free stuff you've found

[theChris]

our school was throwning away some printers, so i snatched them up. sure i could have tested them to see if they "worked", but i didn't really want to. i got various small heatsinks and transistors, a 24Vdc fan, unknown blower, and a few flat peices of aluminum that could be used to secure to220 type cases.

oh, and of course all the switching PSU stuff like small toroids and one odd transformer that looks like foil with small rods interleaved. 2 circut breakers (10A), and a couple fuses. 1 really big IC for what i guess is motor controlling.

in any case, what useful finds have any of you found?

[Da5id4Vz]

I once found a 10” crescent wrench in a parking lot that was covered with crud. After cleaning it off, it turned out to be a fine wrench. I used it regularly, until years later; I lent it to a stranger who never returned it.

I currently have a large Dukane amplifier, waiting to be parted out, that came from the demolition of an office I was working in.

[Richard C]

Some weeks ago whilst clearing out the car I found a small boiled sweet stuck under the back seat. Unfortunately it had bits stuck to it and as yet I have been unable to find a use.

[Da5id4Vz]

Fried potatoes always look so good when they come out from under the car seat...

[Da5id4Vz]

I’ve found it good to approach these resources with moderation while avoiding the slippery slope of accumulating it because I can, and accepting a truly useful resource.

[purplepeople]

My favourite finds are a 24" level, 10" Vise Grips, Cdn$10,
Swiss Army knife, land-line telephone, etc. It helps that I ride a bike often enough to run into stuff - on the road!

Although I don't consider these "found" since their location is known prior to discovery, if you're looking for good hi-tech junk, try the local universities. When they replace equipment, the old stuff is often discarded. Of course, some of it will already be cannibalized before they throw it out, but there's often enough left over to be useful. Printers, computer cases, SMPS, miles of wire and cable, motors, steppers, gauges, instruments, etc. I don't go "dumpster diving" much anymore as I find it easier and faster to buy stuff now that I have a decent job. Still I totally recommend it for the "student budgets" among us.

:)ensen.

[r0cket-]

Well, not found, per se, but I've had good luck at thrift stores. I picked up a Classe CA-101 power amp with 4 7-foot lengths of Kimber Kable 4TC for $35. I sold the cables for $125, so I basically made $90 off it, and got to keep the $1000 amp (which I figured would be good for parts if nothing else, but it actually works great).

[woody]

I picked up a Dynaco mark 3 in good condition for $1.

Regards.
Woody

[Jason_N]

Since I've started this hobby I have managed to accumulate thousands of feet of wire. I come home on any given day to find spools in front of the garage door! Apparently the word has gone out among friends and family that I am the wire Goodwill.

-Jason

[jleaman]

A while back some one was throwing out a old lexmark printer to them it was old and useless but to me it was nice it turned out to bea big beat but it was a color lazer printer. the main problem with it was that the fuser oil spilled out and made contact with some pcb board that controlled the fuser. Since im lexmark certified i used my resource cd and fixed it for free bye just cleaning off that board. and wola FREE color laser printer. : O )


didn't have room for it so i sold it to a lexmark rep who needed one for parts sold it for 3500.. : O ) people these days throw out things that are good to others.