Pig in a poke!

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Richard Hull
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Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2001 9:44 am
Real name: Richard Hull

Pig in a poke!

Post by Richard Hull »

A recent introductory post had a noobie note he got good deals at an auction on "govdeal.com". This site has been around for years now.

Years ago, (circa 2000), I needed lead for what was to be a gamma shield for my fusor III. I went on govdeals and found 230lbs of lead offered by UVA in Charlottesville (80 mile drive). It was way more than I needed. However, I figured, as a shooter who reloaded his ammo, I might use the rest for casting my own lead slugs.(Thousands of bullet molds are sold in the reloading biz)

I won the bid and had to drive to C'ville to pick up the lead. I got to the University disposal warehouse and the man in charge took my cashiers check, then walked me to the back with a dolly truck. We loaded the 6 boxes into my van and he left. I decided to check out the lead and opened a couple of boxes. To my compete amazement, 100% of my purchase was nothing but nuclear lead pigs! Small ones, mostly for tiny vials, with many medium pigs and 4 or 5, 20 pound monster pigs. All, undoubtedly, from the UVA research hospital. All had matching lids.

I sold at the HEAS event, every year, a large fraction of those pigs. I sold them at a fair price and, in the end made back about 20 times what I paid for all of that govdeals lead. I still retain about 20 pigs and never melted anything of that great lead buy. However, in anticipation, I had already bought 6 bullet molds. I was forced to buy 150lbs of lead from the load junk yard for 50 cent per pound as filthy scrap. I blended my own tin, antimony, lead bullet alloys and still cast my own bullets.

Govdeals also netted me 3 fabulous classroom, Nuclear Chicago GM counters discarded by Henrico county schools! That drive to their reclamation warehouse was only 20 miles. I won all three for $30 total.
All here should go to govdeals.com and look for cool stuff auctioned on line at colleges and institutions near you. Note: These places typically will not ship anything they sell, you must pickup and prepay or pay by cashier's check at pickup.

For amusement sake, I show some images of the pigs.

Richard Hull
Attachments
SILVER BOY1.JPG
BOXBOY.JPG
BLUEBOY.JPG
2TONEBOY.JPG
BIGBOY1.JPG
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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