Who collects stuff for scratch building?

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Do you collect parts?

Yep, I have a big box 'o' stuff
251
77%
I have a few parts
63
19%
No, I gather parts as I need 'em
13
4%
 
Total votes: 327

jardann
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Post by jardann »

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one pulling apart old broken printers. Have to watch out for those darn globs of ink though. :? I'm a PC technician in a school district so I hold on to all of the broken cd-drives, hard drives and anything else that could have some interesting parts inside. :twisted:

I was taking apart an old printer last night and my wife came into the room to ask why I was doing it. :oops: She has gotten used to my pack rattishness, but it still drives her nuts. She just left me to my work. She still bugs me once in a while about the large pile of deodorant caps and containers I had at one point though. 8)
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Bar
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Post by Bar »

I always relish the time when the VCR breathes it's last. It takes about two hours to strip it to it's washers, but it's almost always worth it...
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USSARCADIA
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Post by USSARCADIA »

Same here with an old shaver that just died. Lots of nice hull-type pieces and a mesh to boot. The new shaver even yeilded a protective cover that can be an impulse engine.
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Pat Amaral
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Post by Pat Amaral »

I seldom through anything away. I'm always judging itmes I find by what their model part potential is. I currently have 6 small rubbermaid-like containers and another half dozen shoeboxes full of parts, pieces, bits - o - metal and sundry other detritus stacked next to the kit cache. I also have a coffie can sitting on my little workbench (such that it is) where I toss any little potential greeblies that I might come across.
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Chacal
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Post by Chacal »

Sometimes I even lose track of what I have... It's great, though to reopen one of the boxes, rummage through it and find the most amazing little things I had completely forgotten about. :D
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Post by woozle »

You want Greebles? The other day, Goodwill yielded a complete Star Wars Walker kit (in the Empire Strikes Back box, no less), for two bucks. Alas, no instructions, but that's okay :D
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publiusr
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Post by publiusr »

Bump.
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Bar
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Post by Bar »

publiusr wrote:Bump.
Not bad.
Over a year and three months in this thread, and we only have three pages!
That's got to be a record...
Bar.
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big-dog
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Post by big-dog »

I don't collect anything I see, but tend to stock up on things I'm using for a recent project. In fact I seem to be trying to come up with the weirdest source of material I can find. Must be Joe Brown's influence. The stand for the Time Machine is the tube container from a chest tube, and LP trays are great sources of sheet styrene. :shock:
Stand back, I don't know how big this thing gets.
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Post by Sparky »

Chacal wrote:Sometimes I even lose track of what I have... It's great, though to reopen one of the boxes, rummage through it and find the most amazing little things I had completely forgotten about. :D
<A HREF="http://www.kc6sye.com/images/images_01_ ... nizeit.jpg" target="_blanl">You can say that again</A>
<a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/2_wheresaneatpart.jpg" target="_Sparky">Is this plastic thingy on the counter a neat part?</a> <a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/1_casting_inprogress.jpg" target="_Sparky">Let's cast it.</a>
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Bar
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Post by Bar »

Sparky wrote:
Chacal wrote:Sometimes I even lose track of what I have... It's great, though to reopen one of the boxes, rummage through it and find the most amazing little things I had completely forgotten about. :D
<A HREF="http://www.kc6sye.com/images/images_01_ ... nizeit.jpg" target="_blanl">You can say that again</A>
It's a good thing you don't live in earthquake country...
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Post by tonyG2 »

I always relish the time when the VCR breathes it's last.
Try a local (indepent) TV and electrical retailer. They often have old TVs VCRs and DVDs thay have collected from customers ho have bought new sets and if they can't repair/refusrbish will just trash them.

I've manager to get lots of bits and pieces over the years, Old TVs are best with dial and knob controls.

Plus old sets with wooden cabinets. Snag the cabinet, clear out the innards and back with some ofcuts of fibreboard or hardboard. Put in some shelves. Makes a display cabinet or paint rack etc
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Post by en'til Zog »

"It's a good thing you don't live in earthquake country..."

Two words: New Madrid Fault.

Well, O.K. - three words.
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Post by publiusr »

I've seen some bags of short plastic tubes used for making ice 'tubes' that can fit in bottled drinks.
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Post by Sparky »

Where have you seen these, are thye styrene of pvs
<a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/2_wheresaneatpart.jpg" target="_Sparky">Is this plastic thingy on the counter a neat part?</a> <a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/1_casting_inprogress.jpg" target="_Sparky">Let's cast it.</a>
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Post by publiusr »

I didn't stop to look. They are in bags and may be in dollar stores as well. These no-name brand products are here today and gone the next. Many ultra-cheap consumer goods.

many years ago--when I was quite young, I saw a birthday cake with tiny Saturn V rockets and lunar landers on it--long before STS ever flew. I have been trying to track down these little cake ornaments for years!

No luck. Thats tougher than trying to find "Space-food sticks" that are still produced down under--and way better than waxen Tootsie Rolls.

Memories.
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Monsieur Tox
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Post by Monsieur Tox »

It's not a box of stuff tha I have but a room of stuff ! 8)
shadowbeast
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Milk crate technology

Post by shadowbeast »

I used to collect the tubs out of VCRs which contain the deck and boards. My employer at the time called them Milk crate technology. I wanted to use them for buildings as they were so well shaped for the purpose.
I had to downsize the load recently though, anyway I can't store that much scenery in my unit.
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mech
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Post by mech »

I don't save anything.

Well, that is until I started coming here so much. No I see potential starship parts everywhere. Now I troll around the house looking for stuff to take apart! :D

Wait...what's that over there...........




j :wink:
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Blappy
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Post by Blappy »

Sure I save stuff. Stuff like sheet styrene and renshape and pieces of aluminum and large miscast parts I can cut down and use as resin blanks to manufacture parts out of and and clear sheet acrylic.

As for kit parts I never use them. The only "found" bits I use are spheres from gumball machines that come with little stuffed animal ketchains encapsulated inside (hopefully in stasis!). They cost $2.00 and are perfect as fuel tanks and such on real space subjects.
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Post by Warped Speedster »

^^^BOING^^^

Woops!
Did I just see a Ford fly by?
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Bar
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Post by Bar »

This thread has been going so long, i am referred to as w33bar in the first page...
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Post by Lt. Z0mBe »

I have found that small people, when properly disassembled, make realistic zombie figurine greeblies.

does that count? I have to go now, the voices in my head keep telling me to polish the knives.

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Post by Sparky »

The thing about parts is:
http://www.kc6sye.com/techmages_9_12_06.html

They like to dog pile on you.
<a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/2_wheresaneatpart.jpg" target="_Sparky">Is this plastic thingy on the counter a neat part?</a> <a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/1_casting_inprogress.jpg" target="_Sparky">Let's cast it.</a>
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mech
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Post by mech »

Sparky wrote:The thing about parts is:
http://www.kc6sye.com/techmages_9_12_06.html

They like to dog pile on you.
Fifth wheels and axle housings..yeah baby!!

j
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Post by Sparky »

Yes Chad builds supper detailed big rigs. a raidator for a big truck and a transam transmission pan have been on a GGRU sheet before, they are very popular.

The light fixtures used in the space station project aslo came from chad, they are miniture car stero speakers. Cast in clear they are nice 70's era light fixtures.
<a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/2_wheresaneatpart.jpg" target="_Sparky">Is this plastic thingy on the counter a neat part?</a> <a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/1_casting_inprogress.jpg" target="_Sparky">Let's cast it.</a>
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Post by Slide »

I think you Discovered the inspriration for the NX-01!!
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publiusr
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Post by publiusr »

It does make you wonder :roll:

Try making a ship with that part.
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Post by Sparky »

It's pretty small but you could do a 'box scale' Light Attack Craft.
<a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/2_wheresaneatpart.jpg" target="_Sparky">Is this plastic thingy on the counter a neat part?</a> <a href="http://www.kc6sye.com/1_casting_inprogress.jpg" target="_Sparky">Let's cast it.</a>
publiusr
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Post by publiusr »

I am seeinging--in Publix, a long warp nacelle 'safety light for trick or treaters for 9.99.
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