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Sirscrapalot's small haul of scrap for today.

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  1. #1
    Sirscrapalot started this thread.
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    Sirscrapalot's small haul of scrap for today.

    As most of you know, I generally mess with ewaste. It's been awhile since I posted up any pictures, etc of my regular scrap hauls. Most also know my wife works for a hotel down here on the sandbar, an yesterday she tipped me off to some stuff being tossed out. After obtaining permission from the big boss, I went an removed the stuff from the dumpster on site they had for the project.

    Now I could be wrong, but this stuff is electrical boxes for the elevator they just replaced. Two were boxes, and the other is the motor I believe. Not sure why the elevator guys tossed it out, as they took the big stuff with them.

    Anyhow, below is the photos. To me it's just scrap, perhaps some of you smart people can tell me what kind of goodies are in here. I of course know about the wire, an copper. There were a bunch of fuses/switches/relays ?

    Feel free to tell me what you know of the stuff, and any thing that might be more valuable then scrap, or of course contain any goodies like gold, silver, etc. All I know is the obvious stuff, and the two boxes are heavier then all git out. Oddly the smaller one was heavier then the tall one. Tall one was full of stuff, short one wasn't.



    On to the photos..an yes, some aren't very good, as it was dark out, and my phone started to die. lol. Stupid phone!

















    There ya go, let me know what you guys know about this stuff, as I'm not one who generally goes around messing with elevators, electrical boxes, etc.

    For those curious, the things on the ground are from Zap Supply, and the numbers on them are AHTB3A120VAC it also says Coil 120VAC. I looked at their site, an I believe this is what they are..Power Relays Magnecraft power relays. I'm just going by the pic there on the site. So please let me know if I'm wrong. There is also a pdf on there with the item specs, but it's all gibberish to me.

    As always, I thank all for their info, and help.

    Sirscrapalot - Going up!

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  3. #2
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    I'm an e-waster too, but that's what I'd think it was (electrical box). Those smaller things look kind of like fuses? Just guessing here!

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    It's hard to tell, but the three things on the ground look like relay switches. At least the one on the left does from what I can see. Can't see inside the other ones because of the labels.

    Nothing of resale value, unfortunately. Those things were out of style even when I was starting as an apprentice electrician back in the mid 80s.

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  7. #4
    Sirscrapalot started this thread.
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    Thanks Billy. Any idea what the big things are on the left, in the tall box? with the wires attached to it?

    It's more then I knew going in. It's all heavy as hell, I'll have to hit with the magnet when I go out later to get the wife from work. Part that kills me is there is likely more stuff in that dumpster, but I can't access the rest of it. Seems the guy doing the tub and tile work for the bathrooms, threw all the old tile, cut tile, and trash in there. I can't get in any further without making a huge mess an moving half the crap out of it. This dumpster is like one a yard would drop off, not a typical business one. Has a door and everything!

    Just way to much stuff to move without a small army to help me. I might poke around a bit more in it tomorrow during the daylight. Would there be anything in the relays worth taking them apart for, besides the small amounts of copper or brass?

    Thanks for the help!

    Keep it coming folks.

    Sirscrapalot - Will be taking it all apart tomorrow.

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    SSaL,
    I'll give you my take on what we are looking at. YMMV!!

    The motor is the little guy that pulls the elevator door open and closed. It has a few "limit switches" close to the shaft where the coloured cams are that tell the controls when to stop and start the motor. The switches might have small silver contacts in them. When you first said "elevator" and "motor" I was hoping you got the main motor. But they are about 15 hp and weigh several hundred pounds. You woulda had a point sticking out your backside when trying to pick it up!

    The short panel looks like you got one, maybe two transformers bolted to the backpan. The gray box beside the transformer--I'm not sure what it is. Maybe a transformer, maybe a capacitor....?

    The big panel - I'm looking at the second from last picture--has a terminal strip across the top where all the wires are connected to. They will be copper (Maybe brass) terminals. The long cylindrical things on the left are power resistors--they are wrapped with something like nichrome wire-kinda like an electric stove element. The thing to the right of the power resistors with the white plastic face looks like a heavy duty relay of some sort--it'll have some silver contacts in it that may be a little bigger than normal. Near the bottom of the photo, there's another transformer and to the right of it looks like a very old style rectifier setup--I believe they called them "selenium rectifiers". '40's or '50's electronics.

    The bottom of the box, pictured with a whole bunch of those clear plastic enclosed relays, is an old panel called a "relay logic" panel. It is what they used before they had computers to do the same job in a lot smaller size. All the relays are is a little copper coil and some bits of copper with (maybe) some very small silver contacts. But there will be a shztload of the contacts if you want to go after them. There will be a half dozen in each relay.

    I don't think you have a ton of value there--the elevator boys already snagged the stuff that's worth the money--all the elevator electrical cable, the big winch/motor assembly and the power electrics that ran the winch motor. I'll betcha they stopped off at the scrapyard on the way home!

    No hidden gold, but some solid material.

    The one suggestion I have is to have a look at the two electrical boxes you have and see if they can be repurposed into cupboards in your shop. Plug the holes, put plywood shelves in them and you have a pretty decent metal cupboard with a lockable door.

    Or see if you can sell them on Craigs as used electrical boxes. If you're going to try to sell them, though, keep the back pan with the box. And if there is a makers label in the box with a "UL" rating on it, don't scratch it off. That makes it more legal for those who need to worry about that kind of stuff. That big box, bought new, is probably a few hundred $. And if it was a gasketted box, with a little heavier latches, it would be over a grand.

    Hope this helps!!

    Jon.

    EDIT: Took a long time to make this post, noticed when I posted it you had mentioned there might be more there under the tile garbage. Poke around some more...maybe the guys tossed the elevator electrical cabling in there, too. It usually is a multi-conductor cable with a steel cable for a core that takes the weight of all the copper cabling. It runs from the building to the elevator car and moves with the car. Heavy but lots of copper in it.

    J.
    Last edited by sawmilleng; 02-25-2014 at 10:41 PM.

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  10. #6
    Sirscrapalot started this thread.
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    Ha, double post in my own thread!

    I'll take better shots of the relays when I go out again, my phone is charged now. The three on the ground fell out when I was opening the smaller box.

    Sirscrapalot - Heavy is good..someone tell my back this.

  11. #7
    Sirscrapalot started this thread.
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    Jon/Saw...thank you very much man. Just what I was looking for.

    You sir are welcome to my cooler any time. An yep, the elevator guys took the big stuff from what the wife told me. I figured they would, but one can hope! Heh.

    Either way thank you, an if ever near the sandbar, I owe you a drink my north of the border friend.

    Sirscrapalot - Likes copper, brass an silver.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sirscrapalot View Post
    Thanks Billy. Any idea what the big things are on the left, in the tall box? with the wires attached to it?
    Maybe a better picture of the label might help. My first impression was that it was a transformer, like sawmilleng said, but I can't be sure.

  14. #9
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    Yep, a bunch of relays, might have brass screws where the small wiring is, and maybe brass fuseholders.
    P & M Recycling - Specializing in E-Waste Recycling.
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    You got it, man! A drink outta the fabled and famous cooler would be worth a lot of bragging rights!!!

    Jon.

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  18. #11
    Sirscrapalot started this thread.
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    Thanks guys. Will snap some photos in the daylight of the labels. It's starting to rain and I don't feel like getting sick before my birthday.

    Sirscrapalot -The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball. - Doug Larson

  19. #12
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    The "ice cube" relays will have values in them you may have $20-$40 in silver assuming they are solid silver contacts not the clad type. I would think they would as they are in high reliable situation.

    the rest is scrap metal to me.

    Eric
    I buy Tantalum Capacitors and offer other services. Check out my thread for more info.

    http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap...-cap-more.html

    http://recycletantalumcapacitors.com/

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  21. #13
    Sirscrapalot started this thread.
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    Awesome, thanks for pointing that out Eric. I've popped the cover on one of the relays I brought up with. Plan to poke around them more tomorrow, an get some better shots.

    Even if it's just shred after removing the brass, copper, an hopefully Silver, I should still come out good. Either on resale of the boxes, or scrapping them. Both are super heavy. I will be trying Saw's idea of putting them on CL to see if any bites from anyone that may need the boxes. It's all free, minus the mile I drove, an the ten minutes loading the van.

    Won't hear me complaining.

    Thanks guys, I appreciate the advice, and help. The offer of visiting and drink from the cooler is out to all of you, if your ever out this way. Or me an the cooler happen to be out your way. Never know where we'll turn up. Ha ha!

    Sirscrapalot - I just get silly inside my head and I start to think about something and in my head I start twisting it around, contorting it and envisioning it in different ways. - Gary Larson

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  23. #14
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    It most certainly will be a mix of original silver contact relays and ones that have been replaced with post 196x silver clad, might be better off reselling them, originals are nearly impossible to come by under a 100 bucks.

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  25. #15
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    Nice pickup SSA
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  27. #16
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    I'm only an hour and half away from you. Let me know if you need help my back is still good for now. Lol
    PS I bring my own cooler.

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  29. #17
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    Elevator scrap:

    1: Has it ups & downs
    2: You usually get the shaft
    3: .....
    F1 Recycles

    Electronic/Electrical/Mechanical Recycling
    www.f1recycles.com


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  31. #18
    Sirscrapalot started this thread.
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    lol..to early for such bad puns. Funny tho Spin! lol

    Ha ha, Keith, I'll keep ya in mind buddy. I'll be up in your neck of the woods this weekend. Your welcome down anytime tho, since your so close. I won't complain if you bring your own cooler.

    An NH, got it, an replied.

    Sirscrapalot - You cannot create experience. You must undergo it. - Albert Camus

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    Etack, Army,

    Tell me more about the solid silver contacts in the little ice cube relays. 20-40$ in silver means just about a troy ounce of silver in there! I always thought they were silver contacts, just VERY small as they are only rated for a couple of amps.

    And the pre 196X relays--solid silver before, thin coating after?? Is there a market for the old, solid contact relays?

    Interested in this...I didn't realize there was a major change in how they were built.

    Jon.

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    From my experience with genset relays of the same type before the silver boom in the 60s were complete silver contacts on a bimetal strip. The buttons were SOLID silver the base of the contacts were silver solder and the blades were silver clad. Afterwards up to and including today the strips were copper the buttons were copper with a silver clad about a half millimeter thick on the actual contact points. Hope that helps.

    You should buy a silver assay chem kit because you might find out the sockets are silver clad too...wishful thinking most likely but I've been surprised before doing 60s era military gensets.

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