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jacer333
Penny Pincher Member
USA
119 Posts |
 Posted - 05/26/2010 : 21:29:10
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Hey everyone,
Been following the threads here and seeing many folks are getting decent money just for turning in junk and I would like to give it a try. I live in a rural setting on a farm, so I'm sure there are tons of little things I can round up and take to dump. I have a few questions to get me going...
I was wondering if yards turned away very old, rusty items. I know there is a lot of junk around our farm that has sat for years and is not in too good of shape.
Are there any metal items that yards do turn away(as long as it isn't covered in other material)?
How do you guys go about taking your scrap loads over? Is it ok to just throw all my junk in the pick-up randomly and take it over, or does it need to be separated and sorted by metal?
Thanks for all the info and I look forward to going hunting for metal!
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thogey
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1617 Posts |
Posted - 05/26/2010 : 21:45:32
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They buy everything. Rust or paint is not an issue.
Except LP gas tanks.
Load it up, haul it off. Maybe call you local yards first to get the best prices.
If you separate you get better prices.
It's just a matter of time before cptindy posts here and educates you. |
Come to the new and improved realcent: http://realcent.org
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messymessy
Penny Sorter Member
88 Posts |
Posted - 05/26/2010 : 22:10:17
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The places around me will no longer accept empty beer kegs.
Be sure to call around and ask what the yards are paying before you go anywhere. |
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thogey
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1617 Posts |
Posted - 05/26/2010 : 22:13:38
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quote:
Originally posted by messymessy
[br]The places around me will no longer accept empty beer kegs.
Be sure to call around and ask what the yards are paying before you go anywhere.
Why is this? |
Come to the new and improved realcent: http://realcent.org
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Oldpagan
Penny Sorter Member
USA
62 Posts |
Posted - 05/26/2010 : 22:16:35
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| People steal them from bars and clubs and then scrap them. |
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Kurr
1000+ Penny Miser Member
2906 Posts |
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thogey
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1617 Posts |
Posted - 05/26/2010 : 22:19:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Oldpagan
People steal them from bars and clubs and then scrap them.
Stupid Rule.
You can steal anything and scrap it. |
Come to the new and improved realcent: http://realcent.org
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thogey
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1617 Posts |
Posted - 05/26/2010 : 22:21:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Kurr
Mine takes the lp tanks if you shoot errr.... PLACE a hole in them 
Someone told me the gas impregnates the steel.
Is that BS? |
Come to the new and improved realcent: http://realcent.org
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redneck
1000+ Penny Miser Member
1273 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2010 : 05:02:00
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quote:
Originally posted by thogey
quote:
Originally posted by Kurr
Mine takes the lp tanks if you shoot errr.... PLACE a hole in them
Someone told me the gas impregnates the steel.
Is that BS?
Only really, really super horny gas can do that...
>
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wayne1956
Penny Pincher Member
177 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2010 : 07:29:41
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| You might want to call and ask them whether they take 55 gal drums if you have any of those. The yard I mainly use will not take them. |
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jacer333
Penny Pincher Member
USA
119 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2010 : 15:58:52
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Thanks for the responses, I appreciate the advice! It's good to hear that there aren't really any strict guidelines to follow and that I can just load it all up and cash in!
I know there are two large propane tanks sitting on our ground, I will have to check if I can offload those. |
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specialbob
Penny Sorter Member
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2010 : 23:35:05
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| I always return any empty beer kegs I find (I rarely find them). The first time I did, I found 3 on the edge of a wooded area across from my mother's house as I was walking her dog. I took the dog back home, walked back and rolled all 3 kegs back to my car. I got $60 for nothing. |
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jacer333
Penny Pincher Member
USA
119 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2010 : 01:33:08
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| Any other items you guys have had trouble getting accepted? |
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cpthnsolo
Penny Sorter Member
50 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2010 : 11:26:36
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quote:
Originally posted by jacer333
Any other items you guys have had trouble getting accepted?
Some yards in my area won't take scaffolding and none of them will accept shopping carts unless they look as if they were hit by a truck. Also most yards around here won't accept metal canisters/drums/containers unless they're cut in half or have no valves and a hole in the side.
The yard is visit the most won't accept eletronics even if the case is made of metal since they enforce a no PCB policy. They even made me break open a garage door opener one time to remove the 3"x3" pcb inside. |
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hobo finds
Penny Hoarding Member
838 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2010 : 13:58:40
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| Yards by me will not take Beer kegs, Gas tanks or pressurized containers. They take electronics no problem with PCP's yet. |
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cptindy
Penny Hoarding Member
572 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2010 : 19:26:35
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The only issue I am aware of with LP tanks is safety. If a LP tank with small quantities of gas becomes exposed to the shredder with just a slight spark...well you get it.
As far as gas impregnating the steel...IDK about that claim seems a little far fetched to me.
The yard itself will determine the level of acceptance. As a owner you choose what is your limit of satisfaction, a yard
may choose to accept based on the risk they choose to accept. Choose being the operative word. They have to sell it forward and if something goes wrong they loose alot of money.
My advice to anyone just beginning to scrap is to call around. Some areas have many yards some are stuck with one. Relationships are key to being paid the correct value for any metal. I would call ahead and set a price based on quantity. Farm equipment generally pays more than shred alot more.
I get 10 cents over any posted price from relationships. When I happen on 20 ton in a day it is more. I don't scrap as much as I used to but some money is just hard to turn down.
Beer kegs are good money but better money to a party store owner. Or convenience store or whatever your neck of the woods calls them. Never had any trouble selling them at a yard or to the right store owner. Again I frequent the same places and make relationships...
Scaffolding is one of those frequently stolen items. It is not worth the head ache to buy that stuff if the local syndicate is having a crime spree. Besides scaffolding is worth alot more as scaffolding.
The simple trick to any item that is not accepted is to disfigure it. Once it is no longer a drum or scaffolding or LP tank it is scrap.
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"It is the nature of the human species to reject what is true but unpleasant and to embrace what is obviously false but comforting"
" The average man doesn't want to be free. He wants to be safe."
H.L. Mencken
http://silver-news-today.com/ |
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rock881
New Member
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2010 : 14:22:13
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Great post by cptindy once again. Building a relationship with the fellows(ie: the worker bees) at the scrap yard helps alot.
The main yard I frequent has two guys classing and weighing metal and one in the office who does the paper work. Three cold Pepsis on a hot day go along way.
A cold drink also helps when you have questions about different metals or when you have a couple types of Aluminum(ie: cast, extruded, MLC, sheet) they will say lets make this easy and give MLC price for everything. Pretty good for a few drinks
Another thing I hear the guys at the yards complain about is material seperation. I have seen people at the yard with a truck full of stuff trying to do all of thier "homework" at the yard parked in front of the scales. Get yourself some buckets/bins and seperate at home. when the bucket/bin is full or the price is good load up and head to the yard. |
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away. |
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jacer333
Penny Pincher Member
USA
119 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2010 : 16:04:06
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Great info, thanks for sharing the tips guys!
How do you guys go about hauling your scrap over? It would be pretty tough to get a trailer and load up some bigger items we have sitting around here, so I am probably just going to load up the pick-up bed and take several loads. |
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hobo finds
Penny Hoarding Member
838 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2010 : 21:18:08
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| when you do get to the scrap yard make sure you know your local laws. You may need to give ID, finger print, etc. Some states delay payment and mail a check. |
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jacer333
Penny Pincher Member
USA
119 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2010 : 00:32:02
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| What about cars? I have 4 or 5 old clunkers sitting in our farmyard. What do these fetch as a whole unit usually? Transporting cars would be a challenge for me though, are there certain parts I should target and try to remove such as the radiator? |
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Mcprice302
Penny Collector Member
USA
404 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2010 : 12:56:55
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quote:
Originally posted by jacer333
What about cars? I have 4 or 5 old clunkers sitting in our farmyard. What do these fetch as a whole unit usually? Transporting cars would be a challenge for me though, are there certain parts I should target and try to remove such as the radiator?
Cars have fell a bit recently with steel. Locally, I get $9/100 lbs. right now. Which is down from a high of $10.75/100 lbs. about 6-8 weeks ago. Your average car weight can vary wildly but 3000-3200 lbs. is normal for a midsize car. More for trucks and vans, less for hondas and other small imports.
I still intend to make a post concerning auto salvage and recycling. However, I just started a new job at a steel coil plant and we are on 60 hrs/week mandatory. So time and energy are almost non-existent for me at the moment with all the other side projects going on as well. For the time being, focus on alternators, starters if they are reasonably accessable, cut the wiring harness and battery cables for copper, catalytic convertors, al wheels, radiators, and batteries. If the head(s)/intake are aluminum you can remove them as well depending on how well equipped you are. Same goes for al transmissions.
I would highly recommend a trailer to you if you start acquiring volume or start buying junk cars. They pay for themselves very quickly if you put them to work for you. Again, I'll make a more detailed post concerning cars in the near future. It's Memorial day and all, but I still have to go in tonight from 5 till 5 in the morning so I'm not really up to at the moment. Oh well, cant complain about double time . Good luck. |
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jacer333
Penny Pincher Member
USA
119 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 00:27:23
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| Thanks for the great info Mcprice! I can't decide if I want to try the trouble of pulling the cars apart for certain items, or just load them up as is somehow. I could get a trailer if need be, but the bigger problem would be getting machinery to load the cars up with. There are 5 or 6 junk cars just sitting as eyesores on our property that I would love to dispose of. I look forward to any other info and tips you may have. |
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rosco
Penny Collector Member
USA
254 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 00:46:55
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| I'm looking forward to Mc Price answers as with small truck I can haul but Think we have but one yard in Eugene area. |
Old Geezer a HAND Sorter |
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Heartkill
Penny Sorter Member
USA
91 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2010 : 07:16:50
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Also of note is that some yards, especially down here in GA, do not take aluminum road signs. I usually get them from auctions so I know that I obtained them legally, however the yard will not take them as-is. Creative mutilation comes into play here as cptindy mentioned.
I would definitely take the time and strip the cars before you take them in. Remember - seperate those metals! A half dozen aluminum rads, wheels, etc really adds up. You didn't mention what type of cars either. If there older cars (muscle cars - I can dream) usable parts and sheetmetal will always bring better prices if offered for sale on craiglist, ebay, etc. Just a thought.
My 5'x10' trailer paid for itself last year in about 6 trips hauling metal. I'm now looking for a nice high sided dump bed trailer to add to the collection :) One last thing to consider; tools. What do you have access to? Basics like a solid 3lb. engineer's hammer, crowbar, vise grips, etc. go a long way. Then there are niceties such as a 28V Milwaukee Sawzall; another item that paid for itself with scrap.
Edited for spelling - haven't had my coffee yet  |
Edited by - Heartkill on 06/02/2010 07:19:31 |
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Robarons
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
522 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2010 : 21:29:09
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I have been scrapping myself for some time and would buy hack saws by the dozen at yard sales for .25-1.00 each to use them to figure out what kind a metal things are- very helpful.
A sawzall is an item I am trying to find right now and is very important to prove silver plated brass and copper along with S. Steel, etc.
Also if done correctly what is the profit margin on scrap cars? There are a half dozen we buy scra pcar ads here for $200-300 per car, so what can be made on them?
Very interesting thread!
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Robber Baron= Robarons |
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hobo finds
Penny Hoarding Member
838 Posts |
Posted - 06/21/2010 : 11:40:52
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| My yard today would not take a dishwasher it was a newer one with a plastic tank. They said too much plastic. So I broke it down and weighed the plastic 17 pounds. 37 pounds of steel without the electric motor which was 7 pounds. Maybee 1/2 pound of insulated wire. The plastic would have cost them $1.02! They could have taken it as everything gets shreaded. |
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New to the scrap game
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