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My son & I are taking our first load of scrap to the yard today.
I still don't know how to tell the difference between stainless steel, and regular steel (even though I've read numerous articles & watched numerous videos on youtube) so I'll probably lose a *TON* of money.
Any last second tips before we head out?
http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/attac...0&d=1430843290
Oh, and by the way...our magnet sticks to everything in this load.
You will be fine! Let us know the weight and payout... I guess 280 lbs...
I called the scrapyard to ask if someone would be able to help me determine the difference in my stainless steel and regular steel.
She said if a magnet sticks to it, it's not stainless. I thought that was an incorrect assumption.
Don't magnets stick to some types of stainless steel?
Some stainless does have magnetic properties but most yards don't buy it (at least around here) for more than shred........Unless you have a large quantity of a certain amount of stainless it will probably just be considered shred.........What you have on your truck looks like a load of shred paying .06/LB here
By me Sheet Iron is $.0275 lb., Dirty Stainless (magnetic) is $.21 lb. When you go to the yard find out if they pay more for Prepared Steel. Up until the end of last year everyone here paid Sheet Iron, now new place buys and pays more for different types of steel.
Stainless steel is graded by its iron content. Stainless that sticks to magnets such as kitchen in knives and junk ware are lower grade with more iron and less valuable content. That is purchased as steel or very close to steel since of its low value. If It doesn't stick hit it with a grinder and if yellow comes up its brass, reddish orange copper, if it sparks it is non mag stainless, if it doesn't and is a silvery it is most likely aluminum. Lots of sink faucets may smell like it's burning when hit with a grinder and those are a plastic composite and are trash, a lot can be brass, and some stainless. Your load looks fine and you won't loose too much, only about 40c difference from steel and non mag stainless depending on your location. Good luck and I guess 650 lbs
All stainless has a small magnetic attraction, even the highest grades.
Thanks for the info.
I have about a dozen gutted computer cases...everything's stripped off. Are those ss? I'm guessing no.
No, stainless is only used for things it is needed for because it costs more. test with magnet, as you said it sticks so your yard most likely only pays steel for low grade stainless.
Chester your truck is too nice to have scrap in it! I guess 350-450, can't see what's in the bed. Good luck and hope the scrap bug doesn't bite too bad!
For me, the best stainless is old kitchen sinks with the steel rims removed and of course stainless pots and pans- I get a lot of those.
Also, do I see some aluminum lawn furniture in that load ? Cut off the plastic webbing and keep it separated , you'll get more for it than steel prices.
Usually to get the most out of the load you need to do alittle work . When you get some copper pipe going make sure you prepare it to get the best prices.
If you are not sure what I mean by "prepare" there is plenty of info here and on youtube about it. Good luck and keep learning !
He said a magnet stuck to everything so it's probably not aluminum.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kalvlin
The best stainless stuff (for me) is commercial food grade stuff. Usually its non magnetic stainless. Mixers, prep tables, sinks, you get the idea. Also, around my area used to be a slew of small dairy farms, all the milking equipment, tanks and tables and such are usually non mag. I've hauled a bunch of that. My yard says if a magnet sticks, into the shred feed it goes. Since everyone else is guessing at weight, lets go 258 pounds, unless you've got buckets of nails in the bed :cool:
Very nice load! Too bad they are paying only $0.015 for unprepared steel here.
Nice load hope you and your kid have a good time. It took me awhile to get the stainless stuff down too. Once you know what it is you wont have a problem with it. My yard pays the same for sticky stainless and non sticky so its pretty easy, some place tho will separate it by the different grades all depends where you go. But it looks like you got a good haul there nothing sticks out to me that might be stainless.
Here, Mick (rip) helped us out by answering most of what you asked so we'll honor him by using it.
http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/gener...beginners.html
Chester copper pot, cool name! I use to watch that movie every Saturday at least five times with my sisters. We still joke about the lines from that movie. Goonies!!!
I'm gonna guess 323 lbs.
And the results are in...
http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/attac...4&d=1430878657
I guess it's not all about the money =)
http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/attac...3&d=1430878557
When I first started tossing all the metal onto the pile, Logan stayed inside the truck & watched out the window.
But then I said "it's a LOT more fun if you're out here, wanna come out & stand in the truck? (this was when almost everything was gone, so only little pieces were left).
He came out & helped throw the last pieces out of the truck.
He said "where can I throw it?"
I laughed and motioned from left to right "anywhere you want!!!"
He got bit by the bug instantly. LOLOL
A couple other scrappers parked next to us & unloaded their stuff. When they saw me & my son, they gave us a "thumbs up". I really appreciated that.
Good memories people, good memories...
I think I'd be finding a different yard for the prices. $100. a ton is not bad for today's conditions but they pay on a gross ton and not a net ton.
Net - 2000 lb. = .05 lb
Gross - 2240 lb = .044 lb.
Very cool!! What do the neighbors (or the wife) think of the new hobby??
Something you should know about some types of magnetic stainless. The non-magnetic stainless I've dealt with the most is 304 from commercial washing machines, but I've had several loads with food grade pipe which were 316. That's a better grade of stainless with higher nickel content and higher payout, but it will attract a magnet. If you use a standard speaker magnet or something like it, you can tell it only gives a light pull, but if you use a neodymium hard drive magnet, it will stick pretty good giving you the false impression that it is a low grade stainless.
Can someone explain the whole "gross/tare" thing.
Does that have to do with the amount of non-metallic content I brought in?
Gross is the weight of the truck with the metal in it before you unloaded. Tare is the weight of the empty truck after you unloaded. It is how the yard calculates the amount of steel you brought in.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChesterCopperpot
Nice to see you spending quality time with your boy. Me and my girls go to the yard together. Me and my dad went to the dump together every weekend when I was a kid. It's about the time together, not the activity.
Keep scrappin'
Gross means the bulk weight of everything, including your truck, you(if you're sitting in the truck), metal, etc that initially runs across the scale. Tare means whatever was taken off. its usually used when you bring in non ferrous and they deduct the weight of a container you might be using, maybe an iron attachment on an otherwise clean piece of metal, etc. Net is the exact amount of metal you had. Like let's say your weigh your vehicle on the scale before dumping metal, then dump it out, weigh again and 1000 lbs is missing. That means you had 1000 lbs of metal and that's displayed as net on your ticket.
Thanks for explaining the bulk/tare thing.
I saw a bunch of printers in the pile...I thought you couldn't scrap printers b/c they're mostly plastic. I can get my hands on all kinds of printers to scrap!
I think from now on, steel's out for me. Too much work, for too little return. I spent weeks removing all the non-metallic materials from that stuff. The $33 dollars I got, didn't even cover gas for the truck I borrowed from my neighbor.
I'm gonna stick to copper & brass.
Where can I find brass? I heard thrift stores are a great source.
$0.045 per pound isn't too bad during this down turn. And getting paid $33 to hang out with your son sure isn't bad either.
As far as brass goes and other more valuable metal, you can check out plumbing companies. A lot of them don't have the time or inclination to scrap their extra piping. Electricians likewise don't scrap their wiring. Water heaters usually have brass/copper you can take off of them. I'm not sure how I feel about buying brass and arbitraging scrap metal, though.
Some PC cases, can be Al U minium ( < English pronunciation :D ) A magnet will reveal if steel or Alum.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChesterCopperpot
Also watch the inside of the computer cases as there is sometimes brass or SS standoffs the motherboard screws down to.
Great to see the kids at the yard.
I do the same thing, bring the boy to the scrapyard he helps unload after the bulk is tossed off. Then a stop for a milkshake on the way home.
maybe a quick cast or two at the river...sshhh don't tell your motha ;)
Like my wife says to me "I'm not trying to be confrontational." :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by NewbyScrapper
Alum is hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate KAl(SO4)2. It has some great uses but its not Al.
You can however mix it with vinegar and write on the inside of boiled eggs though the shell. like a secret agent man. :cool:
Eric
My son love to watch the magnetic claw working the shred pile. He thinks it's just like a Transformer (robot, not wound copper) arm.Quote:
Originally Posted by NHscrapman
good memories AND a good workout AND you got paid AND you did it with your son...WINNER!
If you had fun making $33 thats good enough.
Non magnetic metals in the future will help boost bill
Aluminum & Stainless & some yards pay a few cents more for magnetic stainless .
You need find weight once more
and balance out with some power cords
Copper bearing
non magnetic
even if the premium stuff is in small amounts
it should get you to $60
You probably didn't have to remove all the non metallic stuff, especially if your yard accepts printers. The first time I ever went to the scrap yard I did the same thing. Then I realized I could've left all the junk on the chairs and strollers and got the same price per lb.
In my experience it's hard to get the good stuff without taking the steel. Most people don't know how to differentiate metals and will just call you when they have anything. Those that do know how to tell the difference usually won't give you anything if you're too picky. Usually anybody that can tell the difference between copper and brass and steel will be more inclined to give it to you if you also take all the junk they don't wanna haul to the scrap yard.
you beat me to say this but glad you did as a lot of people toss these small bits away as tin or prepared but when you get to doing a lot of computers and fill a 5gal bucket of these it weighs out nice, last one I took in was 48lbs of brass still have not filled the stainless yet lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Mechanic688
By me you can get a bump in price if the sheet iron is clean. They give it its own category "clean sheet iron" $.04 lb vs sheet iron (shred) $.0275Quote:
Originally Posted by RevenantDusk
And most Importantly you saw what was in the steel pile so go from there, if they take things with non steel items attached then you can take them in as is, for the same price you just got without removing the plastic, wood and other non metal items!
Yea just figured out my yard takes printers and dishwashers too! Steel is just your byproduct like most people on here. I've been saving my steel for 3 months, and now I'm taking it all in. I take 1 load daily after school then load for the next day, I get 120nt so I average 800lbs in my truck and 1200 on heavy loads. I also bring in my copper and aluminum those days and get good money, this works out good for me. Id say you have computer shells so the inside stuff is what's the money maker. Also tons of other items have this such as all appliances, electronics. I wouldn't actively search for steel if you don't have access to a truck a lot, and $33 seems awfully high for gas. My yard is a 45 min trip there 45 back and I spend about $10 depending on my load.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChesterCopperpot
The way to analyze it is simple
the odds of finding a little of every thing is in your favor so don't give up on steel
$33 for steel is kinda ok sorta now a days as these seem to be the new prices .
Next time 500 # steel mix
50 # AL
10# wire even @ .65 a pound
100# vacuum motors
20 # of #2 copper from TV's and CRT
Find some car batteries .30 #
Never give up on any particular metal cause you feel it does not pay well
on the other hand next time make sure you have those higher pay items to sell
they don't take up much room .
The good news is you can make money .
The bad news is you pretty much have to be prepared
to collect scrap any place any time .
Copper can be found in TV's & CRT monitors
Micro waves have a trans former with 2 wounds of wire attached to transformer
one is AL the other CU
the transformer steel is short fill a five gallon bucket of that and try to move it .
A mallet and skill to remove CU & AL
Brass = old pluming but you will have much competition , some times a garage sale or thrift & you will see a piece of brass and
price will be $1.00
you feel the weight & it's a pound .50 profit .
Garbage day is key it's all out there . Further more once you establish you presence
that you are known people will leave it out for you . You don't realize this but people also don't like to waste
so once home owners see the same car - same guy - you start seeing toasters , microwaves sitting on top of trash
this is for you
& you established your territory . Even the police will leave you be.
You want scrap you got to swagger it .
walk over to a dumpster , maggots food trash hang tight to your swagger
and pull out 10 pounds aluminum . Oh yes it's in there I guarantee it.
I agree with DevinThaScrapper on the Gas
my dodge drinks and if I spent $30 range thats lots of driving in my
non ECO auto , generally $10 should do-it $33 fuel is like 12 gals
I always put in just whats needed $5 or $10 as thats my goal that fuel to deliver whats needed .
some how you just force the situation $10 bucks find metal .
But hey not every one can pull it off as then more would curb hunt scrap .
I say this with respect and sorry to clog up space as many others scrappers are of a high
pro grade level .
God bless all.