280zwitha383 Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 I'm always getting flamed by everyone I know for picking up stuff I see lying by the dumpster. If I'm throwing some trash out I'll look around a little first but it's not like I'm going dumpster to dumpster or dumpster diving. My wife, her friends, my friends, everybody says something about it. I've found some pretty cool stuff. Atleast I think so. Am I just a loser or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 When I first bought my house in a new housing development, I use to make a circuit of all the construction dumpsters. It is amazing how much new or miscut material gets thrown out by construction crews. My wife would laugh at me, but to this day I can still go to my stock pile of OEM baseboards that the home stores quit carrying years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 well since copper is really valuable...at my school where I got my welding diploma me and a few other guys would make a weekly trip to the dumpster. One time we found an electrical cabinet that had like 50lbs of copper in it...we went dumpster diving pulling copper and aluminium out to sell off as scrap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritech-z Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 At the Art Department at USF where I got my art degree, we had sort of a communal place where everybody would throw away old junk and projects that you were free to scavenge through in order to find stuff you might use on something else. Problem was, it was right by the printmaking studio, so if you left something outside to dry (like a silkscreen for instance) it was liable to get up and walk away...But there is nothing wrong with rescuing someone else's discarded stuff, so long as it doesn't have that special "dumpster funk" when you try to bring it home... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flames_187 Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 ditto here...we go dumpster diving in the art dept. for metal and stuff..they just throw it away..."one mans trash is another mans treasure" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritech-z Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 I found some pretty cool stuff in ours. The art dept. got all new lockers for the painting students, and just threw the old ones out, so I got a whole set of lockers to store my z parts in. pretty cool really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 Yeah, been called a trash picker by my friends too. The apartment complex (an old mill) where I lived in NH was mainly college students. There was a continual flow of people moving in and out. There was some sort of unwritten rule, big trash (furniture, etc) goes in front of the dumpster, anything usable went on the side. Kind of a grab bag sort of thing. I got some good stuff. New monitor, working Gateway computer, wine rack. I also contributed when I got rid of things. I could see the dumpster from my window, it was fun to see how long something lasted. 10 gal Fish tank... not even 30 min. Big ass green couch... 2 hrs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big-phil Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 The gun I sprayed my car with I found in the dumpster at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuhow Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 are you kidding me? I signed up for my local 'freecycle' (freecycle.org)- it's the greatest thing since 2 ply TP. I had some one give me a n/a 280zx once!! also I can post things I dont want and SOMEONE COMES TO GET IT- no more trips to the dump. I highly recommend it. everyone here should check it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 that is really cool!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 When I first bought my house in a new housing development' date=' I use to make a circuit of all the construction dumpsters. It is amazing how much new or miscut material gets thrown out by construction crews. My wife would laugh at me, but to this day I can still go to my stock pile of OEM baseboards that the home stores quit carrying years ago.[/quote'] I'm in the same boat now. I got all the wood I need to use for the supports in the attic out of the dumpsters. I felt a little funny driving down the street with 12' long 2x8's hanging out the back of my Prelude. Oh well the price is right. They are about to start on the house next to me. I can't wait to get all kinds of stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-TARD Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 I've always had pretty good luck digging through the metal dumpsters on the Navy bases out here. Engine shops and machine shops routinely throw out turbo and superchargers, metal stock, pipe, plate, delrin and nylon stock, etc. Where I'm working now, I'm the only one that throws away stuff into the metal dumpster, so nothing of any real value ever makes it in there. There are some civilians that work in the shop next to me that spend a large part of their workday sorting through the local dumpsters. One day they found a dumpster full of some old worn out flight deck safety vests, the inflatable kind that they wear on carriers in case they get blown overboard. What use does any "normal" person have for a CO2 inflatable life vest? I'm not sure, but there were only 1 or 2 left in the dumpster once the vultures had finished. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 well if you come across an extra supercharger let me know...lol My local city dump has a full size dumpster filled with just aluminium...And if they catch you taking stuff out they get upset... I just need to find some company that throws away good stuff...not any around here though. Maybe down near my college by the ocean thee will be some shipyards that throw out "gold". I got a piece of 1/4" thick 2" leg angle iron that was about 7 feet long. I'll make some jig out of it in the future most likely. I have a half completed A-Arm Jig that I made out of some 3/16" steel "T" bar that a friend had that came from a oversized garage door opener. I have a buddy that got a piece of I beam, from an older man, that was 3 feet long, 12" wide top and bottom and about a 30" tall center part. It was in excess of 1/2" thick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flames_187 Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 man the freecycle site is great...now i play the waiting game.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mario_82_ZXT Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 There's nothing nearby on that site for me At school in the engineering building they put stuff out in the hall that they don't want anymore. Out of this my friends and I have gotten multiple computers, monitors, a laser printer, and a bunch of random tidbits. Mario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 My "treasure" finds: Movie theater popcorn butter comes in 5-gallon steel drums. They throw them out, and I take them to the garage. They make great-smelling trash cans in the garage. Someone threw out a mini deep freezer at my apartment bldg. I cut out the compressor and used it as both an air compressor and a vacuum pump. - for evacuating A/C systems. Local A/C service shop throws out empty 30# refrigerant "bottles". They make great portable compressed air tanks, but they have a 1-time safety valve that pops out at 150#. (Ask me how I know, see compressor story above above) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 i got my 240z as well as a blown stoker motor that only needed a new block, my local scraping yards dont throw away any datsun part without me looking at it first.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 I always thought " Why not use the radiator from an air conditioner or freezer as an intercooler?" It looks the same. Aluminium tubes running back and forth with thin aluminium like a regular radiator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flames_187 Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 I always thought " Why not use the radiator from an air conditioner or freezer as an intercooler?" It looks the same. Aluminium tubes running back and forth with thin aluminium like a regular radiator. except that most acs/frigs dont handle 15psi on a daily use ...but that does leave an interesting idea for a go-kart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 hmm... unless you use it on the intake side of the turbo... then it is a vacuum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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