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n/a
deleted
91 Posts |
 Posted - 08/22/2008 : 21:39:39
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Recycling METAL GUIDE
What is non-ferrous metal? Non-ferrous metals are basically anything a magnet will not stick to. These metals can be found all over the place, in your home and out. From electrical wiring(copper) and plumbing (brass) to siding, swimming pools, windows (aluminum), even the kitchen sink (stainless)!
You can use this handy guide below so you can tell what types of metal you have!
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Tools Needed:
Magnet
Small File
Instructions:
Put the magnet to the piece of
material in question (if it sticks it's magnetic).
Look at the color of the metal, under any plating, paint or whatever, file if necessary.
Look at the chart and find the metals that fit.
Look at the individual categories and typical uses, and match to find the metal.
*When selling it's best to remove all non-metal attachments and separate dissimilar metals to get the highest price.
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Brass - Yellow to light red in color, non-magnetic (some industrial brasses are lightly magnetic) files easily.
SUB CATEGORIES
Yellow Brass - Just like the name implies, yellow. Usually plated, you have to file through the plating to see the yellow. Uses are plumbing, faucets, handles, lamps, trinkets, jewelry, auto radiators, heater cores, pots, and planters. It has many household uses. (Watch out for plated pot metal which is used in place of yellow brass. It files white and is non-magnetic.)
Red Brass - Light red in color. Uses unplated larger valves, plaques, urns, mostly industrial in use.
Hard Brass - Color is light red with a silver tint. Non-magnetic and files easily. Uses are gears and bearings. This is where you might find lightly magnetic brass. Hold a magnet on a string close to the metal, if it draws, it is not hard brass but maganees or aluminum bronze.
Bronze is yellow and red in color. It is non-magnetic to lightly magnetic and files easily. Typical uses are plaques, grave markers, urns, bearings and gears.
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Stainless Steel - Silver to grey in color (some shines like chrome). Files hard, heavy in weight. Sparks orange to red on a grinder.
18-8 series - Stainless, non-magnetic. Typical uses are auto trim, hub caps, pots and pans, knives, forks, spoons (usually marked), sinks, parts of appliances, and industrial kitchens. Includes 300 series.
Magnetic Stainless - Same uses as above, but magnetic. 400 series.
*Some specialty stainless Steels or high temperature Stainless Steels are worth up to 8 times regular Stainless Steel (shows a short red spark on the grinder).
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Aluminum - Non-magnetic. Color - silver to light grey, files easy, and light weight.
SUB CATEGORIES
Extrusion - typical uses are window frames, screen doors, store fronts, usually framing support structures.
Clip - lawn furniture, car trim, unpainted sheet.
Cans
Painted siding - exterior siding on houses
Cast - This type has a rough texture, doesn't bend, and cracks if hit hard. Typical uses are motor blocks, transmission housings, electric motor housings, grille housing especially auto and small engine parts.
Old Sheet - Consists of all the above that have not been properly cleaned with less than 2% contaminates (steel, rubber, non-metals). Typical uses are pots and pans, car trim and radiators.
Irony Aluminum - All of the above with more than 2% contaminates (steel especially).
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Copper - Color red, non-magnetic, files easily.
SUB CATEGORIES -
Bare Bright - stripped wire, bright and shiny like a new penny (not plated) with each individual strand larger than a pencil lead. Uses are heavy house wire and industrial wiring.
#1 Copper - unpainted, unplated, heavy copper tubing, wire, heavy sheet, or new shiny sheet with no paint, solder or corrosion. Uses are stripped wiring, plumbing, copper, roofing, or pots.
#2 Copper - Burnt wire, tubing with corrosion, solder, paint, or heavy sheet in the same condition. Uses are wiring, plumbing, pots and pans.
Lite Copper - sheet copper uses are roofing, gutters, flashing, and art.
All Coppers should have anything that's not copper removed (brass fittings, tar, dirt, etc.) to get the most money from your product.
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Lead - Non-magnetic. Color is silver to grey, files easily, heavy in weight, soft and dents easily.
Soft Lead - plumbing, fishing weights, and the sheet form for walls in X-ray rooms.
Hard Lead - Used in wheel weights.
Die Cast - (pot metal) non-magnetic, light silver to grey in color, files easily, medium weight. Heavier than aluminum but lighter than lead. This metal is difficult to tell from cast aluminum. Remember that die cast is much heavier in weight and usually turns darker grey in exposed areas. When cracked or broken it has a sparkly fresh edge. Typical uses are carburetors, handles of all sorts, mostly chrome plated trip on cars, toys, boats, and appliances.
Zinc - Non-magnetic, grey and dark grey in color and very widely used. Typical uses are old window slides and printing plates.
Magnesium - non-magnetic, grey in color, used in ladders, dock plates, mostly industrial uses.
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B-Power-B
Penny Pincher Member
USA
111 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2008 : 02:33:15
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Nice collection.
This is helpful for me I know, thanks! |
Those who trade liberty for security have neither.
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metal guide
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