# What should I do??



## CoDef911 (Sep 2, 2021)

Hello folks!
Been offline for a couple weeks, trying to get things accomplished around here.
Namely, finally got around to scrapping a ton of old air conditioners we've been storing for years. 
Metal prices are through the roof, and it's finally paying good enough to scrap.
So, I took another 5k pounds of shred (just junk bulk sheet metal and parts) to the scrap yard. They're paying $11.15/100 pounds. And that's for things others pay to dispose of. So, I pocketed another $500+. 
HOWEVER....The metal shop I use here just happens to be on the way home. ‍
So, like the dummy I am, I just had to stop by.
And of course, they had a ton of drop off BILLET ALUMINUM!!!
Well, aluminum is running $3.50/pound. So I bought $400 worth of blocks, and round stock!
There's some 3/4×24" bars, some 8×8 blocks, and my favorite, a 3"×6' solid aluminum bar!!!
If you were a beginner with very limited skills, what kind of project would you suggest??
Here's a picture of the haul. 
Oh, and I might have purchased a new welding machine last week, because why not??


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## pontiac428 (Sep 2, 2021)

Successfully turning carp metal into useful metal officially makes you a hobbyist.  As for what kinds of parts you might find inside those big billets... that's up to you.  Some people might see press dies, some might just see ashtrays.  Maybe there's a glow motor or a steam engine in those blocks.  Who knows?


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## Ulma Doctor (Sep 2, 2021)

big billets scream to be made into fixtures, at least in my shop.
aluminum mills easily, so the billets could become just about anything in a short time
use kerosene or wd-40 or other cutting agent to prevent aluminum welding to the cutting tooling

a steam engine or IC engine model would be a cool use


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## mmcmdl (Sep 2, 2021)

Very nice haul . I keep aluminum handy for fixtures of all types . Easy to machine .  I didn't realize scrap was that high these days , I may need to take a trip to the yard .


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## mmcmdl (Sep 2, 2021)

OH damn , the Doc beat me to it once again !


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## Brento (Sep 4, 2021)

Billet is the one thing i dont have much of myself. I know some of that aluminum id turn into a few qctp holders. Id rather use steel but if you dont beat them hard the aluminum should last for a bit.


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## mattthemuppet2 (Sep 4, 2021)

your first project should probably be making a rack for storing your metal stock  Having stock organised makes it so much easier to find what you need and this won't be your last load up!


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## Logan Novice (Sep 4, 2021)

Suggestion  -  save some of that aluminum for prototypes.  I use aluminum to make prototypes of various tools and fixtures that I intend to make from more expensive material.  That way I make my mistakes on the cheap stuff and shorten the length of my learning curve; I think.....


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## woodchucker (Sep 4, 2021)

Brento said:


> Billet is the one thing i dont have much of myself. I know some of that aluminum id turn into a few qctp holders. Id rather use steel but if you dont beat them hard the aluminum should last for a bit.


true, qctp holders like a dial indicator holder,   a holder with 2 ball bearings on it to push into center a piece.
And finally another holder that holds an indicator arm for moving around.

AL is great for fixtures. if you have a surface grinder make a balancing stand for the wheels.
if you have a mill you can make a dividing head for it.


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## MERLIncMan (Sep 19, 2021)

CoDef911 said:


> Hello folks!
> Been offline for a couple weeks, trying to get things accomplished around here.
> Namely, finally got around to scrapping a ton of old air conditioners we've been storing for years.
> Metal prices are through the roof, and it's finally paying good enough to scrap.
> ...


Alright, here is what you gotta do:

1. Sort the chunks largest to smallest. 
2. With the largest one, you're gonna wanna make yourself an eductor (AKA aspirator, ejector, venturi, jet-pump) as this will be a project that graduates you beyond your wildest hobbyist ambitions.
3. With the smallest one, you're gonna wanna find ye a cardboard box - just large enough to fit it now - may take some doing with a utility razor and some tape - don't be shy now, just cut some box to get a good fit box right?
4. Now, place that little beautiful chunk of aluminum into the box and tape-er-up nice and snug - no moving or shifting right?
5. Put my address on the box.
6. Place the box in the mail.
7. Have a nice cup of your poison-o-choice and smile as you relax and google the dimensions necessary to make an eductor.

Trust me, it'll all be worth it to me.


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## Winegrower (Sep 20, 2021)

A friend is making a die filer from a similar collection of aluminum, based on plans from MLA, I think it is?
It looks terrific, and is an excellent skill building project.


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