Recycled Metal

[JonnyAlpha]

Hi, rather than buy new metal for making repairs to my project I'd like to attempt to recycle some old filing cabinets.

Anyone know what metal would be used in a standard filing cabinet or would it differ depending on the manufacturer.

I'm after some 1mm mild steel for most of my work.

Thanks in advance

 

[Hitch]

Mild steel for the majority of them.

 

[nodeward]

stick a magnet on it, that will give you a fair idea (sound stupid but i end up doing it all the time!)

 

[tux]

Good work Jonny. I tend to favour washing machine/dishwasher casings myself as they are easier to come by! Just have to remember to remove the galvanising first so you don't poison yourself.

 

[mike 109444]

Jonny ther use to be a filing cabinet maker near me that had a skip with off cuts, some were 4ft by 10" great for doing sills also some 2ft by 2ft. Did grab some at the time but sadly companys now gone (no consideration). As what I got was raw steel had to take care not to let it rust, welds up good and works ok. If you can get old cabinets dirt cheep (used office supplies?,you will have steel protected by paint and the back and sides could be 4ft by 2ft . Compair to price of new steel. Also you could use the draws for storing tools and off cuts. The box that keeps giving Mike in sunny south Bristol

 

[keith19]

I was lucky to get some 1.2 mm m/s steel cabinets that had seen use on oil rigs. About two metres high by one and half wide, and half metre deep. If you are anywhere near the coast enquire around the scrappers and recycling merchants, you may be lucky.

 

[JonnyAlpha]

Good work Jonny. I tend to favour washing machine/dishwasher casings myself as they are easier to come by! Just have to remember to remove the galvanising first so you don't poison yourself.

Galvanising is just a coverage right if so would a run over with a flap disc on the area to be welded be OK?

 

[JonnyAlpha]

Thanks for all the replies looks like I'm on to something here, spotted a pallet load that I'll be making a be line for.

 

[naughtyboy]

or look out for cheap car.
loads of steel ,brackets and spare bulbs fuses etc.
did a swift couple of weeks ago got it for 50 loads of steel inc full roof panel sold some bits on e-bay for 134 weighed rest in for 76.
took loom out and weighed that in on own for 8.

 

[tux]

Galvanising is just a coverage right if so would a run over with a flap disc on the area to be welded be OK?

Yep, thats all I do, buzz over with a flap disc to get rid of the dull galvanising and reveal the bright steel underneath. Welds a treat then. I usually do a strip a couple of inches wide where I am going to weld and leave the rest alone .

 

[chunkolini]

Sounds like a lot of hassle to save a few pfennigs or whatever currency we have now.
I used to to a local engineers, they were a stampings company and ask if they had any offcuts, also worth trying fabrication companies. Be polite and offer to pay, I had a lot of material this way.

Chunko'.

 

[JonnyAlpha]

Managed to get my hands on some knackered cabinets from a scrappy and have just gone through 5 DRONCO 1mm cutting discs breaking up the first one. A little tougher than I imagined!!

Still once I finished I'll have plenty of spare metal.