The Wild and Whacky Scrapping Adventures of MattyNoNeck - Page 2

The rider ended up in the shred pile...it was definitely junk and just a mess. Hey, I got $50 for that and the push mower so...not bad I guess

Also had almost $30 in brass in this run...so gas in the truck and dinner for the family. Not a bad day!

What a shame on the rider.. from what we could see in the pic.. that was pretty nice looking.. bummer it was junk somewhere else and not able to be resold.. still a nice score!!

Hey everyone!

So, yes, I've been neglectful on my postings here but you may have seen my other thread here related to a job that I did. I definitely learned a lot from that cleanout/junk removal job. A big shoutout goes to my scrapping partner for putting in way more time than was necessary on that project. I'm still cleaning up from it and I have a whole crapton of full/half-full paint cans to deal with (probably going to have to wait until town hazmat day in September to dispose of them)

That boiler was a doozy though! In the end, however, good ol’ elbow grease, a cold chisel and a sledge did the trick. It was NOT cast iron, as Patriot warned might be the case, as it did not crack at all when beating the hell out of it. But it was relatively easy to separate the sections with the chisel and hammer and take them out of the basement one by one. I would have loved to get some pictures of the process to share some knowledge but by the time we got to working on it I was just so pissed at the **** thing that I didn’t care. Next time, though, I got you guys covered.

That job netted me probably $400 between the scrap, the payment and my expenses so I’m definitely calling it a win. It will go smoother next time. Lessons were learned and experience was gained.

Other than that, this past weekend got me another few good hauls and I barely had to work for them. Both of my big pickups were call-backs from previous contacts. This goes to show that image, reliability and being courteous are HUGE in this business. And it IS a business whether this is a hobby, side gig or a full time deal. Image really is everything. Again, though, no pictures because I suck.

I think a trailer may have to be acquired soon. There’s a possibility of a big barn cleanout coming down the pipeline and I’m really excited about that. Also, have another pickup tonight. It’s lookin’ good for Matty the Metal Mover!

Until next time…

Ahoy fellow scrappers!

So had another good pickup scheduled for the other night. And protip: This one came from freecycle, an often overlooked medium for finding scrap. Definitely give freecycle.org a look and post up a WANTED ad for scrap. I think you’ll be glad you did. But anyway, I went over there for what was said to be a freezer, a washer, a desk, an engine block from a 79 Caddy and “assorted other scrap.” I had no idea that “assorted other scrap” meant a riding mower, a lawn swing and other large items. Hooray!





So I loaded up what I could (desk, washer, freezer, a couple of smaller items and said I’d be back tomorrow (which is now yesterday) to get the rest. Well that rider has flat tires and is SUNK into the ground. I probably would have called it a loss except for the fact that the Briggs & Stratton engine is supposedly good and my girlfriend is qualified in small engine repairs…so there’s definitely resale value in it.



Also, I was not able to get that engine block into the truck by myself. So going back tonight with some extra muscle to take care of the rest.

Will update, stay tuned!

Good deal there Matty.

On the boiler job...Some of the best profit comes from experience and lessons. As you said the next one will go much easier for you, an that in itself is priceless.

Keep up the good work, an the pictures coming!

Sirscrapalot - Every dog has his day, but sadly...your not a dog, an today isn't yours. - Seen at a restaurant

Originally Posted by mthomasdev

Thanks Matty. I'll have to look into freecycle.

I know there's a section for Western Mass. Also, it's better in some ways than craigslist because it tends to be less "first come, first serve and let me watch people duke it out for stuff" and more "I have [item], who wants it? Let's set up a time for pickup." While not as active as CL, it tends to be more cordial and laid back.

Sigh…

So, the truck is done once again. See my first post if you’re interested in the earlier escapades of when I first got this thing twoish months ago. Recently, the left rear shackle rusted through and broke and started pushing up through the bed which, to me, isn’t that big of a deal but I wanted to get it looked at. Took it in to the shop and apparently the frame is now bent and the thing is “unfixable.” Son of a b---h!

So now I’m looking for a new scrappin’ wagon. I’m pretty much going to have to trade in my car and try to get a truck AND a car out of the deal which is proving to be a big headache. I thought I had sealed a deal last night after falling in love with a BEAUTIFUL 99 Silverado, all black, all the options, bed liner sprayed all around the truck…the thing was just amazing and seemed perfect and sexy as hell. But…as soon as I came back from the test drive and told the guy that if I wanted to sign the papers, I’d want to have my mechanic look at it…he pulled a 180 and pretty much backed out of the deal. So pissed! I know it’s a good thing that I didn’t buy what was surely a lemon but ugh…it was soooooo nice! So my advice is, protect yourself! If you’re making a deal with someone and you make a reasonable request and they flip out…WALK AWAY. There’s a good reason that they’re trying to hide something.

Oh well, there are other options. I have another truck to look at and some cars my girlfriend might be interested in so we shall see. Hopefully I’ll have a new truck to work with soon.

And now, I need some input. Do you guys think it’d be more worthwhile to part out the truck or sell it whole as a parts vehicle? I think I might part it out so I can get some practice removing components for when I start junking cars but if I can get a good deal for the whole shebang then…well…that works out. Thoughts?

Sorry to hear of your truck troubles...part it out and scrap the rest.

Originally Posted by mthomasdev

Matty,

What's the port paying? I was there about 2 weeks ago and think it was 231 a gross. Should get about $550 as scrap without doing anything. Pull the cat, battery, starter, alternator, O2 sensor and maybe drums and you'll probably be closer to 625 to 650.

Tin/Cars were back up to 240 when I was there the other day (perfect timing bringing in a big load!). I'm going in tomorrow with the fridge and oven I found tonight so I will update when I can. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day truck shopping And get this...the gf thinks we should get TWO trucks instead of a truck and a car. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Originally Posted by MattyNoNeck

And get this...the gf thinks we should get TWO trucks instead of a truck and a car. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Marry her.

Originally Posted by pjost

Marry her.

Workin on it!

Originally Posted by mthomasdev

Matty,

Are they taking fridges that aren't evacuated? Just wondering. I evacuate all mine and sell the refrigerant, pull the compressor and anything else.

Is the stove gas or electric? Don't know if the port will buy the elements if it is electric. I have a yard over here that gives me (or at least used to, haven't done it in a while) non magnetic stainless price for these.

I'm PMing you about the fridges in a moment

And it's not a stove, but more like an industrial oven. It came from the dumpster of a local firehouse, one of the guys stopped to see what I was up to and told me it didn't work and that I was welcome to it for scrap. It's heavy as hell so definitely way more of a beast than a residential gas/electric stove. I would break it down because I'm very curious about it but space is still very limited for me. That's actually going to change soon since we are very possibly moving next week to a place that has a shed and a big yard. But until now, a lot of stuff has to get tossed in with the shred

Matty- Any chance this Silverado that pooped out on ya has leather front seats?
I'd part it out as well. 4WD the differential and rear end should net you some sweet cash.