What should I do??

[CoDef911]

Hello folks!
Been offline for a couple weeks, trying to get things accomplished around here.
Namely, finally got around to scrapping a ton of old air conditioners we've been storing for years.
Metal prices are through the roof, and it's finally paying good enough to scrap.
So, I took another 5k pounds of shred (just junk bulk sheet metal and parts) to the scrap yard. They're paying $11.15/100 pounds. And that's for things others pay to dispose of. So, I pocketed another $500+.
HOWEVER....The metal shop I use here just happens to be on the way home. ‍
So, like the dummy I am, I just had to stop by.
And of course, they had a ton of drop off BILLET ALUMINUM!!!
Well, aluminum is running $3.50/pound. So I bought $400 worth of blocks, and round stock!
There's some 3/4×24" bars, some 8×8 blocks, and my favorite, a 3"×6' solid aluminum bar!!!
If you were a beginner with very limited skills, what kind of project would you suggest??
Here's a picture of the haul.
Oh, and I might have purchased a new welding machine last week, because why not??

 

[pontiac428]

Successfully turning carp metal into useful metal officially makes you a hobbyist. As for what kinds of parts you might find inside those big billets... that's up to you. Some people might see press dies, some might just see ashtrays. Maybe there's a glow motor or a steam engine in those blocks. Who knows?

 

[Ulma Doctor]

big billets scream to be made into fixtures, at least in my shop.
aluminum mills easily, so the billets could become just about anything in a short time
use kerosene or wd-40 or other cutting agent to prevent aluminum welding to the cutting tooling

a steam engine or IC engine model would be a cool use

 

[mmcmdl]

Very nice haul . I keep aluminum handy for fixtures of all types . Easy to machine . I didn't realize scrap was that high these days , I may need to take a trip to the yard .

 

[mmcmdl]

OH damn , the Doc beat me to it once again !

 

[Brento]

Billet is the one thing i dont have much of myself. I know some of that aluminum id turn into a few qctp holders. Id rather use steel but if you dont beat them hard the aluminum should last for a bit.

 

[mattthemuppet2]

your first project should probably be making a rack for storing your metal stock Having stock organised makes it so much easier to find what you need and this won't be your last load up!

 

[Logan Novice]

Suggestion - save some of that aluminum for prototypes. I use aluminum to make prototypes of various tools and fixtures that I intend to make from more expensive material. That way I make my mistakes on the cheap stuff and shorten the length of my learning curve; I think.....

 

[woodchucker]

Billet is the one thing i dont have much of myself. I know some of that aluminum id turn into a few qctp holders. Id rather use steel but if you dont beat them hard the aluminum should last for a bit.

true, qctp holders like a dial indicator holder, a holder with 2 ball bearings on it to push into center a piece.
And finally another holder that holds an indicator arm for moving around.

AL is great for fixtures. if you have a surface grinder make a balancing stand for the wheels.
if you have a mill you can make a dividing head for it.

 

[MERLIncMan]

Hello folks!
Been offline for a couple weeks, trying to get things accomplished around here.
Namely, finally got around to scrapping a ton of old air conditioners we've been storing for years.
Metal prices are through the roof, and it's finally paying good enough to scrap.
So, I took another 5k pounds of shred (just junk bulk sheet metal and parts) to the scrap yard. They're paying $11.15/100 pounds. And that's for things others pay to dispose of. So, I pocketed another $500+.
HOWEVER....The metal shop I use here just happens to be on the way home. ‍
So, like the dummy I am, I just had to stop by.
And of course, they had a ton of drop off BILLET ALUMINUM!!!
Well, aluminum is running $3.50/pound. So I bought $400 worth of blocks, and round stock!
There's some 3/4×24" bars, some 8×8 blocks, and my favorite, a 3"×6' solid aluminum bar!!!
If you were a beginner with very limited skills, what kind of project would you suggest??
Here's a picture of the haul.
Oh, and I might have purchased a new welding machine last week, because why not??

Alright, here is what you gotta do:

1. Sort the chunks largest to smallest.
2. With the largest one, you're gonna wanna make yourself an eductor (AKA aspirator, ejector, venturi, jet-pump) as this will be a project that graduates you beyond your wildest hobbyist ambitions.
3. With the smallest one, you're gonna wanna find ye a cardboard box - just large enough to fit it now - may take some doing with a utility razor and some tape - don't be shy now, just cut some box to get a good fit box right?
4. Now, place that little beautiful chunk of aluminum into the box and tape-er-up nice and snug - no moving or shifting right?
5. Put my address on the box.
6. Place the box in the mail.
7. Have a nice cup of your poison-o-choice and smile as you relax and google the dimensions necessary to make an eductor.

Trust me, it'll all be worth it to me.