Hello gang! I am new to the scrapping world

I am a retiree and have just recently noticed all the potential money that may or may not be made scrapping. I guess you would say that I am still in the "research phase" of all this. I do not have access to lots of scrap- or maybe I do, I just don't know where to look. I am gathering cans [.55/lb.] and stripping wire. First project is to attempt to build a wire stripper "machine". Looking for help on this, something simple that works! I have one TV and one CPU that I can pick at. OK, that's basically where I'm at. Any helpful comments are appreciated.

I live in Lillington, NC and currently do not have a truck, but I do have a trailor. A big buck deer took my last ride off the road. Thanks in advance.

Welcome from the Dakota's. You have come to the right place if you are "Looking for Gold." There are very knowledgeable people on the topics you asked about. Until they chime in you can get a head start by reading some of the old threads on the topics. In the upper right hand corner you will see a google search bar. Under it is an advanced search bar that will give the best results for your questions. As you will see, us retired professionals are the last to see the value of scrap. We have members still in high school making more scrapping than they could flipping burgers. Good luck to you on your new found profession.

I'm also retired for ten years. Been doing this for about six years. Tried several other things but this is more money with less work, more flexibility, less stress, less liability and more enjoyable than anything else I've tried - plowing snow, cutting & selling firewood and dump runs. I'll put in maybe four or five hours a week and show several thousand in profit a year. You can start out with NO equipment and work up as far as you want. There are several examples right on this forum (and it's only been going for four years) of people (guys AND gals) who worked and made it into full time with a good income. One guy in particular was really down and out, came back and now has two locations nationally. Oh, did I mention he was in his 70s when he started?

Welcome from ky. Patriot pretty much said it all, like usual. I'm always about 10-15 mins late to the party, and usually coming while partiot is walking out the door.
But yeah, u have found a great place to learn. There is a lot of info on here to learn. De;pending on how much u want to get into. U can do small scale e-scrap, all the way to hauling a ton of shred a day. Defentally is money to be made, and fun to have while doing it. Just be careful in what u do, as there is a lot of dangers. And again, welcome to our hangout, this is my kinda party

Stripping Wire (Homemade stripper) - YouTube

Stripping copper wire cheap and easy - YouTube


And there's about a dozen others on YouTube, just depends on how mechanically inclined you are. Welcome to the forum.
Like has already been said, with any reading back thru will come knowledge.

Welcome. FromMaryland. Seek and yea shall find. It's never too late to learn something new. In fact I find the older I get the more enjoyable learning is. Guess that's because it's refreshing to know I still have mind intact. Lol

Welcome from jersey , im one of the babies of this forum (17 years old ). Im full time, I started with nothing.

Welcome aboard.

With persistence you will earn money - that wont be a problem.
Good luck with your new found interest .

Thanks everyone for the welcome! Like most parents we give our better computer to the teenager and are forced to work with an antiquainted machine. My point is that my CPU does not have the memory to download music and see videos. So I cannot look at utube. Mechanic668, I am looking at your still photo of your wire stripper. It looks as if you drilled different size holes and then drilled a wood screw so that the tip of the screw slices the insulation. Simple and quick. I like it. Can anyone comment on mechanic668's device?

4, The first one is exactly what your talking about, different sized holes with a sharpened deck screw straight down in from the top. The second is a larger hole but with a blade from a razor knife laid in there and adjust the angle or gap with a smaller screw. (up or down)
Just apply a little bit of manual labor and they should make good starter tools.

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Originally Posted by looking4gold

Thanks everyone for the welcome! Like most parents we give our better computer to the teenager and are forced to work with an antiquainted machine. My point is that my CPU does not have the memory to download music and see videos. So I cannot look at utube. Mechanic668, I am looking at your still photo of your wire stripper. It looks as if you drilled different size holes and then drilled a wood screw so that the tip of the screw slices the insulation. Simple and quick. I like it. Can anyone comment on mechanic668's device?

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Keep scrapping it wont be long till you find a computer at the curb that will do the job

hole in Wood for wire
Sheet rock screw just enough to Pearce . You will have to back it off a bit to load wire then tighten .
the skies the limit to creation

Welcome Mr. Golddigger. I'm a retiree also (well you wouldn't know it by looking at my schedule) and I came by scrapping quite natural. My farm machinery wore out and I began hauling it off, only to find that it was enjoyable and then there's the meals out with the wife and then charming the friendly girls at the gas station who don't mind an old gray bearded guy in coveralls and now here's all these new friends online that share the same interest. Someone should have warned you that this hobby is addictive but it's also rewarding in monetary and social ways.

Let's get all the gold we can get here because the streets are full of it in the next life and I'm thinking it will be quite worthless at the local Heavenly scrapyard !!