You have already found that they are hollow. Usually called "torque
tubes", I think.

Look around for some machine shops and welding or fabrication shops in
your area. They often have dumpsters out back where they put "shorts"
or "drops". A polite inquiry can't hurt. They may give you a chunk
or they may sell it to you, usually a scrap price. The big deal with
dumpster diving these day s is the owners' concern for liability if you
get hurt on their premises. If and when you present yourself at such a
place, you need to look and sound as though you are competent to dig out
a piece of scrap without harming yourself or screwing up their operation.
This may sound like a dumb thing to even mention, but many a good
"dumpster diving" place has beeen lost to all by just one guy who did it
wrong.

When I need something like that, I often go to a steel yard and ask if
they have any "mystery metal" in the size I need or if they have any
material that is under or oversize that would fit my needs. Sometimes
they'll cut you a deal. My favorite steel yard, Johnie's Dicount Steel
in Mpls also have a "drop" area where the pieces are priced at about
half of "normal".

No matter where you get the stock you need, cutting charges an come into
play. One cut could be anywhere from $2 (unlikely) to $10 (more likely).
So, as long as you have a way to cut the stock, you may be better off to
get more than you need and cut it to length on your own. It never hurts
the home machinist to have a little stockpile.

Since you were worried about being able to turn the "drive shaft":
Be sure to ask for annnealed stock when you get it. Bring a sharp
file with you just in case. If you can file the material, you can turn
it on your lathe. If the file just "skates" over it, leave it for the
next guy unless you know what it is and are into annealing.

Pete Stanaitis
--------------------------------

rodjava wrote:

I'm a homeshop machinist looking for cheap scrap metal.

I need some 3" dimeter material for a project.

Are truck drive shafts solid? And would the shafts be machineable on a
SouthBend 10" lathe using high speed steel bits?

Thanks in advance.

Rod
San Francisco