Re: Dumpster diving, tube cutting

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Dumpster diving, tube cutting
From: Alfred A Skrocki <alfred.skrocki-at-juno-dot-com>
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 16:21:06 EST
On Thu, 21 Nov 1996 Chip Atkinson <chip-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com> wrote:

>Greetings,
>
>Today I went to the local plastics store to get some scrap.  I >left
with enough, but on the way out I had an idea.  I went >around back and
looked in their dumpster.  Bonanza!  I found a >bunch of odd pieces with
busted corners, etc. that were not >useful as saleable scrap, but work
well for HV insulation, etc.  >Now I have a bunch more acrylic sheet for
future projects.

Hi Chip, I too have had GREAT success "Dumpster diving" I have
found everything from Neon sign transformers to large diameter
PVC tubing and everything between! I have also been insulted and
threatened with assault, and even threatened with arrest! It wasn't until
a recent conversation with a lawyer did I find that "Dumpster diving" was
totally LEGAL! Apparently in June of 1988 the Supreme Court ruled that
trash-picking is legal. Citing precedent in the behavior of "animals,
children, scavengers, snoops, and other members of the public" the court
concluded that "society would not accept as reasonable [the] claim to an
expectation of privacy in trash left for collection in an area accessible
to the public" I now carry copies of a newspaper clipping with an article
detailing the Supreme Court decision (Talk is Cheap Vol.1 No.10 July
1988-NEW RULING: trash-picking OK by Robert Fludd) and when ever an irate
store owner says he'll have me arrested for taking things out of his
dumpster, I politely walk over to him and give him a copy of the
Newspaper article. Usually I get an apology, sometimes they tare up the
article and say "I don't care whether it's legal or not" I then advise
them to put a lock on it or face charges of false arrest if they do try
to have me arrested. No takers so far! BTW while on the subject of
"Dumpster diving" I have found that the degaussing coil in color
T.V.'s is a nice source for several hundred yards of insulated
aluminum wire typically about 28 gauge, great for test runs on small to
medium coils.

>I recently obtained a 9.5" OD PVC pipe (heavy wall) that I was 
>thinking of making into a coil form.  The problem that I face is
>cutting the thing off squarely.  Does anyone have any tips?  At >this
point I think the best course of action is to mark it >carefully and use
a hand saw.

I have had great success by building a large miter box out of scrap wood
(angle cuts not needed of course)and then using it with a back or
dovetail saw to cut the tubing, periodically rotating the tube of course.

			       Sincerely

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			   Alfred A. Skrocki
			alfred.skrocki-at-juno-dot-com
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