I love working at a metal factory.

[tipptruck]

First off I work at one of the biggest Aluminum extrusion plants in the states. Other then the 1,000 degree metal and 100 plus temps. Is is not a bad job. Its just a stop in till I get my degree.

But any way back to the good part. We throw away tons of scrap every day. Raw virgin aluminum. For you people that don't know squat about the metal world. What we are throwing away is like gold. If you took a ton of metal we threw away. Then took a ton of metal you can find. I would get at lest 20 bucks a lb, or more vs your 2-4 bucks a lb.

Well I went to work the other night and there was 60ft of 1 1/2-2 in square stock. With about 1/8in thick walls. It was labeled for scarp not for use. Nothing is wrong with it. So I talked to my boss. I now have 40 ft of it sitting on my driveway. The street value of what I have. Would be close to about 800 bucks. That would be if you called a metal dealer up . My cost is nothing.

Any way I plan on building a sim cockpit with it. I just need to find a guy to weld it. I will also post a picture of the metal later.

 

[4WideRacing]

That's a very nice bonus, can't wait to see the finished product!

 

[MattSRD28]

If you used it to make a bust of yourself, could you then call yourself a metalhead?

 

[tauruck]

I like your thinking Tipptruck. I work with Ally a lot and that material you have there is worth 8 grand where I live. Get into exporting the scrap!!!!

 

[tipptruck]

8 Grand my god. Here in the states 8 grand can buy you one nice of a used car. As for exporting it no that wont happen. Not worth my time trying to find some place that could use it. Now if I had a few tons of it. That would be worth it. Shoot if I had a few tons of it. I would be looking at 5-10 grand alone in scrap vaule.

Matt that is great. I am a metal head in two ways. I like metal music, and I grew up in a welding shop. I just wish I had a welder. Then I could have my buddy weld it. I can weld just not what I need to weld.

 

[K.Chuck]

Welding aluminum sucks, might be cooler to tap some holes and use bolts. Then you could disassemble it for storage or relocating.

 

[tipptruck]

Welding aluminum sucks, might be cooler to tap some holes and use bolts. Then you could disassemble it for storage or relocating.

That was my original plan. That is if I could have found some thing like 1 1/2 and1 1/4. I was pretty close to ordering some steel. But that still would have been a few hundred. I am also not really worried about relocating or storage. Other then my bed and tool chest. This will be the biggest thing I will have to worry about. In all though. the foot print should not be munch bigger then 5x3 1/2-4 length and width. By about 3 ft tall. Pretty easy to put it in a corner.

The biggest part this will be custom made for me. Other then the welding. Getting the measurements and cuts right. In my eyes will be the biggest thing. So I will have to take up the metal, pedals, wheel, shifters, and seat to a buddy's place. Then we can measurements to were I want every thing. Then we can cut the parts to length. Then draw up a basic blue print and instructions.

After that I will take the parts to a welder. A skilled welder should be able to weld it in a few hours. So that cost wont be so bad.

 

[tauruck]

I can't wait to see the end result. It should be cool. I used a desk and cut a big rectangle out of the middle and bolted the steering to it. Pedals sit on a box and my seat is a Momo Acropolis VTR. It's a damn expensive race seat that was used once before I inherited it. The guy that gave it to me was too big for it. I had it stored and wasn't going to use it for my race car so I fried up a frame and bolted the seat to it. It came out good. The legs are all the same length and it's balanced!!!! Anyone whose ever tried to build a chair will tell you that it's the hardest part. Doing a race at full distance was a "pain in the butt" sitting on an office chair. First I got my butt kicked in a lousy chair, now I get it kicked in a good one!.

 

[Enter Sandman]

You've definitely got the right idea taking it to a pro welder. When I was replacing the floor in my Cherokee, I had a hard time finding a rear floorpan so I was planning on getting a sheet of aircraft aluminum to use, and put some wooden strips down. Before I'd managed to set aside enough for the aluminum, I found a factory steel rear floorpan online and ordered that.

However, that floorpan didn't have the metal piece that went around where the fuel filler came in, so I ordered a smaller amount of aluminum to fold on my sheet metal brake to fit. It was a royal pain in the butt getting that welded in there, even using my brother's TIG. The job got done, but it wasn't pretty lol. It was a good thing I had planned to coat the whole floor in spray-on bedliner anyway.

One of my friends liked the bedliner idea so much he used it on his Jeep Wrangler project, over the entire vehicle. That rough, flat black finish looks very menacing with all of the brushed aluminum accessories he put on it (all bolt on, no welding lol. He was alot smarter than I was).

 

[tipptruck]

Sandman if my dad was still alive. I would pay to send it to my dad. I would even pay to have it sent back. All I would have to do is cut the metal. I would not even have to include a blue print or instructions. If I sent him box of parts. He would be able to figure out how it went. I am the same way. You can give me some thing. 99% of the I never have to look at instructions.

 

[tipptruck]

sorry about the delay on the picture. Well here is the raw metal.

[/IMG]

I was hoping to have it done by now. But some bs came up. I should have it done by mid march now.