The Armour Archive

I have scrap metal, specifically an old incinerator. I'd like to know if it's workable.

While it is likely impossible to determine the quality or type of the metal from the images, here are two of them. I hope you'll forgive the large pics.

[img]http://usera.imagecave.com/imelci1028/Toastycrap/scrap1.jpg[/img]

I marked a purple paint onto the lip of one of those edges, hoping to give some coloration to determine the thickness from the image.
[img]http://usera.imagecave.com/imelci1028/Toastycrap/scrap.JPG[/img]

Now that I'm nearly complete in crafting my first armor from plastic (pics will be forthcoming), I want to prepare my workshop for metalwork. If this incinerator's 'skin' is any good, I may try my hand at crafting something from it. Is there a way to find out? Or would it be easiest to invite one of the nearby armorers to my basement and get their opinion?

Hummmmm.... It may be more valuable as an old incinerator.

It may be 18ga. but the trouble of preparing it for armouring is more than it is worth, when new metal is available and abundant.

Hal

Halberds wrote:...new metal is available and abundant.
Hal

You know... you're right! I forgot that I live in Gary freakin Indiana! If I can't find some affordable steel HERE, then where can I? Thanks for the reminder, Hal.

Cruse the scrap yards.You should have very good ones in your neck of the woods.
Keep your eye on the look out for shapes to hammer on also.
Happy hammering.

Hal

As a rule, the more like a bare sheet of metal it is and the less like a fabricated object with a coat of enamel paint, the handier it will be for your making. If it's got a little rust, so much the better: it will be a more period-like material -- mild steel, that is -- and about the easiest material to work, with the fewest caveats. Like how stainless is tougher to work and harder to cut, and like don't hotwork galvanized steel -- that sort of thing.

I wish some of you guys lived near me....I have a 4'x8' sheet of hot rolled steel, 16 gauge cut up into 4 quarters...all I made from it was a pair of spaulders....I live in an apartment with no work space, so I dont do any armouring (what little I did do was up at Mad Matts Gathering a few years ago). I'd sell the metal for like $10.

Dave

Dave,
I'd take you up on that... But the shipping to Oregon would make the cost about the same as new.

Oh well. Guess I'll just have to stick with the scrap yards and mill ends for now.

Jason

I would take him up on the offer too. I'm out in PA. Depending on the shipping, it may be worth it. 16101 zip code if you wish to check.

I'm not familiar with incinerators at all.

I doubt this would be the case, but if there's any kind of controllable heat in it it's definitely worth something as-is.

BTW, I just bought a 4x8 of 16g last weekend, and it cost me over $70. Three years ago it was $40. At $10 a year, I don't think it'll be THAT long before we're chopping up old appliances.

If anyone in Atlanta is interested, I have a 4x8ft. hto rolled 16 ga sheet that I found out the hard way that my airplane shears have too much of an angle to cut (couple of 1-2" snips on the side). Please take this off my hand before buying a new one! Trying to get out of a bad mistake.

Take the incinerator down to the scrap yard, sell it to them, and use the money you make off it to buy nice clean flat sheets. If your scrap yard has a minimum, then collect more stuff and haul down a truckload of stuff to trade in. There is scrap steel to collect all over the place.

One of my good friends does this on a fairly regular basis, he actualy comes home with armor making steel, and extra spending cash. Course he has a full size truck with a tommy lift, thus facilitating his adventures.

I only have a mini van... typicly though, the scrap yard I go to buys aluminum cans at about twice what I pay them for steel. That's a pretty good, and easy deal too.