I have a 55 gallon barrel full of dryer and stove ends. Has anyone found an easy way to recover the brass in them?
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I have a 55 gallon barrel full of dryer and stove ends. Has anyone found an easy way to recover the brass in them?
The plugs?
Yes, the plugs.
Oh I hate those, I've used a sawzall on the thick rubber to get them out before
Pair of channel locks to hold the plug housing and pair of needlenose pliers to "roll"/pull them out. When you grab the brass prong put the needlenose at the base where the plug and housing are and bend/roll the prong out. Just make sure you have an ok grip on the channel lock pliers. For the smaller plugs slide the pliers to the first notch so you don't have to hold them so tight. for one's with the ground plug open them to the 3rd or 4th notch. Plus you will get a the copper that is attached to the hot and neutral, the ground prong snaps off about 98% of the time.
Someone also mentioned in another post that you could warm up the plugs in an electric warmer and the pin ends will pull out easier.
That does work you could use a toaster oven, reg oven and use a cookie sheet or something like that. Even on warm it works. But it takes me about 3-5 seconds per plug not heated.
Just leave the drum out in the sun on a hot day. Why pay more on your power bill for that tiny extra brass?
I use channel locks to hold the body, then side cutters to grip and twist or roll the pins out. I only bother with the bare brass ones, and leave the plated ones.
usually do 50 or so at a time.
I put mine in the vise then use fence pliers (not sure of name..like wire cutters but thicker and cuts wire too) and "roll" them out. Tried warming them but it didn't seem to change it enough to warrant the time.
Why, they pay the same here,,???Quote:
I only bother with the bare brass ones, and leave the plated ones.
The silver coloured ones are plated brass?
yes, plated brass. take a file or a grinder to it. plated brass is the same for me as well, its the same price as clean yellow brass
Learnt something new today, thanks Filthy!
What are they plated with, anyone know?
I think it's plated with zink, it's been discussed on here before.
I think the coating is Tin, originally I thought it was Nickle 'tinned' brass... Duh.
I'm not sure what they do with the 'tin coated copper' I sell them, but I think its classed as 'Bronze'.
Most of what I get is from fridge thermostats, the long thin tube.
Theres others here who know more than I do.
Hey Joe
Just wanted to see if you started on those plugs yet, and how you are making out with them.
Joe
I had a couple hundred and heated them up in a pot of boiling water. The set up was one of those propane turkey cookers. Since the propane was free I guess I didn't loose but it took too long to do. One day I'll have a hammer mill or something and just run them throught that instead. In the mean time I'll be getting a container for them and save them up. Mike.
Tried a couple, the bigger ones have a piece of ceramic under the rubber. I think I'll have to find a hammermill or something similar.
If you take them out before you cut the chord the odds are grater that they come out clean.