Advice please! My first major scrap: department store fixtures and shelving

I just joined this site because I'm interested in scrapping metal and electronics. I haven't done much before because I haven't had reliable transportation, except for a 5 gallon bucket of stripped and coiled copper wire 10 years ago from a construction job I had (I got $100, enough to get a tooth pulled). Now I have a nice vehicle (not a truck but very roomy), and a friend who does alot of scrapping and has a pickup truck.

I work at a Sears which was built about 50 years ago, and the new Loss Prevention manager needs the attic completely cleaned out for a fire inspection. It's mostly metal shelving supports and some odds and ends like pumps, motors, brackets, etc.. He said I can take basically everything metal that's not bolted down.

My friend and I will have to carry everything down a flight of stairs that has a landing in the middle. We can use the hand trucks and some basic tools that the stockroom uses, but I was wondering if anyone has any tips for carrying this stuff down the stairs, and possibly dismantling some things before carrying down. Would straps be recommended?

Also, what items should I pay special attention to? I know some things are better to resell rather than scrap.. would the pumps/motors be worth doing that or scrapping as iron? There are some random things like light fixtures, any special processing for those?

And another question.. my friend says all this will fit in his pickup, even after I told him I didnt take pictures of it all. I'm very roughly estimating all of it will come to at least 1500 lbs. Most pieces are 8 - 9 feet long, some larger. How many trips to the scrap yard would we have to make? We plan to sell to scrap yard, take gas money out, and split the rest 50/50.

Thanks to everyone who helps me out with my first big scrapping job! I'll keep you posted about how it goes.. We're doing this Friday morning.
- Martin

Well, 1500 lbs by me would get $45. You split that, minus expenses and it's not worth doing. Since the manager NEEDS it gone, I would be charging for removal.

Without knowing what kind of motors you have, I couldn't say. Some I tear down. Most go into the motor pile and get sold as is.

I don't have to take it all, he's giving me dibs because i've helped him out with some overnight shifts. He said anything I don't want I can leave, and he'll charge junk removal to the company. BTW I have no idea how much all this will weigh, I've never done this before. could be 1000, could be 5000. I just want to make sure I don't run into problems while doing it.

Can your vehicle tow a trailer if need be? A little flatbed can go a long way.

I don't know the store, but if there's a metal joist, you may be able to make a winched dumbwaiter of sorts. That's the easiest way, but that's not too likely to be allowed for liability. All I can say is to take a couple of pounds of air out of the tires on the dolly, and just have at it.

If there are shelving uprights and the pieces, you have what's called gondola shelving. Try to resell it if you can- stores love it. I purchased some from an auction two years ago- it's very heavy, but the uprights can go on a hand truck pretty easily. I can haul 4 uprights at a time with mine. Tie them to the truck (Or use a bungee), they like to move, as they're top-heavy.

matador: "Hates scrapping with stairs"

You might be able to build a small "chute" on the stairway, we do it all the time in construction. Put gravity to work, just be careful gravity can do a lot of damage too! We normally build them out of plywood in a "U" shape, with bottom being more squared. They can be square, round and triangular shaped, built as modular units (sections), transported to a site, assembled in hours on site. There are even prefabbed metal chutes, can be rented, companies that deal with scaffolding will usually have them.

Just be careful, moving things down stairs manually can be dangerous, the more repetitive and greater the weight, will increase the risk of injury or damage to property. Think it through, is there enough potential for financial gain to offset the risk and liability. Hate to see you cause problems for your full time employer over a small gain on the side. I would ask myself, about why this manager is willing to risk your job for mostly his gain!

Killyrtv, if U decide to take on this job, check with your yard what the maximum length of an item that they' will accept. My yard wants pieces no longer than four feet. Anything longer = a reduction in payout.

My question is since you work for this company will you be removing the metal during regular working hours and getting paid your regular pay. And what about your friend. Does he work for Sears also?
If the answer is no then I wouldn't touch it. Have you checked the prices for scrap lately?

Get some photos and post them here.
Its allways interesting to see what others are doing and gives us a idea of what its worth and how to deal with it.

I saw a post for matador saying to let a few pounds of air out of the tires of the dolly. Can I ask why?

Ask your self first, are you willing to jepordize your good standing with your boss and your job over a break even, loss or small profit, and a lot of hard work. just my .02. mcw

Some of what you get will be higher then shread but to make it so you will need some tools. some of the swhelving stanchions for example could be # 1 prepaired iron but you will need a cutting tool like an Aceteline torch. (not cheep).

Thanks for the great advice guys! I'm going to be doing it off the clock. I'll check back here later when I have more time and ill post pics.

Do it, just don't get hurt (anyone) and don't damage anything in the process. Also make sure EVERYTHING you take is OK TO REMOVE. If all goes well you will still have a job, a happy boss (for helping him out) and a FEW dollars for you and your friend.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nutpie

I saw a post for matador saying to let a few pounds of air out of the tires of the dolly. Can I ask why?

---

On my dolly, I usually have the tires rock hard. I haul a lot of weight (Servers add up quickly), and that usually does fine. But, on stairs it makes the dolly prone to "bounce" with the load. This photo isn't the best, but:

http://backcountry4x4.com/images/Joh...rawl-pic-8.gif

A lower tire pressure lets the tire flex a little. The stairs are kind of like the rocks, if you will. A lower pressure means less bounce in the dolly, and thus, a little easier hauling.

Pictures: Sears Scrap - Album on Imgur

the shelving could be resale items if you can put together a full set or two

We mostly took the stuff in the 3rd picture, turned out to be warehouse shelving posts, very heavy, between 8 and 10 feet long. We managed to fit 1967 pounds of it in (and partly out of) a Jeep Cherokee and a minivan. (#2 Sheet) We also took 2 motors weighing a combined 149 pounds. We ended up getting $72, which is ok by me, but my friend was disappointed and he didnt want to pick up a 2nd load. By the time I went back myself for another load, scrap yard was closed so I picked up some odds and ends I can process further and/or resell. Light fixtures, electrical conduit, cash register drawers, etc. I'm going back tomorrow, there's more of that heavy steel in shorter pieces. I really wish we could get the other 2 motors, they would bring us some good cash, but they are too heavy to carry down the stairs, much less lift. I'm going to see if they will come apart into pieces.

"In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty." Proverbs 14:23

Nice job!!

If it can be done safely an open widow and gravity can be your helpers.

I took these ballasts out of some light fixtures.. they are electronic and marked No PCBs. I dont know if they are any good or not. Should I try to resell them whole, scrap them whole separate from the wires, or try to break them down? http://i.imgur.com/Kwz0tuJ.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KillYrTV

I took these ballasts out of some light fixtures.. they are electronic and marked No PCBs. I dont know if they are any good or not. Should I try to resell them whole, scrap them whole separate from the wires, or try to break them down? http://i.imgur.com/Kwz0tuJ.jpg

---

Ballasts usually have tar with the wire embedded in it so it's a tarry mess for a little copper.

Found this thread http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap...c-ballast.html Gonna take one apart someday and see whats in there.

An electrician came by and bought some threaded rods and electrical conduit I took home from this scrap job.. He gave me an hour-long lesson on how to get these scrapped light fixtures working and test the ballasts. Needless to say, I gave him a great deal on the stuff he bought. I think this job went pretty **** well! Thanks everyone at SMF for the advice and support.. I'll be a regular here.

Good for you, learning has a value greater than the money, as it gives you the ability to earn even more.

I found a scrap yard that pays double ($120/ton) for the steel than the last one did ($55), and it's closer. I also got the 2 big motors down the stairs by myself. At first I lifted down one step at a time, didnt want to risk breaking anything (I'm really sore though), but one of the guys in the warehouse convinced me to hook a strap to it and let it down easy a few steps at a time. Combined they weighed 560 lbs and I got $56 for them.

Glad to see you didn't give up. Good job. Next time break @ least one of those motors down. There is good amount of copper in motors that size.

So this isn't about fixing appliances but a couple of weeks ago I picked up a stand up freezer off craigslist for free. I went to pick it up and it turns out it was a buddy of mine who had it. I asked it if it worked and he said "yes it works great". So I say "why not sell it on Craigslist." He said he has been listing it for $70 for 3 months and no hits. It is old, 20+ years, but works great. So I took it, (made sure it really worked), listed the next day for $30 and it sold that day. So the point being, it doesn't necessarily have to be new(ish), as long as it works, to sell. Just ask for a good price.

^^Sorry last post was meant for a different thread^^

Update: I ended up making 6 trips to scrap yards, with an average of 2.5 hours of work per trip day. Grand total is $260 including a little bit sold on craigslist. The non-ferrous I'm keeping to process later. Even if I didn't make very much money, I learned alot and had fun.

I did end up selling a few items as resale on craigslist.. An electrician bought some threaded rods, and showed me how to test the ballasts, and the next week he bought a large shelving unit right off the loading dock. I'm saving the non-ferrous to process later. I have since picked up a few electronic items, and am learning more about those. I managed to rip a 500 GB hard drive out of a DVR and install it in my computer :)