[2muchstuff]

In between service calls today I decided to stop by one of the electronic junk stores in town. I was looking for some good connectors for the stepper motor cables at the control box end and low and behold I found some Igus track http://igus.com part number 10-3-038. Inside dimentions are about 3/4" high by 1 1/2" wide by 12 feet long for the amazing low price of 22 bucks. A couple of years ago I had seen the track there before but never knew what is was until I got the bug again to build a router and being on this forum I discovered their use. I never did find the connectors that I was looking for. I refuse to use Molex connectors, too many bad past experiences, I like AMP and love Amphenol's. AMP and Amphenol's are far and few between at the surplus store in any matching quantity.

[2muchstuff]

Well, I did it again. During my lunch hour I stopped by one of the local metals recycling yards looking for some 80/20 pieces. I found a few---free---. I inqired about a lot next door full of scrap steel and to my amazement they said it was ok to go take a look. Catching my eye, a pile the size of small car, were brand new gears, sprockets, roller chain, hydraulic fittings, etc. What really caught my eye were (12) Nook universal double Ez mounts p/n EZM-3015 with hardware and (5) Nook flange mounts for ball screws. http://www.nookindustries.com/endmou...sUniversal.cfm Now get this, I got all of this for $10. :wee: I swear, we live in such a throw away society. I just keep getting closer and closer.

[2muchstuff]

Went to the electronic surplus store and found my z-axis. V-groove bearings on a rail with a 10.5" travel. 20" long overall.

[sendkeys]

stop it you're making me jealous nice finds

[2muchstuff]

Yesterday stopped by a motor rewind shop and picked up about 100' of #10 gauge enameled wire for my choke in my power supply. It was what was leftover on a reel. Cost: free.

[runnoahrun]

Well I just went to a local college surplus sale and bought an EMCO Compact 5 PC (lathe), all the main parts to a second Compact 5 (Bed, Chuck, all motors, ways, screws...) Two LightMachines Mills and a Spectralight Lathe, controllers for each. 3 Rhino 8-axis controllers, and a box of other parts I haven't gone through. Can you guess how much the asking price was? $100 for the lot!!!

The guy in charge said none of it worked and had been in storage for 6 years. Well he was wrong... everything has worked perfectly! (although I did fry one of the controllers).

Just a case of being in the right place at the right time and knowing what to look for.

I was so excited that day I gave my unfinished router project to a friend (all the parts he needs to finish it too).

[2muchstuff]

Congradulations on your find. You may never know what you may find until you find it.

[whateg01]

I guess I need to move. Here in Wichita, with all of the aircraft companies, we have a lot of surplus stuff. Unfortunately, much of it cost as much as new stuff. Every once-in-a-while I come across a great deal, but more often than not, they know what they are selling. Of course, even when the stuff cost about the same as new per unit, since it is often cutoffs, the overall cost is lower.

Dave

[2muchstuff]

Good things come to those who wait, that's why it is taking me longer to get my router done. The things that I have come up with seem to better my design as time progresses. Or am I just toooo cheap to go and buy it outright. Either way by the time I finish this thing it's going to be full of a lot of hi-tech parts.

[runnoahrun]

I showed up late to another school surplus sale. They closed the machining program, laid-off all of the machining teachers, and then sold the equipment. They had no idea what they had. 2 enclosed Haas cnc mills made in '94 for $400 each, 2 CNC lathes- large ones (I forget the make) for $300 each. An injection molding machine for $300. And a 2 year old plunge EDM for a grand total of $150 (they thought it was a broken drill press). And lots of manual machines, tooling, and stock for shamefully low amounts.
If I was there on time I would have happily laid down five grand for everything, as it turned out there was nothing left.
Serves 'em right for getting rid of the machining program.

[Bloy2004]

Ohhh.... that last one hurt. Runnoahrun, you must have been a little sick getting there late and seeing all those treasures gone already!

John (Bloy)

[ImanCarrot]

When I was working for a previous company we got a hold of around 15 scrap optical systems- big ones like that you sit in and are bolted to a ship they have visible and infra- red optics in them. They had a footprint of 5ft x 5ft and stood about 8ft tall. The car park was full of them hehe.

Anyway, after sticking up some scafholding and a chain pully to remove the crates we angle ground out the infra- red optics which are Germanium and, at the time, sold for scrap at GBP600 per kilo (yes, six hundred pounds per kilo!)- we got about 7 kilos per system and sold the lot for a pure bottom line profit of about GBP40K

But the fun bit was working out in the sun trollying and hoisting things about that weiged a ton- sweating like a roadie hehe AND! we got to angle grind precision optical equipment that probably cost a small country's defence budget to build. It just felt so wrong lol

I know it's not a personal find since I was working for a company, but I wish it had been a personal find!