First trip to the yard

Taking my first trip to the yard. Going to asked lots of questions and ask him everything I did wrong with what I brought. I'm sure this will be a learning experience. And I would add a picture but I don't think I can yet. I will update with how awful I did.

Edit: The update.
I realize I might have a bit of a luxury with 2 yards within about 10 min of me (about 1 mile from each other!). I went to the first yard and sold everything but my low grade boards since they only treat those as tin/light iron. I sold what #2 copper I had and was surprised to find out the stainless steel dishwasher I took apart was not considered stainless steel, neither were the handful of items that literally said "stainless steel" on them. They just said if it's magnetic then it's not stainless. Thought I read it could be both but whatever. I got rid of some insulated wire. Some aluminum that I was explained could be extruded or cast. Overall it felt rushed and I picked up what I could but I got like 28 bucks. I went to the other yard with my low grade boards to see what all they had to say and the experience there left me wanting to return to them. They took the time to talk to me about different questions, showed me examples of everything. It was just overall very informative and easy.
So that was my first trip and I really enjoyed it. I am looking to find a somewhat consistent source of scrapping items now.

The first time I would just go and see how the set up works. The guys are busy and you are someone they have never seen before. Be nice and cordial. If you get a decent amount, go bac and hand the guy at the scale $5 (probably the best investment you will ever make scrapping). He will remember you the next time (if you go back again before the end of the year). Look over the site here and do your best to separate as well as you can, but I would not recommend grilling the guy. Talk and be friendly and like you would to a waiteress in a restaurant you had not been in before but had been told was good.

Toonces has some great advice for you. There was one yard I was going to consistently because I went to school with the owner. She and the other ladies in the office were also very pleasant. But the guys in the non-ferrous building, not so much. This yard is also a mess, sometimes a muddy mess and you always risk earning a flat tire dropping off shred.

There is another yard 5 miles further down the road. Once I began to realize they had more categories for grading and buy things that the other yard doesn't, well that was that for me. I was just there again today. The last two times I have been there, the friendly fella in the non-ferrous building has commented on how nicely I separate my stuff. Making the switch to this other yard is both more enjoyable and more profitable for me.

And I have never been one to ask a lot of questions at the yard. I'd rather just let them think I know what I'm doing and being a woman is already a strike against me (to some men) in that arena.

It sounds like you found your yard. The second one sounds more like they want your business and appreciate it. There are some grades of SS that a magnet will stick to, I have come across a few in my day, and I just throw that in shred, it's the SS that a magnet does not attract to is what you want to keep separate, it can be more.

I feel there is a fine line between too many questions and just the right amount of questioning that can be asked. Just remember that if your nice and cool with the guys at the yard, they will be cool with you, plus they control your payout.

Would like to see a picture or two of your load. If you want to post some pictures, I believe you need 10 posts under your belt. You could go into the "intro" section and welcome a few new members.

Happy scrapping

Congrats on your first trip and welcome to the forum! I second all the advice above. Good to ask a couple of very specific questions, act accordingly for the next trip, then figure out a next question or three for the next trip. And don't sweat the feeling rushed. The first few times at a yard you're just a stranger with a small-ish load so a quick turn makes a lot of sense. Once folks get to know you though you'll get more personal attention, if still rushed sometimes as business at the yard dictates at any given time.

There's a grade of Stainless Steel that's got a very slight attraction to a magnet. Its actually high grade SS and has lots of nickel in it.
Nickels slightly magnetic.
So if you find what you know is Stainless Steel, by looking at it, or its application (like its from a fishing vessel or a industrial food processing machine or attached in some way to something that defiantly is Stainless Steel) and its slightly magnetic.
If its got weight, put it aside and when you take your metal to the scrap buyer, show them it specifically and tell them what you think it is.
It may not be, or they may not, but it may be worth it.

I got told by my buyer that a certain slightly magnetic Stainless Steel part, spot welded to a Fisher & Phykal dishwashers Stainless Steel liner is 'High grade' and to leave it on.
I'd been taking that bit, plus some Zinc coated steel, off the liner before selling it.

The liner was 10Kg, so $10 worth, each dishwasher.
Plus all the Alloy casting around the motor & Copper windings, plastic coated wire, solenoids & light gauge/HMS made them a good item to scrap.
**** sharp metal though. Stainless Steel has a 10,000% more chance of slicing you up if you are not carefull.
So be extra carefully with it, gloves, wrist protection, no forced work.

Sorting will get easier the more trips you make and the more you read here. If either of those yards have a price list it will give you a good baseline of what each yard buys. One may separate ferrous more while the other may focus on cars and steel if there's two that close together they must have their niche and pay better on certain metals to draw customers. I go to a yard I'm not to fond of because they pay way better on copper/wire...it's rarley a pleasurable experience but it pays to deal with it for 15 minutes.

I still have my first scrap receipt. Wow, what I didn't know then!!!

You've done one thing right if you're here on this forum. There's a PhD in scrapping on this forum. Do your homework here & you can possibly make more than a PhD!

There are many grade's of stainless steel which I deal with daily. The most common are 304 and 400. 304 is not magnetic unless it it has been welded or heated then you will have a slite pull, 400 is very magnetic, my yard is only paying 03. a pound for 400 stainless so if you got 400 sell it as sheet or shred. The next most common is 316 witch will have a slite pull used mostly in commercial app's. There are several other grade's 301, 309, 310, 324, 410, just to many to list. I also deal in a lot of alloy's, inco, haynes188 amoung other's. Alum. Is just as bad 5 to 10 grade's, the plus side is the yard I work for buy's your material for what it is not what it might be. Email if you have question's I'm very good at what I do. Located in Indianapolis, In.

If the places where you can sell are close to you, then I wouldn't overload the crew with everything you can bring in, maybe this time these 5 or so items, next time other stuff. Just the way I do it. Concentrate on getting these couple of items up to enough stuff to take in or move out the bulky stuff to make more room. My nf place knows me and I'm in and out in usually 10 minutes or less, its a drive through place. Pretty nice and clean for a scrap place. Live and learn and good luck with the next loads!!

Here's a few grade's of alum. we buy daily all 5000 and 7000 series are old sheet, 6061, 6063 are extruded clean no paint, no weld's, no seam's, extruded alum. is pushed thru a mold, semi rim's are also 6061 as they are from bar stock and cnc machined to a rim. 1100 and 3000 series are mlc (mixed low copper) no paint, no poly, anoidzed if fine. These are just a few but the most common. Not all yard's have a Nitron (x ray gun cost $30.000 plus) but we do. Like I said before we buy your alum. for what it is not what the other yard's think's it is. Hope's this help's some of you. Next post will be alloy's, inco, hayne's, ti, hast, amoung other's.