First scrap yard visit advice

So I've been junking and antiquing my whole life, but not scrapping. I understand when you arrive at most yards tey weigh you in to get a total weight. My uestion is, when taking multiple different types of metals to sell, do they weigh each group separately at each station and then total those types invidivually for you, or do you weigh in, drop off one type, and then weigh in again, and repeat for EACH type of metal? I hope that made sense.

I was just curious as to how they determine total weights between each metal when dumping them, as the videos I've seen seem to just show people weighing in at arrival, dumping their metal at each station in big groups, and then getting a total somehow.



I know this may sound like a silly question, but I'm curious before I start taking stuff to the yard and look totally unprepared.

Howdy! If you've never done it before, park your truck, go inside and ask for an owner (they're almost always there). Bring them out to your truck to take a look. This will do two things, it will show the guys working the scale the boss is around and to do their job right, and it will allow you to ask a bunch of questions about your non ferrous scrap. Don't let anyone go flying through your stuff and mixing up different grades of metals, they will do it if they can get away with it.

That's a great idea, Thanks so much!

I was fully planning on stopping at the scales. I have taken large items to the landfill in the past to dump off, and they operate in a similar way, except I never got any money fro discarding those ovens, refrigerators, and water heaters. For that I now kick myself in retrospect.

I gotta ask...is that you in your avatar pic? Or you just a fan of pirates?

An if you don't mind me asking, whereabouts are you located? Might be some folks that can help you out with yard selection depending on where you are.

An the Goat has the right of it. You don't want to make that costly mistake. lol.

Good luck an let us know how it goes for ya Wedjlok(that l thru me off, I almost called you wedji.)

Sirscrapalot - Keeper of the traveling cooler, with the secret ability to make lists..sometimes.

Yep, that's me in the photo. I'm a pirate enthusiast, I guess you can say. I made a living (and still do a little bit) making leather goods for a lot of pirate folk as well as bushcrafters and such. I was hit by a SUV in 2012 while bicycling, so that ended a lot of leatherworking due to the pains from hours of using a heavy hammer for detailed tooling work when I'd carve the leather. I still do it, just not like I used to, and now mainly do silversmithing and junking more full time, which is why I'm so eager to jump head on into the scrapping aspect of it more fully for more income.

As for my locale, I live in Jacksonville, FL. There are a decent number of scrappers driving through my neighborhood on a regular basis, but this city is also one of the largest cities in the US in size as far as area covered, so you can drive from one side to the other and it take a long time! I know we have several scrapyards and I've been checking them out and asking around, and looking online through iScrap and such, so it's a matter of finding a couple goods ones, I 'spose.

In addition, I'm looking at ways to incorporate the pirate motif into an actual scrapping business idea. Pirate Salvage Junk Removal or Recycling or something along that line. I have a Dodge Dakota V8 that I'm getting ready to build some wood side rails for to increase my haul height, and I plan on getting signs made for the side of those for a little advertising when it's parked and such.

Make sure your sign is a shaped like a pirate ship. Good luck on the new endeavor.

Originally Posted by wedjlok

So I've been junking and antiquing my whole life, but not scrapping. I understand when you arrive at most yards tey weigh you in to get a total weight. My uestion is, when taking multiple different types of metals to sell, do they weigh each group separately at each station and then total those types invidivually for you, or do you weigh in, drop off one type, and then weigh in again, and repeat for EACH type of metal? I hope that made sense.

I was just curious as to how they determine total weights between each metal when dumping them, as the videos I've seen seem to just show people weighing in at arrival, dumping their metal at each station in big groups, and then getting a total somehow.

I know this may sound like a silly question, but I'm curious before I start taking stuff to the yard and look totally unprepared.

Remember YOU are the customer/supplier/reason they have a business...............As much as it may seem by some grumpy employees - they need our custom.
Ask them that 'silly question' - they get it all the time (most of them may seem offhand .....But be polite and on your say 20th trip they WILL treat you a whole lot better as they see YOU paying their wages!)
Most important thing is to read and reseach SMF to ensure you get the max 'bang for your buck' as regards higher value metals.

Good luck and enjoy - cause you will!!!!!!

British - coolertime - Scrapalot them beers i set you got there yet?

Make sure your sign is a shaped like a pirate ship. Good luck on the new endeavor.

Thanks for all the great advice everyone, and the welcome to the forum. I'll be sure to remember and put it all into action and see what I can come up with as regards a pirate ship sign, lol.

Pssh..hoist the jolly roger on your vehicles!

An awesome on the pirate thing. Being on a sandbar in a area known as "The Graveyard of the Atlantic" we have a thing for pirates. Hell..my town is named after the rum they'd bring from the wrecked ships.

Nags Head got it's name, cause the shipwreckers would throw a lantern around the nag's head an cause ships to crash.

Quite a few folks from FL here, sure someone will chime in with a suggestion for a yard.

Sirscrapalot - To my British friend..No. An I'm all the sadder for it.

I love the Idea of a Pirate themed salvage service

good luck