Over 300 Metal Halide Industrial Lights, Aluminum Reflectors, Huge Transformers, HELP

Awesome man. I'm excited to get started. I will start taking the ones I have apart and send some pics.

I took apart 2 different kinds. Items and approximate weight:

Shiny aluminum reflector- 1.5lbs
dirty reflector- same, but has thick glass inside it also.
big transformer- 15.5 lbs
smaller transformer- 12 lbs
dirty cast aluminum - 5 lbs
not sure what white housing is. Could it also be painted cast aluminum? It is not magnetic. It weighs 3 lbs

The wires are copper, but many thin wires individually insulated inside the whole plug. Is this worth stripping? What about the transformers? If I take a cut off wheel to one side I should be able to pop out the windings. What is the body of the transformer made from? Sorry about all of the newbie questions, but I'm already having fun. There's not a time limit on this so it can be something to do when Im not at work to make a bit of side money.

photos. app. goo. gl/ CNzG8dFg1QA9LpTr7

Originally Posted by Dbone

I took apart 2 different kinds. Items and approximate weight:

Shiny aluminum reflector- 1.5lbs
dirty reflector- same, but has thick glass inside it also.
big transformer- 15.5 lbs
smaller transformer- 12 lbs
dirty cast aluminum - 5 lbs
not sure what white housing is. Could it also be painted cast aluminum? It is not magnetic. It weighs 3 lbs

The wires are copper, but many thin wires individually insulated inside the whole plug. Is this worth stripping? What about the transformers? If I take a cut off wheel to one side I should be able to pop out the windings. What is the body of the transformer made from? Sorry about all of the newbie questions, but I'm already having fun. There's not a time limit on this so it can be something to do when Im not at work to make a bit of side money.

photos. app. goo. gl/ CNzG8dFg1QA9LpTr7

This may be different around you, at lot of yard pay different for cast/sheet aluminum, you might have to ask them.... also, that looks "clean" enough to pass as regular aluminum (not dirty aluminum) at my yard.... so, going by your numbers, and my yards pricing (yours may/will be different, but just to give an idea).....

Shiny aluminum reflector- 1.5lbs (sheet alum @0.21 = $0.31)
dirty reflector- same, but has thick glass inside it also. ( would go as "shred/light iron" unless you could seperate it, so 1.5lb @ 0.04 = $0.06)
big transformer- 15.5 lbs (elec motor category by me, @$0.08 = $1.24)
smaller transformer- 12 lbs (elec motor category by me, @$0.08 = $0.96)
dirty cast aluminum - 5 lbs (depending on how dirty, could get away with normal cast alum pricing @$0.21 = $1.05)
not sure what white housing is. Could it also be painted cast aluminum? It is not magnetic. It weighs 3 lbs (lets assume its alum @$0.21= $0.63)

So in total (excluding wires) = $4.25 from what you did. You said it was 2 of them, and have 300, so $4.25*150= $637.5 total if you do them all and get similar prices to me (still excluding wires)

I usually dont strip wires, but also, wire is a very could paying item per lb. Everything wire that i see in the pic, I would just throw into 1 pile because my yard only has 1 insulated wire category (other than romex house wiring) that pays $0.40/lb.

I'm amazed and humbled that there are people like yourself that are willing to share their knowledge to help others. I'll be sure to come back here after it's all finished to give you an update though it may take a couple of weeks. Enjoy your weekend.