Looking for optical drives, PSUs

dragonorb13

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Feb 11, 2011
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So, I'm trying to do some experiments - a 3d printer, a couple of other things if that works out well - and I need some bargain-bin parts, basically.
I need power supplies - functional, but old, is fine. They aren't going into a computer, so anything is fine.
I also need optical drives, floppy drives, ZIP drive, anything with a stepper motor in them - the part that makes the optical reader move back and forth. platter ejection mechanism is preferred, but not critical.

More over, I'm not in a time crunch, so I'm not overly worried about if you want to ship them via 3rd class mail or tape them to a snail and hope they get here. I'm willing to pay for shipping, I could use about a half-dozen to a dozen of each (if you happen to actually HAVE zip drives, the motors are the same as 3.5" floppies. If you have 5.25" floppies, I'm not sure.). I'd prefer one box, but unless your collection is as eclectic as my dad's, I don't anyone has a dozen of each just sitting around. My only major request is that a tracking label be put on. Just the tracking label is fine, insurance and signature are not important, as there's nearly always someone in my house to receive deliveries.
 
It seems kind of expensive to ship old PSUs.
Maybe print out some flyer's and go around the neighborhood just being willing to take peoples old PCs off their hands.
With E-waste recycling being so popular I do doubt that people are really hanging on to those things much anymore.

I almost think it'd be cheaper to buy the parts that you'd be taking out of those things than trying to get them shipped to you for free/whatever.
 

dragonorb13

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Feb 11, 2011
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A fair point, James, and one of the solutions I was looking at. Though, since the steppers I'd need range from 10-20 USD a pop, if I drop 20 on shipping a box with a half dozen motors in them, I'm up on the game. I also know of a couple of used PC shops that sell CD and DVD drives for about 5 a pop, so that was another solution I was looking at. I'm all for any other ideas, though.