20, 2015)

You've probably heard about the activity colloquially known as "stacking", which is the collection of coins, bars and bullion as an "investment". Like so:




Anyway, that doesn't interest me much, what I *AM* interested in is seeing everyone's stash of raw materials and billets. Interesting materials get browny points!

(I don't have anything myself to show (yet )

Thanks!


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## John Hasler (Oct 20, 2015)

I don't really think you want to see pictures of broken-down balers, dead manure spreaders, and defunct hay rakes.


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## T Bredehoft (Oct 20, 2015)

Its scattered all over. Where I worked, the pattern shop threw out many many good pieces of mahogany, I've got it squirreled away under stair and behind cars, under work benches, anywhere it's out of the way. Someday....


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## 4GSR (Oct 20, 2015)

I have to watch my raw material stashes.  My brother in law want to haul it all off to the junk yard!  Especially the brass and aluminum!  He just doesn't understand my gold mine that I have!  Like the old saying goes, "You can't have it until you pry my cold dead hands from it!"


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## ch2co (Oct 20, 2015)

Like Tom, my stashes are in many places.  My little hobby shop is in a previous bedroom in the basement with limited space for much more than the tools that I use.
Four metal library shelves hold the small pieces of aluminum, brass, steel, stainless steel, and plastics in separate boxes. Some long stock mostly brass and aluminum bar, tubing, rod etc, stand on end in one corner. This is usually a currently-being-used stash. Plate and small pieces of sheet materials are stored on edge behind the drawer units holding up my 'standing up' workbench, and all the rest in the form of longer pieces of rod, bar, tube etc. is to be found outside under my shed,  which is about 8 -12" off the ground, where it can easily be pulled out from the side of the shed.  Most of my materials are stuff that is/was left over from past projects over the past 40 or so years, although some of it is several decades older from when I was a youngster. I have a habit of stopping by several metal recycling places in the area every now and then and scrounging around for anything that peaks my interest. 

Chuck the grumpy old guy


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## middle.road (Oct 20, 2015)

John Hasler said:


> I don't really think you want to see pictures of broken-down balers, dead manure spreaders, and defunct hay rakes.


I wouldn't be so sure about that. Some of the drive mechanisms on those pieces are rather interesting.


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## wrmiller (Oct 24, 2015)

All the room I have left in my little shop is this corner. I've been doing the 'squirrel thing' and accumulating some pieces for the winter shop season. We got snow in the mountains this week, and some resorts are talking about opening by the end of the month. Here's the little I have so far.




Middle shelf is 6061 aluminum on the right, a little brass and bronze in the middle, and 7075 on the left. Bigger stuff is in the back where you can't see it. Next shelf is various steels, and the floor is for the CI and heavier pieces. It should suffice for the Winter.


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## wawoodman (Oct 24, 2015)

wrmiller19, 
I see you have the Craftsman 2 inch belt sander. What do you use it for, and what belts do you run on it? I tried it for sharpening lathe cutters, but HS steel seems to rub the grit right off of the belts. For mild steel or aluminum, it's fine.

So for now, it's back to the ginder for the hss.


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## savarin (Oct 24, 2015)

oww! too neat and clean


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## kvt (Oct 24, 2015)

Ok, how do you guys keep things so neat and clean.   Mine always looks like a mess even when I work to clean it up.


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## wrmiller (Oct 24, 2015)

wawoodman said:


> wrmiller19,
> I see you have the Craftsman 2 inch belt sander. What do you use it for, and what belts do you run on it? I tried it for sharpening lathe cutters, but HS steel seems to rub the grit right off of the belts. For mild steel or aluminum, it's fine.
> 
> So for now, it's back to the ginder for the hss.



Hey Mike,
That is a MultiTool belt grinding attachment from Advanced Machinery that I stuck on the side of my Craftsman variable speed. I've not tried HSS as I don't use it. I use it primarily for shaping stuff mostly made of aluminum, mild steel, stainless, etc. I also use it to put custom grinds on my golf wedges. 

I get my belts from this place: http://www.vansantdistributing.com/2x36_Belts_p/blt362.htm




kvt said:


> Ok, how do you guys keep things so neat and clean.   Mine always looks like a mess even when I work to clean it up.


Hey Ken,
Mostly from entirely too much cleaning! Spent the better part of this afternoon organizing the material (I received some more this last week) and pushing a broom around. Didn't get to make a darn thing.


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## wawoodman (Oct 25, 2015)

Thanks, Bill!


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