How to Break down a Duplex Apartment

Originally Posted by sawmilleng

Sledge,

You are a patient man! Pulling all the guts out of the electrical plugs and switches. I hope the scrap processing time vs material gain adds up to your preferred hourly rate!! Seems a little thin as it stands now.



But you are doing a fine job of documenting it. Lots of detail for others to look over in the future. Keep it up!!!

Jon.

Jon-
Thank you.. and to answer your question. I have to remove them from the wall.. so I'm getting paid my billable time to do so. Once I get them home and put them in a vice, I'm looking at about 30-45 seconds each to break down. So it of course isn't a "set the world on fire" amount of $ in the scrap.. but all of it gets added to its respective sort bucket and it all adds up over time. If left as is- I'd get sheet steel pricing and miss out on all the brass and copper $ in them.. and since I'm breaking down in my spare time, making some coin in my spare time is just fiiiiine with me.

Originally Posted by sledge

Jon-
Thank you.. and to answer your question. I have to remove them from the wall.. so I'm getting paid my billable time to do so. Once I get them home and put them in a vice, I'm looking at about 30-45 seconds each to break down. So it of course isn't a "set the world on fire" amount of $ in the scrap.. but all of it gets added to its respective sort bucket and it all adds up over time. If left as is- I'd get sheet steel pricing and miss out on all the brass and copper $ in them.. and since I'm breaking down in my spare time, making some coin in my spare time is just fiiiiine with me.

I had a few wall outlets, I just took them tout the yard and they payed me "plug" price which was $0.10/lb. I am going to try and take them apart next time I get some. I figured they would take a while to do one. Thanks for the new tip!

Originally Posted by Longhairboy

I had a few wall outlets, I just took them tout the yard and they payed me "plug" price which was $0.10/lb. I am going to try and take them apart next time I get some. I figured they would take a while to do one. Thanks for the new tip!

No problem!!! I figure at $1.50/lb for Brass and $2.80 for copper, as well as the .09/lb for steel right now.. we've all got to "get ahead" by breaking them down vs a "plug price"
I've never actually been to a yard that pays a "plug price" But you'll profit a bunch more with either the vice trick or a rag and BIG F HAMMER (BFH) idea that Otto Posted!
These are sort of like cracking nuts! You toss the shell (plastic) and get all the meaty goodness inside (brass and copper)
Mmmmmmm