Lee Iron and Steel. the large scrapyard in Sanford, North Carolina, is a very busy place with people constantly bringing in scrap metal. But everyday from 12:00 to 12:45, while the scrapyard workers take their lunch, the yard is open to those who want to claim ‘treasures’ before they are disposed. You are required to check in and don a safety vest and then you can peruse the yard and retrieve anything you like, paying for it as you leave.
Pure metal objects: steel, aluminum and stainless are priced by the pound, and the prices of non-metallic items are negotiated when you leave the yard. Consequently, it’s beneficial to take only those pieces that you need, separating them from whatever unnecessary parts to which they may be attached.

I hadn’t been to this particular junkyard yet, and I went there for the first time 2 weeks ago, unsure about the process, but I realized quickly that I was woefully unprepared for the visit. I arrived just before 12 and lined up in front of the entrance building with about a dozen or so other treasure hunters. Most of them appeared to be older than me – 65 to 75 years old, so I felt confident about getting access to the newest items first. Although I’m no spring chicken, I’m an ex-cyclist and, until recently, an avid runner, so I knew that I’m still fast enough to beat these guys to the good stuff.
When we got the OK to enter the yard I moved quickly towards the newest piles of stuff, but I noticed that instead of moving towards the loot, the old timers headed around to the back of the building and emerged pulling and pushing a variety of wagons, dollies and carts that they had brought with them – each of which was loaded with an array of cutting and mechanical tools!

These guys started working their way around the yard cutting, hacking and wrenching away at stuff while I has standing there banging 2 pieces of junk together in an effort to try and free the pieces I wanted. They looked like well oiled machines and I looked like a monkey – I looked down at my hands and realized that my opposable thumbs were the only thing at that moment separating me from the Great Apes! It was a humbling experience!
At the end of 45 minutes, these guys emerged with an incredible amount of valuable material, while I walked out with a heavy duty tricycle and a axle/wheel assembly from an old refer dolly (I was looking for wheels for my next project). Although I only wanted the wheels, I negotiated  a price of $3 for the 2 assemblies – not a bad deal in the end.

So now I have a new plan:  I’ve been collecting parts for the construction of a heavy duty, off road wagon, made completely from salvaged material, for use when I go to those ‘pick-ur-own’ fruit farms near me – it was going to make it look like one of those old fashioned Conestoga wagons that the pioneers used to settle this country in the 19th century (I was going to name it “The Prairie Schooner”). But now, I’m going to upgrade that to a wagon that can also be used during my junkyard adventures – something to which I can attach hacking, cutting and mechanical tools. I think I’ll make it look like a little Sherman Tank – and I’m going to name it “The War Wagon”!