This article will explain how to find, salvage and store resources to rebuild society and maintain the necessities. 
It will also discuss implementing and converting some of the items. In the days of dystopia resources become vital and knowing where to find them can become quite difficult. There are so many mundane items that hide valuable attributes. If it cannot be re-used then it can be recycled. Knowing where to find a piece of equipment to fix that water pump, homemade potato cannon, or the toy that keeps kids quiet can be a stressful thing. Pulling apart equipment is time consuming, and long-term storage can be a problem without prior knowledge.
Disclaimer
•This article is designed for a dystopia scenario, though the suggestion may be incorporated in society today or while on the run.
•The following suggestions are all of my humble opinion and research. If you do happen to find any error or discrepancies, please inform me with detail. I will not be able to cover everything without taking a full year but your extra suggestions can and most probably will be incorporated and quoted in the article.
•Do not trespass on property until after disaster strikes; this can cause complications between you, the land owner and the authorities.
•If you choose to incorporate any of this article in modern times please ensure you have any electrical, plumbing, mechanical, etc. checked by a trade- qualified professional.
•Consult the designated MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) when using any liquid, spray, etc.
•I am not responsible for any mishaps, misuse, etc., so use at your own risk and discretion.
Safety Awareness
•Please ensure adequate personal protection equipment is used during tasks.
•Lifting above recommended weight is not advisable.
•Your hands cannot be replaced; wear proper gloves.
•Eye protection should be worn.
•In situations where you believe a dust mask should be donned, put one on.
•Watch out for wildlife including, but not limited to: snakes, crocodiles, bears, wildcats, wild dogs, biting and stinging insects.
•Keep up your hydration; the more strenuous work you do the more water your body needs.
•If you choose to incorporate any of this article in modern times please ensure you have any electrical, plumbing, mechanical, etc. checked by a trade- qualified professional.
•Electricity or pressure could still be a thing of dystopia; ensure power and pressure is isolated in all circumstances (hydraulic line, solar power electricity, etc)
•If you do see a warning sign, pay attention to it, then take it and the pole for later use.
Prologue
I used to collect scrap steel and rubbish from farmsteads in an offer to clean up their property in preparation for clearing land and infrastructure. Afterwards I drove to the local steel collection agency and sold off my score. After I finally bought my own house, some of that equipment looked handy so I kept what was useful and cashed in the rest. After a while I had limited time to do this, and you are only able to clean a property up a so many times. Instead I took a career choice of unskilled labour hire working in 27 different industries where I learnt a lot of trade secrets, skills and general know-how. Now I work in mining (since 2007) on remote mine sites which has made me to become independent, forcing me to learn how to fix my own machines and vehicle.
Being an avid DIY hobbyist doesn't hurt either, but short on cash means finding other solutions to buying off-the-shelf. It's amazing what you can find and salvage when you pull these things apart.
Tools
Tools, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED0, are a device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function¹. To put this in a more simple statement, a hammer is a tool because you use it to hit nails.
Your basic deconstruction tool kit should consist of:
•Flat Head Screwdriver (medium and small)
•Phillips Head Screwdriver (medium and small)
•Pointy Nosed Pliers (with inbuilt wire cutters)
•Pliers
•Claw Hammer
•Tape Measure (or ruler will do)
•Knife (retractable or sheathed)
•Multigrips/Polygrips
•Allen Keys (imperial and metric)
•Shifter / Adjustable Wrench
•Gloves
•Eye Protection
•Respiratory Protection (i.e. dust mask)
Any more tools added to this kit will be more than useful.
If you find yourself without tools, including no "Swiss Army Knife", then let us look in the obvious places. In the boot of a car or behind the seat of a utility truck (pickup truck), you will sometimes find a mini tool kit. If a tool kit is not present then the tire-changing kit is very useful. Most tire-changing tool kits consist of an extendable arm jack with a ‘T’ piece, a jack, tire iron and a small spanner. Some other tire-changing kits can be more extensive.
You can also find tool kits and tyre kits in trucks, buses, motorbikes and other machinery. Motorcycles, for example, can be located under the seat; truck or machinery kits are usually located in a toolbox on the side of the equipment. On buses, some are found at the back of the bus near the motor, while some underneath in the luggage hold. Sometimes first aid kits, flash lights, flares, etc. can also be found.
Providing you can get to them, garages, sheds, basements, attics, etc. can be a common place to find toolkits. Some households/apartments even store toolkits inside the pantry cupboard, bottom kitchen drawer, and linen closet or under stairs.
Failing these you can find toolkits in workshops, construction sites, stores, suppliers. But unless the area is secure, is it worth the risk?
So you don’t have tools on hand or cannot get to any and unless you have done a trade traineeship over 15 years ago, you probably were never taught how to make them. So let’s look at improvising.
A flat-head screwdriver would be the simplest to make in any circumstance. Using a metal butterknife you can scrape the top edge of the blade on any coarse or hard surface including concrete, metal, rocks, or even a knife sharpener. Using a metal rod and scraping on a hard surface to create a flat-head screwdriver may be more efficient in the long run. Just use some electrical or duct tape to make a handle for ease of use. Alternatively a coin, key, nail file, scissors, or anything else with a flat surface may be used as a screwdriver without alterations.
This technique can be used for making chisels as well
A Phillips-head screwdriver is a little more complicated to make. Starting off with a rod you should shape the end into a point, though starting with a spare tent peg or similar may save you time. Place over a Phillips-head screw, mark the four points and then “dig in” to these marked areas using a small file, nail file, thin grinding wheel, a point of another tent peg, a knife, a flat-head screwdriver, etc. It may be time consuming but it is well worth it in the long run. Ensure you have taken measures to ensure you don’t slip and stab yourself when making your four points. When you think you have got your shape, test it on a star screw; you may find you need to flatten the point. Alternatively you can use a flat-head screwdriver which fits into a Phillips-head screw and turn; be warned though, you may strip the head of the screw.
Pointy-nosed pliers (with inbuilt wire cutters) can be made using a pair of office or kitchen scissors. Measuring from the tip of the blade, flatten the surface halfway down on a coarse surface. Once this has been completed, try to roughen up the flattened area with a knife or similar to ensure better grip.
Pliers took me a while to work out how to do in an effective manner. A basic way would be to use tongs by flattening the head and then folding the metal over itself 3 or four times. If the handle of the tongs seem ‘flimsy’ you can reinforce them by placing a flat metal rod inside the handle and the head before folding the top.
Alternatively, from what I learned in scouts, you can carve tools from wood as well. You can find more details by clicking here. It is a post submiited by Vincent Hale on the site http://www.e-scoutcraft.com . My advice is that you find 10mm hardwood sheets instead of the softwood used and make a large pair without having to cut the wood in the middle; just chisel/cut the shapes. Screw the wood together to ensure sturdiness and use thin sheet metal (from a toaster or similar) for the head of the pliers. Simply shape the metal to the heads of the pliers before adding screws. If this is unavailable, dip the heads into melted plastic while keeping them open and then trim the excess plastic afterwards. Wrap some twine, cloth, and tape around the handles for comfort.
Hammers are a handy tool in use for survival and building (or deconstruction), and I will explain how to make one. The following tip can be implemented in making a mallet, axe or similar. First, we are going to need a handle-shaped object, anything sturdy like a good piece of wood or a steel bar. The head can be a lump of metal, melded hard plastic, hard wood or a rock (which doesn't last long but a never ending supply is usually close at hand). Next, a 15mm-20mm groove should be made in the head of the makeshift hammer; this groove should fit your handle (grind down the handle if necessary but not so much that it breaks on the first or second hit).
Next, make two extra grooves, evenly spaced, onto the head for ease of strapping. One or two grooves should be made into the handle approximately 30mm and 50 mm from the bottom of where the head sits.
Once this has been completed, we will need to find some string, twine, leather straps, shoe lace, cord or similar. Soak your "tie down' in water for at least a day; this will expand it so that after you strap the head to the handle it will shrink and hold better. Tie your strapping with a slipknot around the top groove of the handle and then pull the string over in a criss-cross thru the grooves of the head and bring back down and wrap around the handle below the first knot. Repeat as many times as you like, as taut as possible. When you believe the hammer will be sturdy enough use a triple sliding hitch to finish off on the last groove on the hammer. Next, wrap some strapping a couple of times as taut as possible around your wrapping just below the head. Strap the handle as well for added comfort.
The reason I did not explain the claw hammer is because you can remove a nail with any pliers; that, and I have never made a claw hammer before.
Also, you can just simply skip the handle (or use the handle) and just hammer away with whatever is handy with your hand
A tape measure is good for finding that "close enough"-sized object you need to finish off a project. My initial advice would be to throw a tailor's tape measure in your BOB or first aid kit. Failing this, we are going to have to find a way to measure out along a piece of string, a flat piece of wood, or a length of steel. If you happen to have a notepad with grid paper, this is your solution; Alternatively, most A4 notepad book lines measure in at 8mm. A pocket notepad books lines measure in at 5.5mm. This happens to give us a difference of 2.5mm. The first aid kit items should also have the dimensions of the bandages printed on them; you can find the difference to the smallest amount possible. Once you have found a reasonable number, mark these onto your string, wood, or metal with either a pen or pencil. Tie the string with each mark as you go to ensure better accuracy. Once you have marked the measurements on the wood or steel, imprint or engrave the markings for a more permanent result.
Tip: measure what is easy access in your bag if you can find a definite number prior (i.e. 1 cm or 1/2 inch) you can utilise this later on.
A knife is essential to survival, so I am going to presume your knives got stuck inside numerous skulls and you need a replacement. Essentially, the following are designs for shanks, not knives. You can make a shank from anything that is semi flat. Using the same "grinding" system as stated for a flat-head screw driver, you can sharpen a toothbrush, a spoon handle, a piece of metal, piece of glass, hardwood, aluminium can (aluminum for those non-British English speaking people), hard plastic, pc sound card, or anything hard really. You can make a handle similar to the process explained in "make a hammer", mentioned prior.
Multigrips or polygrips can be made the same way wooden pliers have been made. If you have other suggestions please let me know.
Allen keys (imperial and metric) can be made by starting off the same way a screwdriver is made. Instead of making a point, keep the end flat and mark up against the hex-head screw or bolt you wish to remove. Flatten the sides until you get an even and flat hex-head on the tip. Keep checking against the hex-head screw or bolt to ensure you don't grind it down too much. For extra leverage when in use, tie a cross piece on with tape, string, etc.
Shifters are difficult to make, so I will explain how to make spanners (or wrenches for those non-British English speaking people). I have made spanners out of tin, wood, steel & thick plastic sheeting.
I made the tin spanners from tin cans by using a can opener on both sides and then cutting the tin down the middle (keep the ends). I then cut the tin can into 6 even strips and then bent them to form a "Ώ". I then placed two strips inside one and repeated with the remaining three. This created a layer of three. I positioned one end of the can over a nut (or nut over tin can end) and traced the outside. Once the outline was present I used a hammer and chisel and chiseled out the shape. I then placed the second end under the lid and then traced and chiseled. I chiseled two slots on the outside on the end wide enough to fit the strips of tin prepared earlier, creating two handles after I pushed the top together and creating an upside down "T" shape. I wrapped the handle with a cloth and then taped it with electrical tape; thus, I created my first homemade ring spanner.
I made my wooden spanner in a similar matter, but by standing the piece of square wood up and placing the nut on one end and tracing it. I then carefully chiseled out from the center of the wood outwards (with a bit of prying), eventually creating the last of the traced shape with a knife. I then screwed a piece of wood on the opposite end to create a "T" shape. I probably undid 20 odd nuts until I lost shape; I then used the same piece and hole to undo larger nuts. Eventually the wood could not be reshaped and was used elsewhere; so was the birth of my second homemade ring spanner.
The hard plastic (which I still use sometimes) was simply cut into strips (after many strokes and elbow grease) using a retractable knife. I then placed the plastic strip end flush with the point of the nut creating four parallel of the length of the plastic and the nut. I then marked the two parallel lines of the nut, cut the marks towards the outer edge (again, continuous cuts and elbow grease) and eventually created my first open-ended spanner.
The steel strips I used were 10mm thick, 50mm wide and 300mm long. I managed to make 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 14mm spanners. Unfortunately these were done using a vernier calliper and a hand-held grinder. Oh, that’s an idea; use a lockable vernier calliper as a shifter (if you have any).
I also found a site which uses PVC as spanners. The article is by Oorspronklikheid and is called How to make a spanner (wrench) out of PVC. I am yet to trial this and the only reason I might is to make a spark plug spanner.
Gloves can be made with rags insulated with banana leaves (absorbs heat). If banana leaves are not available, try using non-poisonous broad leaves.
Safety Glasses are to protect your eyes from foreign objects. If a pair of safety glasses is not available in dystopia, regular sunglasses, gas goggles, swimming goggles, a face shield, etc. can be used as a replacement. Failing these items, using a clear plastic container like a take-a-way container (or similar) attached or tucked under the brim of your head wear is better than nothing.
Dust masks may be hard to come by after a few years of dystopia. Simply find a rag large enough to tie around your head to cover your mouth and nose. Before donning your makeshift dust mask, dampening the cloth will help collect dust.
Nails, Screws, Bolts, Washers, and more
Everything you pull apart properly will have something holding it together. You’ll find nails, screws, washers, nuts, bolts, hose clamps, hinges, latches, handles, angle joints, roller tracks, rollers, electrical wiring, electrical connections, O-Rings, springs, switches, coils, straps, belts, buttons, light bulbs, light diodes, clogs, rods, pipes, hoses, etc.
It is best to store those parts that do rust in a sealed container with scrap oils (ranging from cooking to mechanical oils). This will ensure a prolonged life over decades. Removing rust from such subjects before storing (unless stored in sump oil) can be accomplished by using a store-bought rust remover. Alternatively, mix salt and lemon juice and scrub the rust off. Wipe with a wet cloth and then store them away.
As for handles, hinges, latches or any other accessory held on by screws, screw them to a wall or a back of a door. This way you have the screws on hand already when you need to use such items. This will save containers and space.
O-Rings, belts, and other rubber or latex items need to keep their structure, so they should be stored with common sense: in cool areas, with relative humidity and sealed away from elements².
Keep things like switches, buttons, etc. free from excess moisture and direct light.
The remaining accessories should be stored with common sense also. A dry environment with lack of light and moisture will prolong the life of most accessories; if possible, remove what oxygen you can.
Tips & Tricks
•Some items are put together with pressure - be sure to wear eye protection
•Wear gloves in case of sharp edges or rusted points (Tetanus).
•When removing bolts, screw on the washers and nuts as you go. This way you won't have to try and find a match later
•Sorting your salvaged stash may prove handy later. Start with nuts and bolts, screw, nails, etc. and then sort into sizes.
•Store the most commonly-used item towards the front and less commonly-used items towards the back.
•Excess nuts, washer, etc? No more jars? Tie a string to one and then feed the rest onto the opposite end of the string. Tie a loop on the opposite end of the string, with enough room to remove them over the knot, and hang up somewhere suitable.
•Magnets are a great way to pick up metallic objects quickly, or to find them in the long grass.
•Baby oil eats latex; try to avoid it as a lubricant on O-rings, belts and such. (Also condoms, so beware)
•Rub soap, wax, oil, or even saliva onto the nail or screw before using. This will ease it going in and even prevent bending.
•Screw hole has widened? Place a toothpick or used match stick in the hole and try again. This will close the hole and ensure the screw is not loose
Vehicles and Machinery
Any vehicle or machinery can become useless. If one breaks down use the parts to fix the ones that are still productive. If the vehicle and its’ parts are of no use to similar vehicles, it’s time to store away the parts. There are currently articles in progress about this topic and this article will be linked once they have been approved and published.
Wood
Wood is a great fuel source, great for building and good for hitting things with (like baseballs, not people). Wood can be found at post-dystopia supply stores; failing this, it's time to salvage from buildings, furniture, crates and pallets. Deconstructing furniture, crates and pallets can be easy with just using a mallet, pry bar and pliers. The mallet is to knock the wood apart enough to use the pry bar to jimmy it apart and then pull the nails out with the pliers. If these are put together with bolts, screws and such you will obviously need the corresponding tools.
Deconstructing buildings to salvage wood should be taken with care. Ensure you do not take support beams out until the roofing is down. Try to work from the inside out to keep everything out of the elements as much as possible. Almost every tool will be required to do this job, and depending on the structure and what the building is made from, will depend on the tools and where you start. After the building has been cleared of furniture and other debris, start with removing the doors by unscrewing the hinges, and then the door frames, all the while putting nails and screw into separate containers to save time later.
If applicable, remove the walls and ceiling next, opening the rooms to see the support structures. Any electrical sockets, light fittings or fans can be removed by their screws from the walls and ceiling. Next, remove any superficial fixtures such as the wall frames (don't remove load bearing posts), ceiling bearings and batons (after roofing is removed).
Storing your salvaged wood in a dry area away from weather will prolong the life of the wood. Store the sheeting, timber and lumber as flat as possible with some air flow to prevent wood rot or mold. Options for storage can range from building free standing racks and building suspended racks from roofing to stacking in a criss-cross fashion.
(Warning: the following information is supplied for use in a time after an apocalyptic event; if using in modern times, please consult a professional before felling any tree!)
Chopping down trees should be planned in advance; my theory is that if a tree can fall on any structure when you cut it down, don't cut it down. Felling trees is a dangerous occupation even in today's society, so I'll explain how to fell a tree with an axe. This can be incorporated into using various saws or a chainsaw. First, cut a notch in the general direction you want the tree to fall. If the tree can fall on powerlines, buildings, or anything, get a professional - or find another tree. The notch should be cut approximately a third of the way into the tree trunk at a 45° angle. Next, you cut a second notch just above the first notch on the opposite side of the tree until you hear the tree trunk failing. Drop the axe safely and run from the falling tree at a 45° angle. Once the tree has fallen, continue to chop the limbs off the tree and then cut the trunk into manageable sizes.
Saved off-cuts, sawdust, twigs and foliage can be used in compost as is explained in the article Want Not Waste Not / Recycle and Re-use Foods or cowboy17's Rooftop Agriculture - Part 1.. Alternatively, these can be dried and used as tinder.
Glass
Glass can be found as windows, doors, roofing, vehicle windscreens, display cases, appliance windows, etc. Failing to find glass "ready to go" at supply stores which supplied it before dystopia, we will need to salvage it. Gloves should always be worn when handling glass.
Most glass panes are held together by a frame and glazier silicon which makes salvaging them a little easier. Usually this job requires more than one set of hands but as long as you have your sharp and trusty knife, the task is simple. Simply cut the glazier silicon away from the glass (a utility knife is usually best) and lift the glass out with a pry bar, flat-head screwdriver, or even your knife.
If you wish to keep the glass in its frame, just unscrew the hinges or elbow joints to do so. If the hinge screws are not accessible, you can knock the pins off the hinges from bottom up with a hammer and punch. For fixed windows simply remove the wood or steel away from the frames with a pry bar to take the window.
Mirrors can expand light and create an illusion of making a room larger than it is. To remove a wall-mounted mirror you will need a screwdriver, paint scraper and possibly a pry bar. Unscrew any screws holding the mirror to the wall, starting from the bottom. If the mirror is held by an adhesive to the wall, slowly and carefully use the screwdriver, paint scraper or pry bar to pull the mirror away. If the mirror shatters you can use the pieces in a mosaic type style to replicate light in the room (light source needed).
When melting glass, you will need a maximum temperature of 1600° Celsius, though some glass will melt slower over time at a lower temperature (as seen with a beer bottle in the coals of a camp fire). You will need a mold made from metal with a heat resistance higher than 1600° Celsius to make your preferred items. See below for metal melting points.
Glass should be stored with paper or cloth in between each to reduce the suction effect that is common among panes.
Concrete, Dirt, Rocks & Clay
Broken cement blocks, crumbled concrete walls and similar should be broken down into golf ball sized bits (keeping the concrete dust). Ensure you wear eye protection and a dust mask to prevent flying objects and the inhalation of crystalline silica dust. These broken down bits can be used as a road base or to assist in building new blocks, which is explained next.
Building with compressed dirt or mud bricks would be a great advantage in the days of dystopia because the supply should not run low. I worked for a company, collecting the mix, which specialised in creating retaining & feature walls and these have not shown wear in 20 years of operation. (Click picture below for a basic example of large, compressed dirt structure.)
Compressed dirt blocks are made initially the same way.
Rammed Earth construction for buildings is thousands of years old. The technique is analogous to “manmade sedimentary rock." What occurs is layers of prepared dirt (optimally 70% sand and 30% clay) are layered and packed in succession with either man power or machine help. When completed the rammed earth walls are as strong as concrete, fire proof, of course weather proof, rot proof, and also minimize temperature swings on the interior.
Great benefits with rammed earth construction are some of the tweaks that can be added. Concrete, steel bars and veneers can be added to the appropriate parts of the wall for strength and appearance. Another convention that is key is the use of old tires, aluminum cans, and even cardboard that can be added or used in conjunction with rammed earth construction methods.
Typically, construction of a rammed earth building uses the best possible orientation of the building with regards to the project site. The idea is to use the sun or natural shade barriers to minimize the need for artificial moderation of the interior environment. The interior of the walls can be sealed or plastered to prevent dusting.
greenUPGRADER
(2011) 2008 Rammed Earth Home: Building With Compressed Dirt
http://greenupgrader.com
The basics of all mud bricks are simply mud, straw and water. But for something that will last more than a year, we will need to consider using soil with clay, sifting the soil to ensure large debris are not going to crack the bricks once sun dried. Using the dust and small pebbles from old concrete can help keep the mud bricks solid. Using a flat surface as the base and some timber as 4 sides you have created your brick cast. Be sure to keep the sizes relatively the same. Sift the clay-bound mud mixture to remove large items. Mix concrete dust with the clay-bound mud and straw (cow or horse manure does the job) well enough for it to be molded into shapes. Pour the mud into the frame made earlier and let it sit for a few hours in the sun. When the brick seems to be dry remove the frame and start on a new brick (obviously to get a good production up a few frames will be needed). Allow the brick to dry in the sun for three weeks. You can use the same mix as mortar to build your house.
Building with rocks or stones as a use for walls is not uncommon, though a little more difficult without cement mix. Use a mortar mix made the same as mud bricks. Stack the base wide and build and stack with rocks or stones that fit into each other's shape. You can even take the time to chisel into blocks if you wish. Adding plenty of mortar as you build, you will need to build in stages of 2 weeks to allow the mortar to set properly, approximately 1 meter or 3 foot at a time. When you have finished, scrape the excess mortar away with a wire brush or similar. Try not to build over 2 meters high (approx 6.5 foot); the wall will become unstable and may topple without proper construction methods.
Plastic
Plastic can be located anywhere including homes, businesses, vehicles, wire coating and refuge sites. The plastic types that will be explained in this article are the types that melt and can be molded into new products or used as an adhesive. My personal opinion is that if the plastic items can be used as it was designed for you should not melt them down until they have become ineffective.
Note the pictures above; from these symbols we are able to determine the type of plastic and the melting point to mold. Most recyclable plastics will have these. Those plastics that don't melt are probably best used for lining a garden bed before putting soil and compost mix to prevent weeds growing through.
Symbol 1 represents polyethylene terephthalate aka Polyester or PET4. Melting point is 260° Celsius.
Symbol 2 represents high-density polyethylene4. Melting Point is 130° Celsius.
Symbol 3 represents polyvinyl chloride. Melting point is 80° Celsius.
Symbol 4 represents low-density polyethylen4. Melting point is 120° Celsius.
Symbol 5 represents polypropylene. Melting point is 170° Celsius.
Symbol 6 represents polystyrene4. Melting point is 240° Celsius.
Symbol 7 represents "Other" which is a mixture of the above or a resin not yet mentioned.4. Melting point is 100-280° Celsius.
My knowledge of plastics is limited to molding melted plastic into preferred shapes or when using it as an adhesive.
Tip: heat the mold before pouring in the melted plastic to reduce the quickness of the hardening, which may produce cracks or hairline fractures invisible to the eye.
Metal
There are many metals that are used in everyday things and these metals are going to be the foundations of building in utopia. We have covered almost every possible place to look for any item to salvage. Other than the previous mentioned places the last option would be mining it. My advice to you is to pretend not to know anything about mining; it's a hell of a job, hot, humid, dirty and lastly dangerous. So let's skip mining because I do it for a living and when there are alternatives available in dystopia, I will be choosing the alternative.
I have the same theory with metal as I do with plastic. My personal opinion is that if the metal items can be used as they were designed for you should not melt them down until they have become ineffective.
Each metal has its own melting point and some metals are a combination or two or more types of metal. Unfortunately, due to many failed attempts at building an ancient smelter, I will not be able to give you any plans on this. I can, however, list some of the metals' melting points that I have noted in my "Mining Bible" over the years. Starting from lowest melting point:
Tin melts at 230° Celsius (Tin cans and roofing)
Lead melts at 330° Celsius (Car batteries and tyre balance implement)
Zinc melts at 429° Celsius (Pennies and die-cast objects)
Aluminium melts at 660° Celsius (Most door knobs, taps and spouts and soda cans)
Silver melts at 960° Celsius (Jewellery and some cutlery)
Gold melts at 1060° Celsius (Jewellery and watches)
Copper melts at 1080° Celsius (Electrical Wiring and hot water piping)
High Carbon Steel melts at 1350° Celsius (Knives and fishing hooks)
Stainless Steel melts at 1360° Celsius (Most cutlery and some appliances)
Nickel melts at 1450° Celsius (Coins and instruments)
Iron melts at 1530° Celsius (Nails and Iron Sheeting)
Tungsten melts at 3000° Celsius (wire filament in light bulbs and some fishing sinkers)
Carbon melts at 3600° Celsius (Percussive drilling mining equipment)
Brass melts at 940° Celsius (Shell casings and Sculptures)
There are designs over the net for butane or propane smelters. If you choose to take this path, I advise on ensuring you have a temperature regulator to ensure quality control.
Thanks to:
My beautiful sexy wife for proof reading... Twice...
NIE - for editorial advice, topic suggestions and general awesomeness
Bunni - for making me write this topic and editorial advice
Blaigen - for his idiocy and editorial advice
YourSisterCheryl - for keeping me awake during long nights and for general input
Leo84 - for structure advice and being a typical Greek Beauty / Aussie Sheila
Foxtrot - for final editing and putting up with my shoddy grammar
Bibliography
¹The Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition)
20 Volume Set
²The Seal Man’s O-Ring Handbook™
EPM, INC. (The Seal Man™)
³Popular Science - November 1977 - Volume 211
Article Submission by L. Braile
4Fantastic Recycled Plastic: 30 Clever Creations to Spark Your Imagination
Published 2009
By David Edgar, Robin A. Edgar
