# Nice Stuff in the Garbage



## ddickey (May 17, 2017)

Can't believe how much nice stuff gets thrown away were I work. I saw a nice carbide lathe tool the other day that looked perfectly fine. Nice peices of alloy that I would love to have. I don't want to get fired yet though so to the recycling place it goes.


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## Terrywerm (May 17, 2017)

I feel your pain. I used to see the same sort of thing from time to time at employers I've had in the past.

Here's a good one for you, at my current employer:  We ended up with a new maintenance manager a couple of years ago. He decided that the mechanics did not need a heavy bench with a nice large Wilton vise on it. So the whole bench got cut up and placed in the scrap bin, vise and all. The bench grinder got tossed out too, a nice 10" Delta. They also had a nice Ellis horizontal bandsaw that suddenly quit working. It needed a motor, and the new manager being a self proclaimed expert decided that we no longer needed such a saw and that it should be disposed of. Sure enough, a number of people (including yours truly) offered to purchase the derelict saw, but instead one of the employees (who the new manager has taken an extreme  liking to) got to take it home for free!

Advance the clock 18 months and now the shop has a new shop built steel bench and a brand new Ellis bandsaw.  The same manager suddenly had a change of heart for who knows what reason.

The truck-trailer shop used to have a man-lift so the mechanics could work safely on the upper portions of the trailers. The maintenance manager decided that the processing plant needed the man lift more than the truck shop does, so now the man lift sits in the plant, rarely if ever used. Over the last couple of years the truck shop mechanics have placed several requests for a man lift, but they were told that they don't need one, and that ladders are just fine. Two weeks ago one of the trailer mechanics fell off of a 12 foot ladder while working on the lights at the top rear of the trailer, suffering broken bones and other injuries. Guess what suddenly showed up in the trailer shop yesterday??  I won't tell you, because the answer is just to obvious, but I can tell you that it has shiny new paint!


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## mikey (May 17, 2017)

Someone is going to have a serious discussion with the maintenance manager someday, Terry.


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## Ulma Doctor (May 18, 2017)

i always made it a practice to simply ask my employer if i could have whatever might otherwise get thrown out.
after a couple weeks of faithfully asking my boss, He said i could take whatever i wanted and not to ask him again for permission


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## Terrywerm (May 18, 2017)

mikey said:


> Someone is going to have a serious discussion with the maintenance manager someday, Terry.



Maybe. He started as the maintenance manager, then became the production and maintenance manager, and recently became the general manager, also putting him over transportation. Needless to say, I don't like the guy and don't get along with him. That's all I am going to say about him because I was brought up learning "if you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all."

Oh, did I happen to mention that he is the brother of our regional manager?   That may not be enough protection for him though, as I suspect that there will be multiple lawsuits over this latest accident and the corporate big shots will be looking for a head to put on a platter.

On top of it all, this manager is now "leading the charge" to start a fund raising effort for the mechanic that fell.

I better not say any more. My blood is already starting to boil... again.

Enough said on that. Besides, we need to get this thread back on track and it's original subject.


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## Dave Smith (May 18, 2017)

Ulma Doctor said:


> i always made it a practice to simply ask my employer if i could have whatever might otherwise get thrown out.
> after a couple weeks of faithfully asking my boss, He said i could take whatever i wanted and not to ask him again for permission




I always had permission to take unwanted items and scrap home, and in the 23 years I worked for the company --many times when machines broke down and they couldn't get parts ---I would bring back parts needed to keep production running ----I would just tell them to give them back when they were finished using them---I have been retired now for 12 years and still have a lifetime supply of supplies from being a good scrounger---remember that most items have many other uses besides what they were made for---what is sad is when the items just get thrown in the trash garbage so no one can salvage them----Dave


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## mikey (May 18, 2017)

terrywerm said:


> Enough said on that. Besides, we need to get this thread back on track and it's original subject.



Okay, I agree but there is a clear difference between leadership and position and as they say, the higher you climb, the more your underwear shows. 

Be safe at work, Terry.


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## 4ssss (May 18, 2017)

I happened to be in Florida years back and knew a guy that worked for Pratt and Whitney in Palm Beach.  I was able to visit their "dump" on one occasion and never forgot the site. Besides keeping an eye out for gators, (it was in the middle of a swamp) there were EDM's, drills, mills, grinders, millions of pounds of equipment, tons and tons of drills and cutting tools in crates, ( and I'm not talking a #60, they were 2" and up), all sitting outside in the Florida sunshine uncovered.  I stood there looking at all that stuff rusting away and couldn't believe it was scrap, and thinking even with all the rust on them, SOMEONE would want and need  them, remembering some shops I worked in had machinery that looked worse. I'm sure in some way we paid for all that, and it was easier to replace than keep.


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## chips&more (May 18, 2017)

I repurpose just about everything. You will not find anything useful in my garbage can.


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## RJSakowski (May 18, 2017)

We shared building with an engineering firm.     Some time in the distant past, when salvaging was allowed, an employee of theirs was spotted loading a newly constructed workbench into his pickup truck.  A manager asked him what was up and the employee replied that i the workbench had been scrapped.  The manager happened to know that the bench had just been made.  The employee was fired and a strict policy of absolutely  no salvage allowed.

Fast forward.   They were shutting down their operation and threw decades worth of accumulated stuff into the dumpster.  Employees were hauling out cart loads of various items.  I managed to snag two lab ovens, unopened boxes of nitrile gloves, new personal protection suits, and a like new 10 lb. sledge w/ fiberglass handle, a roll of 1" Tygon tubing, along with other items. 

Our company was a startup and generally strapped for cash.  We spied them throwing out office partitions and asked if we could have them instead.  They agreed and even sent two of their maintenance people to set them up for us.  Much better than going into landfill.

Many companies institute no salvage policies to combat employee theft.  It is a shame that a few bad apples force policies like that but that seems to be the way the world works.


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## hermetic (May 18, 2017)

I have just had a friend walk in the door and tell me that the UK utility he works for (ultimately owned apparently by Warren Buffet) has just thrown 6 honda powered hydraulic breaker power packs in a skip, because they have no further use for them They are virtually unused!!


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## wawoodman (May 18, 2017)

The same sort of thing happened at Online Metals, here in Seattle. They used to have a "drops shelf" where they would put short pieces of almost anything, sold by the pound.

One day, gone. I was told the local bums would come in and clean it out when nobody was at the front desk, and take it to the recyclers for dope money.

So, no more.


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## pineyfolks (May 18, 2017)

The shop I worked at pitched everything once the job was complete. All types of metal and tooling plus fixtures. They let anyone in the shop take whatever they wanted for their own use. My boss got to the point of asking me if I wanted it before tossing it in the dumpster. We also had full use of the shop at lunchtime on any piece of equipment that wasn't setup for a job. Needless to say I'm fully stocked and tooled for the rest of my days. Sure miss that place.


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## ddickey (May 18, 2017)

I bet that was a ma and pop organization.
I worked for a school bus company for some time. Three brothers built it up to a very wealthy company. I had a key to the place and I was welcome to come in on nights and weekends and have full use of the shop. The only requirement was to clean up after yourself and make sure all the tools were put where I found them. Between runs I'd talk turkey with the mechanic and jack up a bus here and there. Well, the owners were getting up in the years and sold the whole operation to one of the largest transportation companies in the world. Needless to say all that stopped right quick. They painted a line on the garage floor that we couldn't cross it was ridiculous and a nice environment turned to crap. Heck I even stored my motorcycle there sometimes. Oh well, all good things must come to an end I guess.


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## JPMacG (May 21, 2017)

My employer (large aerospace) regularly disposes of old but very high quality (Agilent, Tektronix) electronic instrumentation... oscilloscopes, network analyzers, power meters, etc.  They go to a used equipment dealer who pays pennies on the dollar, or less.   My employer will not sell directly to employees because of liability issues.   The used equipment dealer is bonded and insured.


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## ddickey (May 21, 2017)

I think I'm in the wrong business.


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## brino (May 22, 2017)

A few years ago I asked our lab manager if I could take some cut-offs from a re-cycling bin.
He said "No! No one is allowed to take things out of the recycling, we have a company that sorts everything and sells the scrap. However if they were in the garbage can over here, you could take them."
As he said it he moved the parts from the recycling bin to the garbage can and walked away. 

-brino


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## ddickey (May 30, 2017)

Today there is a nice little Kennedy box in the trash. Looks like a box to keep screws sorted. I've never seen one before.


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## woodchucker (May 30, 2017)

ddickey said:


> Today there is a nice little Kennedy box in the trash. Looks like a box to keep screws sorted. I've never seen one before.


Grab it, send it to me, I'll refinish it for you to look at..while I use it.


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## ddickey (May 30, 2017)

Doesn't need refinishing. It looks perfect. Maybe I'll try to sneak a photo.


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## woodchucker (May 30, 2017)

ddickey said:


> Doesn't need refinishing. It looks perfect. Maybe I'll try to sneak a photo.


Even better


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## Scruffy (May 30, 2017)

Good frond went to work for a large auto manufacture near in r&ad as a machinist. 2 no day their a engineer brought him a print of a hold down fixture, and told him to make a material list to build it.
My friend went out back and looked around in the scrap, built the fixture in 3 hrs and almost lost his job!!!
Thanks ron


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## ddickey (May 31, 2017)

Couldn't sneak off a photo.
They were also scraping a metal drawers type cabinet. You know those long short drawers that go the length of the cabinet. where you would keep drill bits and taps things like that. Perfect shape, would be an awesome addition to the garage. Oh there were two very large bronze bushings in there also.


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## ddickey (May 31, 2017)

Well I'll be!
Reading another post here and saw a pic of the box in a craigslist add that was posted. This is it.


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## woodchucker (May 31, 2017)

ddickey said:


> Couldn't sneak off a photo.
> They were also scraping a metal drawers type cabinet. You know those long short drawers that go the length of the cabinet. where you would keep drill bits and taps things like that. Perfect shape, would be an awesome addition to the garage. Oh there were two very large bronze bushings in there also.


you need to talk to someone about getting that stuff for your shop.


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## RHayes (Jun 3, 2017)

Have a friend that works at a tool rental shop.  When it comes to chainsaws, the policy is to install a brand new chain each time the saw is rented to avoid arguments about the saw being sent out in dull condition.  Works for me,  I now have a life time supply of 91 driver chain.


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## mcostello (Jun 3, 2017)

A computer store bid on a job lot of computers, with the lot came a Doc's exam table. Beautifully finished old wood complete with stirrups. Nothing else to do with it but to haul it home. The rush hour traffic immensely enjoyed it with much honking of horn and "thumbs up." Wife would not come near the garage so the only thing to do was Flea bay it. Got $100 for about 15 minutes work.


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## ddickey (Jul 6, 2018)

Last night I found four of five Snap On Torque Wrenches. Looks like they pulled off the knurled handles. What an absolute waste. For a company that spouts off about wind power and solar they sure do produce a lot of waste that could be of use to someone.


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## Radials (Jul 7, 2018)

An unfortunate situation where a neighboring machine shop in the next suite over went bankrupt and closed over night. After the bank hauled out all the machines they essentially threw away everything with no perceived value. I did manage to intercept a vintage craftsman grinder with newer darex diamond wheels along with a nice cool mist setup and numerous kurt vise jaws before punching into work for the day. So many nice finds however got tossed into the trash trailers and hauled off. I could have spent a whole day digging in that pile.


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## Hidyn (Jul 7, 2018)

Radials said:


> An unfortunate situation where a neighboring machine shop in the next suite over went bankrupt and closed over night. After the bank hauled out all the machines they essentially threw away everything with no perceived value. I did manage to intercept a vintage craftsman grinder with newer darex diamond wheels along with a nice cool mist setup and numerous kurt vise jaws before punching into work for the day. So many nice finds however got tossed into the trash trailers and hauled off. I could have spent a whole day digging in that pile.



I would have asked for the day off since A. You would have gotten more value for your time scrounging kurt vises and such than a days pay and B. If they reaaally need you, you're still right there.


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## Ken from ontario (Jul 7, 2018)

We in north America or should I say most  industrial /developed countries produce too much waste,  for many reasons (some I don't understand) salvaging or repurposing  does not make economic sense in first world countries, the other extreme is what you would find in under developed or poor countries like India,.
 I'm almost sure you would not find rows upon rows of heavy machineries  rusting away in such places.
Watch this video  where ships go to die:


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## KBeitz (Aug 29, 2018)

I worked for a company that sold tools. Anything that got returned for any
reason got trashed. No one was aloud to have any of it... made you cry...


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