sourcing steel for mills and crushers?

[Ragnor]

Something that has been on my mind is where to get hardened steel cylinders for building flail type crushers? What kinds of industry would use heavy walled material like that and have scrap laying around? I can see it being much more common in oil country. I don't expect many people are looking to cut up sections of yarder tower to sell to random prospectors for parts. Anyone have any ideas where I might locate cheap materials for building a flail mill, a jaw crusher and a ball or rod mill? I'm in western washington.

 

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[Oddjob]

Try DRMO auctions, the one the US Forces have overseas always has metal like this, get it dirt cheap. Trouble is it comes in a lot and that normally means it is alot of stuff to haul off.

 

[kcm]

Find a scrap yard, tell them what you're looking for and why, then ask who there could best help you. Don't sell those folks short - they "know" their metals!

I almost also suggested checking out a tractor salvage yard and picking up some old (non-working) hydraulic cylinders, but the shafts are normally chromed and that would eventually chip off, which might cause you problems.

 

[Mad Machinist]

Something that has been on my mind is where to get hardened steel cylinders for building flail type crushers? What kinds of industry would use heavy walled material like that and have scrap laying around? I can see it being much more common in oil country. I don't expect many people are looking to cut up sections of yarder tower to sell to random prospectors for parts. Anyone have any ideas where I might locate cheap materials for building a flail mill, a jaw crusher and a ball or rod mill? I'm in western washington.

You should see what I pick up out in the desert. On the flail mill, any piece of large diameter heavy wall pipe will last a long time. Its the chains that wear quickly.

And you have to be careful when you get into "hardened" metals. Oxyacetylene WILL NOT cut AR500 plate. You have to use either cutoff wheels (a lot of them) or a plasma cutter. Also with "hardened" metals, you get into the "heat affected zone". Commonly referred to as the HAZ. If you get it too hot, whether cutting or welding, it anneals the metal back to it's softer state.

For the hassle involved with using "hardened" metals, I don't see where it is really useful to us. If your worried about wear, build your flail mill then line it with a "sacrificial" piece of pipe. Change it out when needed. Mine will be using pieces of old hot water heaters as liners. You fine those everywhere on junk clean up days.

 

[nadavis]

If you are ever down in Salem, there is a place on 22nd aprox 200 feet south of Mcgilcrest behind the auto wrecker that has some large steel pipe and lots of other steel.They are also very easy to work with as far as cutting off just what you need. if you were there and had a list of exactly what you needed and what size, and some cash, and they had some pipe a size you could work with, they might save you a lot of work. Cant remember the name of the place, and they are not always open, next time I am around there I will stop by and get more info

 

[Bonaro]

Well casing pipe would work. Mild steel is softer and forgiving and much easier to get. Use proof coil for the chain flails, they are tempered