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Pull Tabs

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  1. #1
    logansryche started this thread.
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    Pull Tabs

    This is aimed at those who work with metal and can spot what they are. I was talking with a guy today and he said that there are certain pull tabs that are made of silver. Any truth in this? I thought they were all aluminum. Also, I snagged one off a can that looks like stamped steel. Any truth in tabs being made of stamped steel? If yes to both, how would I tell which is which?

    -Matt



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    A magnet. But I never seen silver or steel on pull tabs.

  3. #3
    logansryche started this thread.
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    Me either, figure I'd ask. I just put a magnet to the tab I pulled and the tab went right to the magnet like it was nothing. It's some kind of metal.



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    What beverage did that come off of? If it stuck to mag it's most likely steel. Only thing I drink from a can is beer.

  6. #5
    logansryche started this thread.
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    Came off a can of Rotel actually lol. I figured so but wasn't sure. Went around the house with a magnet and all my soup cans are metal also lol. I'm also guessing the colored tabs would be considered clean since it's not attached to anything...

    Anyone have an XRF gun per chance? Would probably be able to tell better what's what.
    Last edited by logansryche; 01-18-2015 at 03:05 PM.

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    That makes sense. I don't open many food cans. Not my department. Lol. When it's my turn to cook ,we got out. Which makes the wife very happy.

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    Are you snowed in or something? Lol

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  11. #8
    logansryche started this thread.
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    I bet - I married a chef of a wife so we're always in the kitchen cooking something different. Breakfast was buttered potato slices in Mediterranean sauce and parsley. Good stuff. I'm guessing now that if the tabs were silver they'd be brighter and heavier then the aluminum?

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    Food cans are steel so the tabs are too. I have never heard of silver ones. That would be a huge score if it were true.

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    logansryche started this thread.
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    Quote Originally Posted by parttimescrapperMD View Post
    Food cans are steel so the tabs are too. I have never heard of silver ones. That would be a huge score if it were true.
    Yeah really, guy I was talking to said they were on beer cans and old cans from the 70s/80s. Type 3 tab or something like that.

    Quote Originally Posted by junkfreak View Post
    Are you snowed in or something? Lol
    Not yet but given the weather the past week, anything's possible.

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    Silver would not be cost effective to make pull tabs.

    They are all steel or aluminum.

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    I remember when I was a kid (but still collected beer cans) that there were composite ones that had alum sides and top and a ferrous bottom. I suspect that those in great shape might be worth some coin as collectable. The early-to-mid 1970s were weird times for beverage cans. Some where still all steel (I had the Seven-Up Bicentennial 50 States/Uncle Sam complete set--sold that on ebay about 15 years ago, now I wished I still had it), some had gone to alum and basically looked like they do now (although some bottoms were double "dimpled"), and some others were these goofy composite ones. I think the one I can remember was a brew called "Big Cat" although I don't know where that one came from. Wish I still had some of my old beer cans, early ebay casualties...

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  20. #14
    logansryche started this thread.
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    Quote Originally Posted by HonestScrap View Post
    Silver would not be cost effective to make pull tabs. They are all steel or aluminum.
    I would think it wouldn't be with what it would cost to make em.

    Wrong kind of clean.


    My question still hasn't been answered: Are the colored tabs considered clean or dirty aluminum? I'm also guessing that the tabs that are filled in weigh a bit more then the normal ones.

    -Matt

    EDIT: I just weighed the tabs I have and there's a smidge of a weight difference between the normal tabs and the monster tabs where the thumb hole is completely covered. If I had a jewelers scale I probably would be able to tell the difference better between the regular tabs, the bud tabs with the crown on the thumb hole, and the monster can tabs. It's still up in the air wither or not the colored tabs are considered clean or dirty aluminum. I would think they'd be clean since there isn't anything attached to them.
    Last edited by logansryche; 01-19-2015 at 12:03 AM.

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    It's still up in the air wither or not the colored tabs are considered clean or dirty aluminum. I would think they'd be clean since there isn't anything attached to them.
    Their just anodized is all, still clean at my yard.
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  23. #16
    logansryche started this thread.
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    I thought so but again, wasn't sure. Thanks everyone for all the help - appreciate it. If anyone's curious I'm going to gather the tabs and cash em in when I have 2 million of them so I might have work done on the truck. I find I can get people to let those go easier then their electronics. Once work to the truck has been done, I'll then be saving them up again to pay for the EPA Registration, HVAC recovery equipment, and a few other things. Doing it this way won't make sense to alot of people that's ok.

    -Matt

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  25. #17
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    2 million, done deal

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  27. #18
    logansryche started this thread.
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    Actually Rog, if I could get $0.40-50/lb, I'd only need 300-400,000 lol. Either way better get drinkin that mtn dew.

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    A couple of weeks ago I was at the small scale at my yard and there was a 55 gallon drum full to with 3" of the top of tabs. I know the guy working the scale that day pretty well and asked what they were doing with them. They will probably sell them to crafters too! I know they have a yard sale about 3 times a year but I guess they use ebay too!
    METAL IS MY MISTRESS...PLEASE DON'T TELL MY WIFE!

  29. #20
    logansryche started this thread.
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    yeah I'm actually surprised at how popular these things have gotten - I know of one ebayer that sells em in batches of 10,000 and I've seen several weave them into wristbands and bracelets and necklaces.. and the list goes on. I've been fortunate to have gotten any from listia. Started when the wife and I were in TN. TN doesn't have a redemption value so the cans were going into the trash. I had a thing set up with the operator of the local trash site that any cans he came across he'd save the tabs for me. I have just over 500 at the moment. I think if I took in a 55gal drum of em to Weitsman they'd look at me kinda crazy.


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