I think that is an urban myth propagated by the corporate media to make you feel special.
Sure, Americans were living high on the hog for a decade or two after every other industrialized nation was effectively bombed back into the stone age in WWII.
But that surplus was quickly squandered. Probably by 1971.
Since then, it has been “boil the frog slowly” as far as letting the American ego down.
Look on the bright side. It took Rome 400 years to collapse.
I have got to look around for some ss. I know that the scrap iron yard in Marinette doesn’t have a large assortment of it. But I do live in an area of paper mills, although many have closed in the last couple of years. One in Niagras closed, and in Oconto Falls and one in Peshtigo both closed. One left in Peshitigo and one in Marinette. I don’t know about the ones just across the boarder in the UP. Could go to Green Bay where there are a couple of big ones. But what am I looking for? What is it about paper mills that they have so much scrap ss? I have that friend that works at the one in Escanaba I can ask if he knows of scrap at that mill. Give me an idea of what they would use ss for that would be replaced often creating scrap. TomC
By the way most of the stainless steel pipe and valves we get into the yard come from the big milk dairies .
Tom, I think the dairy and food industries use more stainless than the paper mills. Mostly thinwall tubing. If you have any small local cheese plants I bet they’d help you out.
There are grades too.
Some use no nickel and these are the inferior grades that will actually rust.
It’s not about replacing what wears out. There are constantly new projects going on - improvments, changes. They all create cut offs 
Miles and miles of piping. A 12"dia 18"long pipe is a small cut off. Goes in the bin.
It’s not like when you and I build. No cut offs left. If there are they become brackets, braces, fins or saved for next time.
God knows we are getting a lot of BIG dairy farms.
Update:
Looking good. Glad to see you are finding some time to work on it. Good to raise the ends of the condensate tank so the water will run to the center where you can put a drain. Unless the hank were to set over half full I don’t think it will split when freezing.
What is that red building behind your truck. It looks like it has open slats like we used to build corn cribs, but in the middle it has a nice window and and entry door.Thanks for keeping us posted TomC
Shop entry. Corn cribs hold motor fuel 
Have you found the cause to your vacum problems?
Not yet but thanks for asking. Today would be a long story that went nowhere. Maybe tomorrow TomC
Update:
You know I like complaining about our weather, but last few days have actually been really nice. Suddenly there’s a lot to do. I’ll focus on the most important - the gasifier related.
Hm… It seems my photos are too big. Strange, I haven’t had any problems since the old site. Well, this is what’s been done since last time.
I’ve also been working on the truck. Went for inspection last week. Before that I had to move the rear axle back down under the blade springs, where it’s supposed to bee. Also raise the coilovers in the front (super stiff springs - hm youngsters). Changed out a head light that was broken (coudn’t find original so had to fabricate new mounts) and fixed a leaky exhaust. A few other minor things and then inspection. At inspection when pushing hard on the brake pedal it went down into the floor. Ordered a new main brake cylinder (actually cheaper than buying only the seals?) and changed that out. Day after tomorrow after work I’m up for a second inspection to get aproval of my fix. After that I can start mounting things. Oh - and today I hooked up a lawn mower wire to the dist. Seems to work fine.
Since the pictures didn’t work you’ll have to do with a short vid showing granddaughter visiting today. She doesn’t know many words yet - but she does know how to say GENGAS
Videos of the grand kids are good until we get to the gasifier. Very cute little girl. TomC
Hi Jan-ola,
Check out the settings on your camera, there may be an option to output a smaller size. This will be a pixel width by pixel height choice. My camera has it, some may not. What a sweetheart.
Pepe
Pepe,
My photos were taken with my phone, but after an hour’s work into bedtime I finally managed to download a resize app and found out how to use it.
She’s a cutie… morfar… been a while since I’ve heard that.
By golly! It’s looking like a gasifier. What was with the chassis changes. Sounds like some one made a “low rider” out of it. I looked back at the pictures you posted and it looked like it sat normal. With all you added to the cyclone, I hope it is still easy to empty. I am amazed at how much mine takes out of the gas. Keep going. It looks like you are getting closer everyday. TomC ( thanks for giving up a little sleep to get the pictures to us. You know we like pictures)
On my way home from collecting it I took a gravel road “shortcut” to avoid police. I even had to stop and pull the front plate. It acted like a planer. Also the hitch took some beating beeing 1-2 in above ground on flat road. First thing I did when I got home was to rise the truck.
In the 80s youngsters wanted rear ends as high as possible. Now everything s low. I guess it has someting to do with changing pants leg widths over the years.
Yup, coffe pot collector is still naked with a spring loaded bottom lid. Can be emptied in a few seconds.
Today, 6th of June, is our 4th of July. We don’t selebrate a lot. Wife sleeping, working night shift, so just me and the dogs. Took the opportunity to make it Gasification day.
Made a condensation drain and my first hole in the bed. Managed to miss muffler, brake lines and gas tank.
I know you talked a lot about drain clogging so I put a second smaller valve on top of the condensation tank. I can put a wire through it from above and knock the carbon out.
I also welded on the condensation tank gas inlet coming from the cyclone. Gas enters in a svirl angle, out the sides and up the coolers. Gave the ss some final polish and mounted everything. Next will be filter and gasifier.
Looks very nice Jo, but with the cooling rac attached so low on the condensate tank will you have enough capacity in the tank to not choke off the gas exiting? I am also plumbing from the heat exchanger directly to condensate tank before the cooler but put all my plumbing on the top of the tanks. I guess with dry wood and a good monorator hopper most of the moisture should be collected in the hopper condensate tank.
Really liking your build. All the stainless and your ability to repurpose scavenged items. I also really like the little VW , perfect commuter rig. Keep up the good work.
