the absolute best way to scrap !

Lately I have seen some discussions between scrappers that are getting a little testy.

what we have to remember is that for the most part the independent scrapper is just that, independent.
there are as many ways to scrap as there are scrappers.

from the person who picks cans on the week end to that one who send off semi loads of gold scrap every few days.

when I started a year or so ago , I was cutting the copper from class 2 transformers for a few pennies each. the best method to do that s important to some, ridicules to others, ( I now have buckets of them just setting around.)

the point is: each scrapper has to use the info on this forum to fine tune his/her own operation.

I used to belong to a well known food forum, and in that forum it got to the point where the hotel owners looked down on the rest owners who looked down on the mobile food people who looked down on the hot dog cart people and so on.

so far that has not happened here but I do see some small creep in that direction by a couple of the newer posters.

we are all born naked. just my .02

Much wisdom in that post, have come to expect no less from you old dude.

That could not have come at a better time, thank you sir.

Well said..........

Well said Mike! We all had to start somewhere and I just wish this forum was avalable to me 35 years ago when I started. The knowledge I have learned just being here is priceless!

Couldn't have said it better myself. Every train must start at 0

Are you a Jedi????

Very well said.

Good points. Today after work I was working on breaking down some crt monitors. I had already stripped them and was going through processing the parts. I decided that I was going to take apart 10 crt monitors weigh everything and see on average how much one is worth. Is this the best use of my time --nope-- I have towers to break down things to put on ebay you name it. But when I get home I like to sit down for an hour and do some mindless scraping. So yeah we are all different in what we do but you are correct we all came in naked.

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Originally Posted by Geiser093

Are you a Jedi????

Very well said.

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not by a long shot, however, I did notice the older I get the more I resemble Yoda :)

i thought this thread was going to revile the secret to the most profitable way to scrap. disappointed comes to mind... today was my first time ever looking for scrap to recycle. only spent about an hour, most didn't have trash out yet so i might try again in the morning but scrapping using this route seems like a poor way to make any serious money.

anyway, i'm glad i found this forum. i'll keep reading and scrap as a hobby until i figure out the most profitable way to recycle for profit.

There are better ways to scrap other than curb shopping. Print up some flyers, ride around find houses with good amounts of junk and give them out.

the secret to the most profitable way to scrap is here just look for it!

There is a difference between incompetence and intentional incompetence, its the later that offends me. You made some good points old dude, but for us to be able to continue to be able to do this we need to tell people the correct ways of doing things. If we just sit there on our laurels while scrap continues to be mishandled, its just a matter of time before our whole industry gets shut down. If somone gets offended, well that is just part of it. Its hard to break habits and traditions, but i would like to see my kids be able to scrap in the future. my 2 cents

the correct method is the best method

you cant fix stupid, not even with duct tape

Such as people saying " I don't have a buyer for low grade boards so I just throw them in shred" Probably the same people dumping 10-20 crt tubes on the side of the road a month. If you cant handle it properly, let someone who can do it for you.

As of now I am giving my local buyer my all in one units free because I don't wanna deal with the glass. Now if I come upon a few hundred of them in will be worth looking into.

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Originally Posted by CarolinaEwaste

Such as people saying " I don't have a buyer for low grade boards so I just throw them in shred" Probably the same people dumping 10-20 crt tubes on the side of the road a month. If you cant handle it properly, let someone who can do it for you.

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What's wrong with low grade in the shred? Isn't it recycled that way too? At least I do have a CRT drop-off, about 25 miles though

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Originally Posted by Bear

What's wrong with low grade in the shred? Isn't it recycled that way too? At least I do have a CRT drop-off, about 25 miles though

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no bear, low grade boards are escrap and considered to be hazardous waste

technically no boards should go in shred, but we all know theres boards in microwaves, ovens and fridges that will always go through shred, it comes down to a judgement call on what you want to try to slip through as shred

there's only two choices here, shred, or the dump, i'd think shred be the best option of the two

The dump is the best option here, it is the only place that permits disposal of ewaste, the scrapyards do not allow escrap. Have you checked your scrapyards rules lately?

One time I was paid to bring a boulder to the top of a mountain and so was a friend of mine. It didn't matter how we did it. We couldn't afford great big crains like some guys. I decided the best way was to break it into manageable peices ; not to big, but small enough to carry. My friend laughed an said it was better to work at it really hard and break the boulder down so far; it would be fine as sand. He liked the way his sand looked in his 5 gallon bucket. So much so, he forgot about the bigger picture.

By the time he had gotten his boulder down to granular size pieces, I had already moved all my manageable peices to the top, in fact, I had started on my second boulder by the time he reached the top with his first bucket of sand.

The moral of the story? Working really hard at something doesn't always get you ahead. Being efficient does.

I guess I worded my point wrong. Some people are completely careless with hazardous material and should not be dealing with them. I understand some people dont have much of an option with the low grade boards but when you see or hear of people dumping tvs on the side of the road it worries me.

Point is some people are just completely careless and they are going to be the one to ruin it for all the small guys. The low grade boards in shred was a bad example.

well your kind of up the creek when your dump wont take it, your city dosent care about doing anything and the scrap yard wont take it, at that point the side of the road looks like the best option

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Originally Posted by jghilino

well your kind of up the creek when your dump wont take it, your city dosent care about doing anything and the scrap yard wont take it, at that point the side of the road looks like the best option

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If it comes down to the side of the road the best option is not to have it to begin with.

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Originally Posted by CarolinaEwaste

Such as people saying " I don't have a buyer for low grade boards so I just throw them in shred" Probably the same people dumping 10-20 crt tubes on the side of the road a month. If you cant handle it properly, let someone who can do it for you. [/QUOTE}

Oh, VERY well said and WTG.

As of now I am giving my local buyer my all in one units free because I don't wanna deal with the glass. Now if I come upon a few hundred of them in will be worth looking into.

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I am lucky in as much as my local yard will accept ALL e-waste.
I strip crt monitors and small TVs of the copper yoke, degausing cable, misc other wires, Alum h/sinks, screw the case cover back on and get the princely sum of 5c/lb.

one cavet is if one takes in more than 3 tvs or monitors at a time, you have to give the yard, the name/address and a telphone number of the person you acquired the items from. Once you are in the yard's computer system,which I am, no more problems with dropping off as many tvs/monitors as I can get hold of :-)

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Originally Posted by Geiser093

Are you a Jedi????

Very well said.

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(Making elaborate hand gestures) This is not the scrap you're looking for.

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Originally Posted by jghilino

There is a difference between incompetence and intentional incompetence, its the later that offends me. You made some good points old dude, but for us to be able to continue to be able to do this we need to tell people the correct ways of doing things. If we just sit there on our laurels while scrap continues to be mishandled, its just a matter of time before our whole industry gets shut down. If somone gets offended, well that is just part of it. Its hard to break habits and traditions, but i would like to see my kids be able to scrap in the future. my 2 cents

the correct method is the best method

you cant fix stupid, not even with duct tape

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the "correct way" is probably listed here in this forum. my whole point was the correct way for you and your operation may not be the most effective, efficiant or "correct "way go for a different area, type of scrap, size of opperation, or other restrictive factors.

I even gave an example of how time and changes also changes the method of operation i.e. Lets say I have only 100 lbs of T2 transformers and no $ or prospects. do I bum a ride to the yard and sell them for .18 ($18) orrrr do I break them down and sell 200 oz of #2 cu for $28.

the very reasion I use this example is because I have been there and done that. today my operation has fortunately changed dramaticaly, and, it is no longer money wise to do that, as it was a year ago.

Had it not been for this forum and ALL of the options here + breaking down those first transformers + hard work and a lot of luck I would probably still be selling transformers for .18 that is if I hadn't starved to death by now.

best way to scrap, hmmmm how about a cold beer in one hand electric screwdriver in the other?

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Originally Posted by jghilino

best way to scrap, hmmmm how about a cold beer in one hand electric screwdriver in the other?

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And not having to go to work tomorrow.

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Originally Posted by jghilino

best way to scrap, hmmmm how about a cold beer in one hand electric screwdriver in the other?

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LOL, sometimes a sawzall, grinder or acetylene torch (my gas adjustable) is handy too :)
But yet again, one essentially works with what tools they have available without breaking the bank.
We all have to work within our means until one is able to build up more tools/space/workload/business
It also takes some time/research to find places that will take some less desirable recyclables in your area too,
with any luck one's that will pay you instead of you having to pay, ...ie CRT tubes

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Originally Posted by greytruck

And not having to go to work tomorrow.

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ah the joys of being self employed

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Originally Posted by olddude

I used to belong to a well known food forum, and in that forum it got to the point where the hotel owners looked down on the rest owners who looked down on the mobile food people who looked down on the hot dog cart people and so on.

so far that has not happened here but I do see some small creep in that direction by a couple of the newer posters.

we are all born naked. just my .02

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i use to belong to a poker forum and the same thing happened there. they finally added a high roller section to help seperate the talent. i think it is just an inevitable evolution of all forums.

just my 2 cents. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by olddude

Lately I have seen some discussions between scrappers that are getting a little testy.

what we have to remember is that for the most part the independent scrapper is just that, independent.
there are as many ways to scrap as there are scrappers.

from the person who picks cans on the week end to that one who send off semi loads of gold scrap every few days.

when I started a year or so ago , I was cutting the copper from class 2 transformers for a few pennies each. the best method to do that s important to some, ridicules to others, ( I now have buckets of them just setting around.)

the point is: each scrapper has to use the info on this forum to fine tune his/her own operation.

I used to belong to a well known food forum, and in that forum it got to the point where the hotel owners looked down on the rest owners who looked down on the mobile food people who looked down on the hot dog cart people and so on.

so far that has not happened here but I do see some small creep in that direction by a couple of the newer posters.

we are all born naked. just my .02

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I agree with olddude's comment and I think he was referring more to people being at different levels, having different resources, and having different situations and there is no right method that works for everyone. He wasn't saying that it is ok to dump CRT's on the side of the road, steal, or any other illegal activity in order to work out your method. Most of us know that it is not right to steal, illegally dump, etc and it is ok to tell other people on the forum that they are doing something wrong if it is an illegal activity. Although I feel that it is not ok to tell someone off because they choose to do curb shopping instead of passing out fliers, for example.