flat graphite

[tapkoote]

I'm looking for a scrap of flat graphite material. Used/cheap.
would there be any wrecking yards /scrap yards who collect this stuff?
thanks for any help
tap

[flylo]

I bought 3-12"x3/4" new rounds on Ebay for making an electrowhatever rust removal 55 gal tanks. $30/ea.

[Bob Fisher]

What size do you need? McMaster Carr has it, not cheap tho. Awful stuff to machine, gets all over everything. Although it can't damage your machines, I'm not sure of the health implications. Bob.

[tapkoote]

flat graphite

What size do you need? McMaster Carr has it, not cheap tho. Awful stuff to machine, gets all over everything. Although it can't damage your machines, I'm not sure of the health implications. Bob.

I can find it new, but don't want to spend the big money and I only need a few square inches
I was thinking of maybe broken body panels from a car.
tap

[JoeCB]

sounds like you are thinking about graphite FIBER reinforced plastic material rather thna block or stick solid graphite... what are you planning to use this "graphite' for?

Joe B

[Bob Fisher]

What is it for, and do you really need graphite? I'm not imagining any body panels made of graphite. Bob. Joe beat me to it,same question.

[alcova]

On ebay, you type in flat graphite and you get quite a number of choices and prices are not to bad either

[Paul Alciatore]

sounds like you are thinking about graphite FIBER reinforced plastic material rather thna block or stick solid graphite... what are you planning to use this "graphite' for?

Joe B

If you want fiber reinforced material, like fiberglass, look for circuit board material. Not necessarily graphite fibers, but they are plenty tough. You can beat them with a hammer without cracking. It comes in different thickness but 1/16" is the most common. Do look for the fiberglass type (FR4), not the cheaper, more fragile plastics. It can be purchased from a variety of electronic sources or McMaster without the copper plating.

[Jaakko Fagerlund]

What size do you need? McMaster Carr has it, not cheap tho. Awful stuff to machine, gets all over everything. Although it can't damage your machines, I'm not sure of the health implications. Bob.

Machines nicely, but indeed, needs a vacuum cleaner next to the cutter. And it will damage your machine if you let it just go everywhere, as graphite is basically an abrasive if it gets on the siliding surfaces. Eats carbide and HSS tools fast also.

[rowbare]

Check out shops that cater to glass blowers and hot glass workers. They use graphite paddles as shaping aids. Something like this: http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Graphite-Paddle/701401

bob

[Duffy]

Any electric arc furnaces operating in your area? The stump-end of the electrodes have to go somewhere. Or else they may have parts of a broken one - put a "sacrificial" blade in your bandsaw, preferably somewhere that is easy to clean up, and have at it.
Failing that, try a supplier of lightening-arrester systems. They used to use graphite molds for thermite-welded joints in the grounding systems. Now they use hydraulic swages, so the graphite molds SHOULD be surplus-nobody cleans out ALL their old junk!

[RWO]

I can find it new, but don't want to spend the big money and I only need a few square inches
I was thinking of maybe broken body panels from a car.
tap

tap, I don't know what you are looking for, but if it is solid, elemental carbon, I have some that might suffice. What is the minimum size you need?

RWO

[tapkoote]

flat panell

Check out shops that cater to glass blowers and hot glass workers. They use graphite paddles as shaping aids. Something like this: http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Graphite-Paddle/701401

bob

bob, that paddle would probably work, but need machining.
I guess it's called graphite reinforced fiber glass, like the kids use for hoods on their cars.
On a gas driven radio control car, there's a brake on the gear chain, after the clutch.
It's got two disc's and two shoes with a cooling disc in-between.
These guys put a strip of carbon fiber in-between the disc's, instead of the cooling disc.
There fore twice the braking surface.
I can get the strips, with postage $20-$30, being a cheap skate
I'm hoping to find some scrap some where.
Thanks for the help guys.
tap

[duckman]

Find a shop that has a sinker EDM that who I'd look for because thats what a lot of electrodes are made of.

[Arcane]

As Bob Fisher Paul Alciatore have said, this is probably what the OP is looking for, considering that tapkoote said "I only need a few square inches I was thinking of maybe broken body panels from a car." and "These guys put a strip of carbon fiber in-between the disc's, instead of the cooling disc. There fore twice the braking surface."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_%28fiber%29