Salvaging Mechanical Components---Where Do YOU Get Them?

[Too_Many_Tools]

When building a CNC machine, many of us reuse components from many different sources that we find surplus....in dumpsters, junkyards, scraping older machines, thift stores, etc.

So where have YOU found your reuseable components and what were they from?

TMT

[austin.mn]

old c-band sattelite dish actuators are great. some of them even have ballscrews in them, and people are just throwing the things away left and right.

[Too_Many_Tools]

Thanks for the response....the "only" response.

Does that mean everyone else is using NEW stuff? ;<)

TMT

[snakebit95]

I find most of my stuff through online classified ads (mostly web forum classifieds) and EBay auctions. If you are patient, you can find some pretty good deals. I know there are a few good uses for treadmill motors, since they are variable speed. They are mostly modified to power the small bench-top lathes; but I'm sure they are good for other projects too. Maybe check the local yard-sales?? I guess it depends on what you are looking for, as to where you should be looking.

[ZipSnipe]

Well I just found some stuff in a Lazyboy recliner. However I have not had time to really check them out. They look like stepper motors attached to a cylinder which looks like it has a rack and pinion which extends another cylinder. This of course moved the chair up and down and back and forth. Tomorrow I,ll have a chance to really check them out.

[austin.mn]

i also have a junkyard near by that gets older packaging machines every once and again. they are usually stripped of motors and controls before they get there, but i can usually find some linear bearings and leadscrews to take off.

motors and controls i usually have to search ebay for.

[Too_Many_Tools]

Thanks for the responses....

I too have found the best place to find the most useful stuff is surplus industrial machines...which means one needs access to the surplus yard where it ends up.

Sometimes surplus hospital equipment can yield valualbe stuff.

TMT

[sdantonio]

I know this won't help you out to much, but I get my stuff from the trash bin at work (since you probably don't work here you wouldn't have access to my trashbin). But I got a set of 5, 625 in-oz pacific science steppers from a working machine that was being discarded. To my great disappointment all of our driver boards are integrated into other boards, so I still have to buy my own gecko's to run these motors.

But the trash here is a wealth of great stuff. In fact I have a few people in returned goods who actually call me when something good comes in to give me the heads up.