Dumpster Diving
 

Well first, let me ask a question? Is it legal or not? I've yet to really find a definitive answer. Anyway, post here what cool finds you've pulled from the trash. :)

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

I believe it is, I believe that once the trash is thrown out then it is up for grabs (assuming it is not on private property). The only thing I remember finding thrown out that I kept were 2 power seats from a car, I took the motors out and all of the switches.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

Yes it is legal (at last here in VA)the only time that its really a problem is when its at people's houses it must be sitting at the curb then. lets see in a dumpster we have accumulated a grill, half a motocycle(we needed some part off of it)not to mention a bunch of electronics stuff people have broken and i have gotten working(like and in box flightstick that has a driver CD that only works in win95/98)

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

Well it's not exactly a dumster, but my friends and I were driving along and saw some trash outside a person's house - at the road. Among the ruins was a plywood dolphin [about 4 feet long], painted and everything. So we loaded it in her backseat (with me, of course, squished with it) and brought it to school early to put our physics teacher's/mentor's room :)

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ive gotten a 400 watt computer psu, a small robot kit (which is now parts), and assorted fans

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

In my area, it's illegal. Once something is in the can is at the curb, its contents belong to the city.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

Today I found a computer in the trash. Go along college streets right after graduation. Since they are moving out they throw out 50% of their stuff. Great things get thrown out simply because they can't take it with them.
It was a HP computer, Celeron processor :(, 60g hd, 6g backup, dvd/cd drive, cdrw drive, and 256mb of ram. Not a bad find if I do say so myself. Found the monitor too, rather nice one at that. Yet I wanted to gut this comp for its ram and hd yet my mom wanted the computer for herself. So i let her have it, my dad said because I let my mom have it he will buy me 512mb of addition ram to add to my comp. Sweet!

This leads me to a pressing question.
I would really like to do a multi monitor setup. What is required for me to do so? I have a GigaByte Radeon 9600pro 256mb on WXP SP2 in my comp. Could I do a multi monitor setup with this card? If so how, if not what would be required for me to get to create a multi monitor setup? Would me having an extra Radeon 9200se 128mb help me in this matter?
I have contacted ATI yet they will take forever to respond.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

No, it is not legal. Trash is considered private property. Dumpster diving is stealing someone's property. Dumpster diving is only with permission, which is funny because it is someone else's trash.

Mostly I just rummage for spare materials, like plywood, pipe, and spare nails (those nail strips for nail guns are really handy). :)

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

IANAL, but it seems to vary according to your locality. (I suppose instead of RTFM, we've now progressed to RTLL.)

That said, seriously take a look at college campuses around finals. I picked up a lamp that way, and others have scored couches and tons of carpet. (I tossed my carpet--too worn out to take home, and nowhere to keep it anyway.) No computer finds yet, but I've got two more years. I don't actively dumpster dive, though, so maybe I do it wrong. (Targets of opportunity, I suppose.)

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

It depends on your local codes/ordinances/bylaws/deeds if it's legal or not.

The only time I've gone looking in a dumpster was when I worked at my last job. Our building was next to an awning manufacturer and they had a "clean" dumpster where they only tossed fabrics that were left over from jobs. Very occassionaly you could even find a complete bolt of fabric. The stuff was too heavy for a regular sewing machine so I and most of the people I know couldn't do much with the stuff but it did make great drop cloths. ;)

Now where I work now they have changed around the offices and shop several times and I've scored some stuff right before it was to go to our trash compactor. I got a nice heavy table I put in the garage. It has metal legs, a 2" thick top and the top is covered in formica so it cleans up easily.

I also got an office chair that was being tossed because it was the wrong color. Our company colors are gray and maroon but the chair is blue so they wanted to get rid of it. I have that in my garage also and sit in it all the time as I work at the work bench. Very comfortable and the price couldn't be beat. :)

I gave my father a metal rack that plastic bins clip to. He could use it for his spare parts he keeps for the repairs of Lionel trains he does.

I know plenty of people who have gained lawn mowers, tillers, snow blowers and similar items that were left by curbs to be taken away. Some only needed fresh gas or minor repairs to get them going again.

The best find I know of was 4 rims with tires, trim rings and center caps. They were in good condition and were the Rally style that was popular on the Corvettes back in the 70's and even used on the Chevelles and Novas. One of the guys I used to work with found them on the way to work stacked alongside a garbage pail with a note for the garbage truck to take them. They were dusty and the tires were dry rotted but the rims, trim rings and center caps cleaned right up with soap and water.

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A few times a year we can set things out by the curb for pickup: sofas, mattresses, tires, old appliances - we receive notifications and know the date to have things set out. It is sometimes a treasure trove. I have lugged home old pieces of furniture that I refinish or leave as is. One find that I love and my family hates is an old piece with a small closet on one side and drawers on the other. The drawers are missing and I use the drawer slots for paper supplies and robotic stuff. It is pepto bismal pink and the finish has naturally crackled. I think the pink is what nauseates everyone but I like it.

I also found two broken children's chairs. I took them apart and put the backs together to form a small shelf. It hangs in my office.

My latest find was a giant piece of plastic that has heavy thread pressed into it in a criss cross fashion. I took it to the shop and stored it in a container - just in case - may come in handy for jello sliding (j/k).

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

when I was a teenager I road my bike around several blocks in my neighborhood, looking for bicycle parts. I built 3 or 4 complete bikes out of parts that people tossed by the curb. I might end up buying a seat or pedals or tires here and there, but I had a pretty good collection of bike parts by the time I was 14 or so.

As for dumpsters, there is an issue. They are always located on private property (they are never by the curb) and if a cop sees you back behind office buildings at 1AM they very often will stop to see what you are up to.

In many places it is illegal, mostly for one reason - people throw all kinds of dangerous things in dumpsters. If you get hurt, or if a dumpster falls on you then you know what will happen - someone will sue the company, or the dumpster service company on your behalf. That is one of the primary reasons why its illegal. If companies let you rummage through their dumpsters and you get hurt, then they are liable for your injuries.

BTW, it all balances out in the long run. I have put 3 or 4 perfectly good bicycles by the curb with a "FREE" sign on them over the last few years (just to make space in my garage)

they were all taken within an hour of being set free :^)

Over the years I have intercepted things the company I work for was going to throw out. I got 800 Akg headphone speaker assemblies (speaker and foam ring) that were used on studio headphones. I sold them on ebay for 1 to $2 each in boxes of ten.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

Now I have never actually gone into a dumpster, but I have found a few really cool things in stuff that people were going to just throw out. I have a few Pentium III computers that my father's company was going to throw out that he claimed. (We wiped the hard drives and reloaded Windows 2000 onto them.)

My favorite find so was in a pile of stuff in a garage of a co-worker of my father that was going to be thrown out. Deep inside the pile I found a green box full of rare, antique pre-war Lionel trains still in working order and really good condition. They had "no use for those old toys" so they let me have them. :D

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Well if we are talking about past items I have to bring up the best, hands down trash find of them all.

A hot dog cart.
A full working gas powered hot dog cart. Two cooking vats, a wet storage space for putting ice and sodas, dry containers for storing hot dogs and buns, a spot for your propane tank, wheels, and two handle bars. :) The coolest find ever. We use it for random large outdoor activities at parks.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

wow! what would it take to get a permit and use it part time during the summer where you live?

Here in rochester NY hot dog carts on the street corners is a part of city life. Every time I go downtown I have to get a red hot!

depending on where you live that could be a very good part time job for someone.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

well recently i was able to snag 2 ibot gearboxes and a an ibot leather seat....it pays to know which dumpsters to look in ;)

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Laying by the trash can I found two new and working JBL 100 watt speakers. The stereo system that was with them was broken, so they just threw out the whole thing with the speakers.

I also found an IPAQ h3900 and an old MP3 player in a box with old stuff thrown out. It doesn't work but the LCD looks fine. I hope it works and I can find a pinout so I can hook it up to something.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

A certain someone dumped a $350 sprocket into the school dumpsters during the last week of the build season. Luckily, a mentor helped me jump in and dig around until we finally found it!

I have to admit, among the countless things FIRST has taught me, dumpster diving might just turn out to be the most practical ;)

My brother did this for the past year in Madison, WI. While he was training for the Chicago marathon, he would take long runs all around the city and see bikes in various stages of (dis)repair chained up or abandoned in front of buildings. His rule of thumb was that if a bike was left out for more than one week in the same location, it was his to take (the city claims them after 10 days).

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

:ahh: What sprocket costs $350?!! :ahh:

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

I think it's been settled, legal depends on where you are.

As for cool stuff, I have found...

* Working transmitter radios
* A 440 MHz commercial antenna (for the transmitters)
* A Roto-tiller
* A snow blower (older than me, but still runs great!)
* Countless bicycles and computers
* A GPS antenna (working!)
* Chairs, bookcases, racks, other furniture
* Materials (wood, metal, plastic, glass, hardware)
* 1000' of #6 bare aluminum wire.
Saved from the dumpster are countless other things, like a metal bin rach with bins, AT-type power supplies with +12v input (run a PC in the car!), and so much more...

Don

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

I've picked up two gas powered lawnmowers for free; one a horizontal shaft and running. I also scored a bunch of aluminum network racks and cabinets. All the stuff was obtained with permission. None of it cost me a dime.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

me and my friends found a couple tricycles and a couple of aluminun backs we got picked them up took them to my friends house and for about an hour just beat the devil out of the tricycles with the aluminum bats and some help from a certain sledge hammer it was a fun day we all took parts oif the tricycles i got a wheel and a bike chain :D

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

A few years ago, some teammates of mine went to the local junkyard to get electrical connectors for some of the FIRST and OCCRA kit motors. I believe they found some for the old Keyang seat motors, Van Door motors, window motors, and several of the others that are automotive motors. They looked up which vehicles those motors were used in, and then went searching for junked cars with those motors, and took the connectors. It's not quite dumpster-diving, but it's close.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

If you consider our robot room a dumpster (which it practically is) some anonymous person (a teacher no doubt, our work-room is at school) came and left a massive card-labeler/reader/addresser/thingy in our room. We took it apart and got all kinds of cool stuff. Including Gilmore belts, a 3 hp AC electric motor, and a whole ton of sensors; with the exception of the Ac motor we will likely be using the belts and sensors on future robots.

As for the legality of dumpster diving I really don't know. But I seriously doubt a cop would give you a ticket for taking card-board-boxes out of Safeway's dumpster.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

Sad to say, the supermarkets all compact their cardboard boxes. I needed some when I was a kid, and Mom took me to the store to ask for some. They wouldn't give me any, saying they had already compacted all their boxes. (Obviously, they didn't want to be bothered helping me.) Ever since then, I've been envious of people who can acquire giant pieces of cardboard.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

Cardboard boxes? Maybe, maybe not.

But taking metal from a scrap metal dumpster? That can most definitely land someone a ticket - especially if that company sells their scrap metal back to a metal recycling company.

It all depends on whether the stuff being thrown out has any value to the person, company, or city, and if there are any laws pertaining to dumpster diving.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

I'm glad I don't live near your safeway!

Mine is only too obliging to give away giant boxes. :)

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

Dumpster Diving in NH could go either way. Its considered private property if its in a sealed opaque container (IE double bagged with black trash bags) but its on the side of the road with the trash in plain view its my understanding that its free for the taking (or at least my law teacher thinks so!)

This was all decided when the police in NH went through a suspects trash without asking or a warrant...

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

That is by no means a one time incident. I recall a big raucous raised over a Dartmouth College security guard going through a friend's garbage looking for some stolen college property he suspected the kid had taken and then ditched when the cops started asking people about it. He found it, but later in court defeated the charges as Dartmouth security had no right to go through his family trash.

In another incident involving my favorite rent-a-cops, a different friend was found rummaging through a dumpster on campus. He was looking for old computer stuff, but there happened to be a nice collection of old student data on some ancient dot matrix style printer paper. He didn't care about it at the time, but it was a huge possible source of embarrassment for the college which is probably why it stayed out of the courts. He is still forbidden from campus grounds.

Don't get caught, even if you are sure it's legal where you live.

-Andy A.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

Wow.. and I thought my family was the only one who liked to "recycle" this way... We're not into dumpster diving per se, but have been known to occasionally help the sanitation engineers by removing some of their work which was put out at the curb!
Here in CT when my kids were young, there was a recycle organization that got things from local companies and you could fill a bag for $1. We would bring home eyeglasses (minus the lenses), empty lipstick tubes, cardboard tubes, etc. etc. All the way home we'd go over our "treasures" and the kids would build stuff for hours. Even now I can't pass by an empty computer box or styrofoam insert or heavy duty cardboard tube without thinking, "Can this be an ambulance? Fire truck? Television set? Matchbox car tunnel? Troll house?"
If you live up this way, a great place to check out is Flexcon in Spencer, MA. They manufacture pressure-sensitive films. Like in window "cling" material and bumper sticker material, or the stuff that goes on bus windows that you can print on but see through. I haven't been in a few years, but they used to allow non-profits and youth groups to take away leftover material. It's great for teams making spirit items, etc.

"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” - Thomas Edison

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

I see that as far different than dumpster diving. I've left my bike chained outside for more than a week. The fact that it is locked up clearly indicates that someone intended for it to stay there and that they will be coming back for it.

I left a car at home, parked on the street for a whole semester once. Not fair game for anyone to take.

Wetzel

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

Our team's greatest find this year, would have to be our trailer, that were going to use to build a float on for homecoming. We found it in the junkyard behind our schools machine shop, (its where the janitors put old equipment and machines). It was in great condition. The trailer hitch was perfect. The only thing it needed was to reinforce the wood on the trailer floor because their could have been termite damage. After we found we just asked the janitors if we could use it for our float and they said yes.

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

Back in August right before school started I had DJ Fluck help me "pull out" my latest dumpster dive. Didn't have to do much diving, but it was a pain to get into my apartment.



After we got it inside we cleaned it, painted the case, put new lights in it, and a new power cable. Now I have a working arcade machine in my apartment! :)

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

Getting a 2nd video card will not help at all, unless you have a video card that can do Crossfire, which does not include the 9000 series
(A full list can be found here: http://www.ati.com/technology/crossf...ldyourown.html).
EDIT: Oops, see post below.

Take a look at the back of your video card.
If it has the standard VGA monitor port and a DVI port that looks like this:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/img/data...5/dvi_port.jpg
Then you can do a dual monitor setup with an adapter like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814999201

If you don't have the 2 ports, then get a different video card that has 2 ports.

Anyways, back to the topic:

I've never managed to find anything good in the trash, most likely because I've never bothered to look. I guess I should start looking occasionally, though, since it appears as if many people throw out good stuff. :)

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

You can use multiple video cards for multiple monitors, they will not combine thier computing power for one monitor like crossfire.

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Here is information on the program that Flexcon offers...

Quote:

Yes, we do have a program called "School Stock." Anyone can just come in and take whatever they want from what happens to be there on any given day. There is usually a large supply of rolls and sheets of various pressure sensitive films like polyesters and vinyls in white, clear, silver, and sometimes colors or patterns. The hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. and Saturday from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. For details and directions call 508-885-8480

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

One time a friend of mine who works at a nearby waldbaums told us that one of the stored in that mall was throwing out alot of computers. So we went to the dumpster behind the store that night and found about 20 P3 IBM's, so we took them and nothing happened. A month or so later a few kids from my Engineering class went dumpster diving for some building materials that had been thrown out, the guy who was renting the dumpster contacted the school and the kids who did it were told not to do it anymore. The school said that if they were caught doing it again they would get detention. So personally I think it doesn't just have to do with legal or illegal, but depends more on who your taking the stuff from.

But stuff I've gotten from garbage piles:
countless computers, VCR's, TV's, 2 arcade machines, Stereos, a broken TRI-D chess set, lawn mowers, dirt bikes(asked before taking), snow blowers, monitors, and a bowflex(needed a little welding, but good as new).

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

I have quite a few things tat I've found in the garbage over the past few years, and I'll have to settle for name as many as I have time for:

Floor stand Radial arm saw
1.5 ghz Compaq with 512 ram, 40g HD and the full bundle
3 18 inch monitors (I'm using one on this comp right now)
numerous speaker/mouse/keyboard sets
The 20" T.V./VCR combo I have set up in my room . (soldering required:) )
A trampoline
400watt car amplifier with subs
too many <1.0ghz computers to remember them all.
Many Many Many bikes.
Home theatre speaker system, (soldering required:) )
A slot machine


The garbage is a wealth of treasure, and to avoid getting in legal troubles, I (almost) always knock on the person's door and ask if they would be OK we me taking their garbage... I have never had a person tell me that I couldn't, and in fact, most people are very nice about it :D

Re: Dumpster Diving
 

If you have an onboard video card on your mobo, then you may be able to just plug a second monitor into that... It will probably only be useful for standard windows programs (no MAX or Inventor), but it is still handy.
Depending on your machine, It is likely that the onboard is turned off in the bios and needs to be turned on, which is simple enough. This was the setup we used on My friend Bemis's computer and it worked just fine :)