Flatpack IC memory chips per pound price

Doing some research of my own and wanting to check my number crunching with some of the old hands on this forum...My estimate is that flatpack ICs sold as scrap (non-working) should fetch $6 per pound, if removed from boards. Does that sound about right or is my number way off?

I'm trying to determine if it is worth removing the chips and sell them loose by the pound or leaving them on the boards. Right now, I'm leaning to leaving them on the boards. I might reconsider if the value I've ascribed to them is too low.

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful replies.

Marty

i think your price is right on.

The only boards I pull them off of is the low grade boards, that way it does not degrade them, their already low.

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

The only boards I pull them off of is the low grade boards, that way it does not degrade them, their already low.

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I agree totally. I have about 10 pounds of them right now and still have about 100 pounds of low grade to go through. Slowly but surely lol.

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

The only boards I pull them off of is the low grade boards, that way it does not degrade them, their already low.

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Yes, that is what I figured as well. Thank you

Have 14 pounds now and still some low grade to go. not sure how much to go as a buddy brought me another big box of it lol.

Do yall only take off the IC chips that are socketed? Or do you take off the IC's that are soldered on as well?

Just curious. I've been only taking the socketed IC's out. But if the price you're talking about refers to the IC's that are soldered as well, might be worth the effort on my part to start yanking those guys off low grade too.

I use a small 1" chisel and lightly go down each side along the legs at an angle and remove them, most times the legs will pop out of the holes, once in a while you'll cut the legs off in the process.

Gotcha. So, basically, ALL IC's on lowgrade CAN be removed and sold for that roughly $6 a pound price, correct?

good question there Hoss! I've just been tossing low grade in the dadgummed shred anyway, not worth shipping

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Originally Posted by TheHoss

Gotcha. So, basically, ALL IC's on lowgrade CAN be removed and sold for that roughly $6 a pound price, correct?

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As far as I know, Yes. But for the sake of it I just go for the bigger ones and not the little flea looking ones, it would take a hundred of them to make a pound. Also I don't pull the chips that were connected to the heatsinks.

This is like the last thing i do before my boards enter lowgrade mountain. Just lots of buckets a lawn chair and 2 piles of money. cant beat that afternoon. Ill have 40,000 pounds for you in about 6 months easy :-p

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

As far as I know, Yes. But for the sake of it I just go for the bigger ones and not the little flea looking ones, it would take a hundred of them to make a pound. Also I don't pull the chips that were connected to the heatsinks.

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Machanic, that raises an interesting point. In terms of the larger and mid-size ICs, which I agree are the ones to pull, how many of them (on average) does it take to make a pound?

If, let's say, it takes 25 to make a pound and you can pull 50 an hour, which I think seems reasonable, that's $12 per hour.

Knowing the amount-to-time ratio would make the decision whether or not to pull them much easier.

Here is an exploded view diagram of a flat pack IC for anyone interested in learning more about the guts of ceramics. See figure 1-22 on page 22.
http://www2.elo.utfsm.cl/~lsb/elo102...lectronics.pdf

The link.

http://www2.elo.utfsm.cl/~lsb/elo102...lectronics.pdf

Aha - now I know why they're worth so much. Each one has a little dollop of gold on the inside.

I use flush cutters and cut one side only. Once the one side is cut free, Wiggle it back & forth until the other legs break.
http://www.photostringer.com/images/...ush_cutter.jpg

Sweet. Looks like i'll be going through my 10x5x3 ft bin of lowgrade today, pulling all those IC's!

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Originally Posted by TheHoss

Sweet. Looks like i'll be going through my 10x5x3 ft bin of lowgrade today, pulling all those IC's!

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Just returned from my yard where I was paid 0.05 for my low-grade boards. I made $0.30 for 6 pounds. It makes a heck of a lot more sense to pull the chips. It is like they are stealing from me, I feel.

I will be pulling them off, too, using the method that COPYCAT suggested in this thread.

I get a price that's very nice, simply because of how much i sell. I have to leave the copper stuff and alu heat sinks on, but can snip the wires and pull the IC's.

It actually works out pretty well in the end.