W00T ! The things you'll find at the dump...

Twigg

Twigg

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A while back I was looking for steel 55gal drums. Everything I found was wicked expensive so I had almost given up. I was taking the trash to the local dump today and there was a pile of these stacked up. Several were marked as having leaks, all had the bung and vent plugs in place. The drums were sitting outside in the sun so I figgured the good ones would be a bit pressurised. I slowly unscrewed the bung on several and when I heard whistling I knew I had a nice tight drum (no leaks). I checked the tops and bottoms for rust and then unscrewed the bung and took a peek inside with my flashlight. Nice clean insides ! I threw the best three I found into the truck.
0dbd1a0f.jpg

Had I bought these new they would have run me roughly 125 per drum. [shocked] Now I just need to get them into the shed and find me a hand cranked pump. [smile]

What treasures have you found at the dump ?
 
Just dont do what my oh so smart friend did when he wanted to make one into a grill:

- Ask friend for empty 55 gallon drum he gets racing fuel in.
- wash out
- fill with water to make sure all fumes are gone.
- Dump water
- Light match and touch to hole to make "EXTRA" sure all fumes are gone.
- Hear a hiss, duck and cover
- Lose some hair to the resulting fireball and narrowly miss being hit by the lid as its folded in half and torn off.

- Proceed to say "what?" a hundred times because you cant hear for the next 5 minutes.

[rolleyes]
 
I've a dumpster diver from way back. Was walking by a construction dumpster in the office parking lot a few years back and I see a couple of 8' pulldown projection screens, new in box. These things sold for $300-400 online. WOOHOO.

I have a projector at home and love watching sporting events on this thing.
 
MrTwigg said:
A while back I was looking for steel 55gal drums. Everything I found was wicked expensive so I had almost given up. I was taking the trash to the local dump today and there was a pile of these stacked up. Several were marked as having leaks, all had the bung and vent plugs in place. The drums were sitting outside in the sun so I figgured the good ones would be a bit pressurised. I slowly unscrewed the bung on several and when I heard whistling I knew I had a nice tight drum (no leaks). I checked the tops and bottoms for rust and then unscrewed the bung and took a peek inside with my flashlight. Nice clean insides ! I threw the best three I found into the truck.
0dbd1a0f.jpg

Had I bought these new they would have run me roughly 125 per drum. [shocked] Now I just need to get them into the shed and find me a hand cranked pump. [smile]

What treasures have you found at the dump ?
Click to expand...

Now you just need some hazardous waste so you can dump them by some river in NH.

Sent from the Hyundai of the droids, the Samsung Replenish, using Tapatalk.
 
Fixxah said:
Now you just need some hazardous waste so you can dump them by some river in NH.

Sent from the Hyundai of the droids, the Samsung Replenish, using Tapatalk.
Click to expand...

Anywhere really, im guessing that river was the merrimack, a lot of stuff got dumped along it here in MA.

So no toxic waste or bodies in those? Would those be safe to turn into a smoker/grill you think?
 
I love dumpster diving, I don't got any spectactular tales that come to mind at the moment. One that does though, back in the 60's my Uncle was going through the Gardner Dump, I think, and found an old single-barrel break open shotgun, an American Arms/Crescent Victor Ejector in very rough shape, VERY rough shape, furniture cracked in three places. Albeit nothing special I'll use it practicing some gunsmithing, not everyday you find a gun at the dump though.
 
ARV said:
Just dont do what my oh so smart friend did when he wanted to make one into a grill:

- Ask friend for empty 55 gallon drum he gets racing fuel in.
- wash out
- fill with water to make sure all fumes are gone.
- Dump water
- Light match and touch to hole to make "EXTRA" sure all fumes are gone.
- Hear a hiss, duck and cover
- Lose some hair to the resulting fireball and narrowly miss being hit by the lid as its folded in half and torn off.

- Proceed to say "what?" a hundred times because you cant hear for the next 5 minutes.

[rolleyes]
Click to expand...
[rofl2]
Did he say "Hey, y'all, watch this!" first?
 
which dumps can you go diving legally? The Framingham transfer station explicitly warns: "no scavenging" and they got some really nice things in the ferrous scrap heap. The guys who work there are not all that nice to look the other way, unless it's a lazy day and they are doing something else.
 
dwarven1 said:
[rofl2]
Did he say "Hey, y'all, watch this!" first?
Click to expand...

I dont think so, but I'm pretty sure he put down his beer to light the match. [wink]

I wasnt watching, but his father was. Said "I don't think that's a good idea", next thing he knows my friend is crouched down inside a blue fireball. [laugh]
Amazingly, after the explosion, no one called the police or the FD, and this was in the middle of a residential neighborhood, 1/4 mile from a school...in Mass. [shocked]
 
Boris said:
which dumps can you go diving legally? The Framingham transfer station explicitly warns: "no scavenging" and they got some really nice things in the ferrous scrap heap. The guys who work there are not all that nice to look the other way, unless it's a lazy day and they are doing something else.
Click to expand...

This. I HATE friggin transfer stations! I went to my local one today and the metal dumpster had a 20T jack, a battery charger, a good looking wheelbarrow (don't know why it was even in there as the only metal part on it was the wheel rim) and a like new mail box that I couldn't go in after![angry][angry][angry][angry][angry]

Used to be that scrounging the scrap was the highpoint of my weekend!
 
I find something sellable or usable each week at our transfer station. My 2-stage snowblower is likely the most useful so far. It's a Toro 521, older but in great shape. The drive belt slipped off, fixed that and it is now in its 3rd season of use with me. As an aside on drums, each week on craigslist there are usually new or clean used ones for sale -

One Example
 
Just picked up a nice welding face shield and a whole bunch of targets today. Great thing was I was on the way to the range when I stopped to drop off the trash!!!
 
careful34 said:
This. I HATE friggin transfer stations! I went to my local one today and the metal dumpster had a 20T jack, a battery charger, a good looking wheelbarrow (don't know why it was even in there as the only metal part on it was the wheel rim) and a like new mail box that I couldn't go in after![angry][angry][angry][angry][angry]

Used to be that scrounging the scrap was the highpoint of my weekend!
Click to expand...

my point exactly, it suppose to be a frigging recycling! I can recycle some of that scrap iron for good use instead of smelting it and shipping it to China.
 
My son lives in California and recently walked by a dumpster and saw a fishing pole sticking out. He picked out a box of reels and six poles. All of them were in excellent condition and top brands, primarily fly-rods. One was a bamboo rod! He sold them all for over $800 on the local craig's list within a couple of days. Wish I could be so lucky!

Rome
 
Some years ago (when I was still able to "pick") I got a pretty nice table saw(just needed a little cleaning). Also used to being home lawnmowers every now and then usually just had to clean a little rust off of the flywheel then mow the lawn with the gas that was still in 'em...lol. [wink]
Plus when I was younger it was bicycles galore. [grin]
 
Recently,

..3 bibles
..A PT Barnum 1890 (?) first edition animals of the world book (print 1911)
..a few misc, still useful, frying pans
..and for the kids, a remote controlled fart machine which I promptly hid the business end of in the back of the minivan between their seats while I kept the remote rf actuator upfront with me!

I keep looking for used ammo cans (hint hint), but no luck so far...
 
My recycling center keeps anything that could be useful OUT of the dumpers until the end of the day. I have to stay away from that place though. I'd just bring it all home with me........

One of my neighbors hasn't bought propane in ages. There are always 1/2 full "old style" tanks lined up at Recycling. He adapted a way to use old tanks on his new grill.
 
Boris said:
my point exactly, it suppose to be a frigging recycling! I can recycle some of that scrap iron for good use instead of smelting it and shipping it to China.
Click to expand...

They make more money selling the stuff for scrap than letting you and me reuse it.
 

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