Early start to winter projects

[coinnut]

Even though winter is not really here in New England, as we still can detect, I'm starting one of my main winter projects early. Over the years I have collected boxes of scrap as well as good items that I was going to get to sooner or later Well that time has comePart 1 of my projects is to go through every single box and separate junk scrap from keepable artifacts. The junk is going to the scrap yard as soon as all of it is gone through. Part 2 will be to put all the "keepers" in groups (all buttons, buckles, drawer hardware, crotal bells, etc...). Part 3 is the cleaning, preserving and displaying of all the good finds. I'm hoping to get through Parts 1 & 2 this winter. So here is how I am doing part 1

I have set up a bench grinder and a fan that I use to score the junk metal to see what metal it really is, and to show the scrap yard that it is all the type of metal I am claiming it is. This is the quickest way if you are trying to do the quantity of material I am doing. It beats the Dremel I was using before The fan is a must since the dry dirt and the grinding of the metal produces some extremely fine particles which are extremely bad for your health. The next time I do this, I will be adding gloves and a heavy duty respirator.

Once I score the pieces, I fill up 5 gallon pails and wait for scrap day. I am scrapping everything...copper, brass lead, aluminum, tin and even iron...nothing is going to be left out. I want a clean slate for Spring 2014. So here are some pictures of my set up. I have a nice pile of keepers, one of which may be a hat plume holder.

[Digger Don]

OH, so I'm not the only one to go home with tons of junk after a hunt.
makes me feel better.

[coinnut]

OH, so I'm not the only one to go home with tons of junk after a hunt.
makes me feel better.

That's just a fraction of it

[Timewarpdigger]

The boss informed me yesterday that it's time to gather my finds from the different drop zones and consolidate them for the holidays. Need the rooms cleaned for family visits. LOL

[coinnut]

The boss informed me yesterday that it's time to gather my finds from the different drop zones and consolidate them for the holidays. Need the rooms cleaned for family visits. LOL

OH MY Better get on it!

[pulltabsteve]

We have 2 old riding greens mowers and a sprayer if you would like to add to your pile! :-)

[del]

We have 2 old riding greens mowers and a sprayer if you would like to add to your pile! :-)

he might take you up on that Steve , Lord knows his tumbler is large enough to handle them .

[coinnut]

We have 2 old riding greens mowers and a sprayer if you would like to add to your pile! :-)

Send it up Dan and I can ride to those cellar holes in style

[robby4570]

Man, you're gonna be busy!

[milco]

I do this every season. Last year all my "junk" yielded about $130 in scrap metal between alum, stainless, lead, iron, brass, copper. This year I did not have nearly as much, so I think I will just save and combine with next years stuff. I am OCD about it, I can't throw anything metal in the trash any more.

[Boulder]

​Looks like you have allot of work ahead, but seems you have a good system for it.
John.

[Ronandari]

Be careful using a grinding wheel with aluminum. It can plug the wheel and cause it to explode.
Best wishes

Ron

[coinnut]

Be careful using a grinding wheel with aluminum. It can plug the wheel and cause it to explode.
Best wishes

Ron

Thanks for the tip. I can usually tell the aluminum from the other metals. I use the grinder on the brass and copper mostly. I also have a polishing unit for aluminum tubing which I use for another project. That aluminum dust can be explosive, so I never polish aluminum and steel together. Now I have to check my wheels just to see what condition they are in Thanks again.