Howdy from Seattle & Lake County CA!

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11-17-2011, 10:58 AM
Horten229

Howdy from Seattle & Lake County CA!

Hi folks! My mom died in Lake County, CA, so I inherited a mountain of scrap steel. I'm tasked with cleaning it ALL out over the next couple of months so I'll be lurking around here and making a noob of myself occasionally!

Till I get back down there this weekend I have a few hundred pounds of clean brass in the form of nuts & bolts in 5gal buckets and could use a tip about where to unload it at the best price. A guy in Portland, OR offered me 2.07 / lb., the highest I've been quoted here in Seattle is $1.90. What should I do?

Thanx!

Samantha
11-17-2011, 11:48 AM
Mick

You might consider selling the whole mountain to somebody who'd pick it up. Save yourself a lot of work and hassle calling around scrap yards and then sorting/loading/hauling it etc.
11-17-2011, 02:57 PM
injunjoe

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horten229

Hi folks! My mom died in Lake County, CA,

Samantha

Not sure if this helps but I would like to covey my condolences.
Good luck on your move!

Joe

PS: Wait I thought I heard a who!
11-17-2011, 04:04 PM
Horten229

That's what I was thinking, especially considering how heavy most of it is and the monumental MESS it all is, but how would I solicit bids on such a project? My dad might come help me and he has a lot of experience with equipment we might rent auch as a Bobcat.
11-17-2011, 04:05 PM
Horten229

Thanks InjunJoe!

:)
11-17-2011, 04:20 PM
injunjoe

I hope your Dad does join in helping you, that will make things much easier. I hope you have the time and patients to get the money out of this scarp that you have coming. Think twice, move once! Old Chess game theory.

Good luck,
Joe
11-25-2011, 07:57 AM
orizonator

It costs more to drive down south that what you can get where you are at.

I would call in someone equiped to do the iron Job. Call a scrap dealer in the area and they will jump on it.
200# of brass at the best price which seems to be Seattle Iron is $1.90 per pound. Be careful of anyone else offering more.
11-25-2011, 08:43 AM
CollinsHaulin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horten229

Hi folks! My mom died in Lake County, CA, so I inherited a mountain of scrap steel. I'm tasked with cleaning it ALL out over the next couple of months so I'll be lurking around here and making a noob of myself occasionally!

Till I get back down there this weekend I have a few hundred pounds of clean brass in the form of nuts & bolts in 5gal buckets and could use a tip about where to unload it at the best price. A guy in Portland, OR offered me 2.07 / lb., the highest I've been quoted here in Seattle is $1.90. What should I do?

Thanx!

Samantha

Condolences. What exactly do you have laying around over there? Any cars? I live a couple hours east of there.
11-25-2011, 01:22 PM
IdahoScrapper

OP hasn't been back since she posted. Might try a PM so it goes to the email she registered with.
03-12-2012, 11:29 AM
Horten229

Well, I'm back!

Not just on the forum, I'm back at my mom's junk yard in California. I'm going to be here for a few months, so I have some time, but for now I would like to unload a bunch of really heavy (100lbs) solid blocks of steel in order to pay the rent and utilities but I have no idea where to go. An old timer told me they were buying it at the Lowerlake, CA recycling center for $210 per 1000lbs. but that doesn't match up with what the county website says. It sucks being a noob!

To answer a question above: yep, there's cars! But they're all the kind you'd just want to get running (assuming the back fees aren't prohibitive!).

Thanks for reading guys!

PS: do you guys have ideas for lifting really heavy pieces? There are a few really big steel pumps and engines etc, laying around out there. I was thinking one of those engine hoists, but then the ground is gravel. Sure wish I had some heavy equipment. Maybe I could rent some. Hmm.
03-13-2012, 04:05 AM
injunjoe

Welcome back.

If you have a truck this is a pretty inexpensive solution.
http://www.harborfreight.com/media/c...mage_11911.jpg

They sell for $ 90.00 at harbor Freight.
03-13-2012, 08:47 PM
Scrapette

Hey Joe, what is that thing called? TIA.
03-13-2012, 09:13 PM
Bear

that's not a barrel full of iron. I had one of those barrels today and a label came off in my truck. Not sure what was originally in it, but the label said 100 pounds
03-13-2012, 09:55 PM
IdahoScrapper

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrapette

Hey Joe, what is that thing called? TIA.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-hal...rane-1647.html
03-13-2012, 10:02 PM
IdahoScrapper

If I lived closer I'd help out.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...10722-2126.jpg
03-13-2012, 10:18 PM
IdahoScrapper

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horten229

I'm going to be here for a few months, so I have some time, but for now I would like to unload a bunch of really heavy (100lbs) solid blocks of steel in order to pay the rent and utilities but I have no idea where to go. An old timer told me they were buying it at the Lowerlake, CA recycling center for $210 per 1000lbs. but that doesn't match up with what the county website says. It sucks being a noob!

That's $420 a ton (which doesn't sound even close to being right). I'd call the yard directly and ask. What county site are you looking at for scrap prices? Again deal directly with the yard(s). Call a few. Tell them you have heavy iron. It usually pays more than sheet type goods.

Quote:

PS: do you guys have ideas for lifting really heavy pieces? There are a few really big steel pumps and engines etc, laying around out there. I was thinking one of those engine hoists, but then the ground is gravel. Sure wish I had some heavy equipment. Maybe I could rent some. Hmm.

What equipment do you already have? Truck? Trailer? Is there a running tractor around there? Guessing not since you mentioned renting a Bobcat. A winch? Could buy one and pull stuff onto trailer. Or use a truck and chain and run parallel to the trailer to pull stuff up onto it. I've done that to load cars. Got a 4 wheeler? That would work on lighter stuff. I loaded a broken riding mower that way.

Engine hoists are heavy. I wouldn't want to drag it all over the farm to get each piece of metal. But if you do, you can put wood under it to keep it from sinking into the gravel.

Are you looking to maximize your money or get rid of stuff? Those pumps are likely to have a fair amount of copper.
03-13-2012, 10:26 PM
Mechanic688

Quote:

Or use a truck and chain and run parallel to the trailer to pull stuff up onto it. I've done that to load cars. Got a 4 wheeler? That would work on lighter stuff. I loaded a broken riding mower that way.

I once loaded a rolling minivan with my Bolens lawn tractor, just got a running start and it pulled right up on the trailer.
03-14-2012, 04:36 PM
Horten229

Quote:

Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

That's $420 a ton (which doesn't sound even close to being right). I'd call the yard directly and ask. What county site are you looking at for scrap prices? Again deal directly with the yard(s). Call a few. Tell them you have heavy iron. It usually pays more than sheet type goods.

You're right. I got it wrong. it's 220/tom as long as no part is wider than 4 four feet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

What equipment do you already have? Truck? Trailer? Is there a running tractor around there? Guessing not since you mentioned renting a Bobcat. A winch? Could buy one and pull stuff onto trailer. Or use a truck and chain and run parallel to the trailer to pull stuff up onto it. I've done that to load cars. Got a 4 wheeler? That would work on lighter stuff. I loaded a broken riding mower that way.

This is excellent input. Thank you! Well, as far as equipment goes I do have access to some stuff, but it all needs some work. There's a 4x4 truck that needs a head and my brother is going to come down and get it running this weekend. Also, there are two really old (like 1940s) classic tractors, and the neighbors all insist that one of them runs, because my step father used it to do lots of work for people in the neighborhood two years ago. There's also a 1967 Jeep pickup that is all rusty looking but has a post-2000 rebuilt motor, but I need to install a new ignition because the key is lost. It has a giant winch on the front of it. There's a giant flat-bed trailer and a few other trailers, lots of jacks and dollys and so on. The best thing I have going for me is that my 29yo older brother is coming to help. He has no experience with this sort of project either, but he's pretty crafty and figures stuff out quickly. He was the one who recommended that I join your forum last fall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

Engine hoists are heavy. I wouldn't want to drag it all over the farm to get each piece of metal. But if you do, you can put wood under it to keep it from sinking into the gravel.

Good idea!

Quote:

Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

Are you looking to maximize your money or get rid of stuff? Those pumps are likely to have a fair amount of copper.

This is the kind of fact I would have no idea about without advice from wiser souls. I would like to maximize the payoff, because like everybody these days, I'm pretty desperate. How would I best determine whether there was copper in the pumps? Also, why do pumps contain copper?

Thanks again for your help!
03-14-2012, 06:54 PM
IdahoScrapper

If it's an electric pump, it has a motor. Are they hand pumps?

Pics of anything you can get will help a lot.

EDIT:

Blonde moment here. I am guessing hydraulic pumps. Was originally thinking electric pumps for irrigation.

Still want pics! :D