AngryCorvair
AngryCorvair MegaDork
9/22/19 9:47 a.m.

CL always has free appliances, free filing cabinets, etc.  of these “typical” free items, which one offers the best / thickest sheetmetal for Challenge panel fab?

Dusterbd13-michael
Dusterbd13-michael MegaDork
9/22/19 10:16 a.m.

Old water heaters and dryers have been the best for me. Filing cabinet is too thin to me after you flap wheel off the paint.

Robbie
Robbie UltimaDork
9/23/19 10:40 a.m.

I've used filing cabinets. But holy crap what a pain and time suck to cut up old junk for sheet metal. If you're looking for thick I'd look for driers and fridges. Fridges will give you large flat pieces but then you are stuck with the refrigerants and cleanup. 

If you're looking for thin - don't forget about HVAC ducting and landscaping companies for the metal protection they sometimes put around tree trunks. But I think that stuff is galvanaized so watch out welding it. 

Also, 3M sand and strip disks = expensive, but absolutely worth it as the best way to clean anything off of metal without removing metal. Sorta like milwaukee torch sawzall blades.

Patrick
Patrick MegaDork
9/23/19 11:16 a.m.

Dryers.  Bonus points for making the drum a firepit 

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