scrapping part-time w/ small car?

Hello everyone!

I just recently got interested in scrapping but I do not have a truck to scrap larger material so i am interested in the smaller stuff.



What exactly could i scrap to make the most of my time? I was thinking computer scrap, copper, wires, heavier materials such as cast iron? Thanks for your help guys pretty sweet community you guys got going on here.

What kind of storage do you have available to you? As far as where you can keep your scrap in a secure location?

I have a garage that I can keep stuff in. Not too much space but I have currently around 100lbs of assorted insulated wire already in it.

1st thing I would do is go check out the yard you will be selling to. If it is like a lot of the yards here in the south, you might get stuck in the mud when its wet or just completely ruin your car.

My advice would be to use your car for all the copper aluminum etc,,,see if you can hook up with someone (another scrapper) that will buy all the steel you'll have left over after gutting the computers.
Now if you don't care about your car,,,,I have seen cars at the yard pull in with washer strapped to the roof and dryer strapped to the trunk.

Yea the one closest to me has some serious canyons on the way to the weigh stations and I believe that my car would get stuck. So i am guessing i should invest my time in copper and aluminum?

and yea I don't think strapping a washer to the top of my car would be a smart idea haha

Well taking a whole washer to the yard is just throwing money away, there's copper in there! Or at least a big old motor they might pay better than steel prices. Copper and aluminum are decent earners if you keep at it. Plus it's fun destroying stuff!

I am into e-waste. PC's, monitors, even old tape decks, and around here ag electronics. I'll pick up an appliance here or there.

Actually this weekend might make a few rounds since I'm bachin it for a couple days, and have nothing better to do than tear some driers down.

Welcome Dust, maybe you can do enough non-ferrous to be able to pick up a small trailer. Or have you thought of trading for a small pick-up. Anyway, you could not have found a better place to learn all about scrapping !

I will buy your computer scrap. Like the motherboards, cpu, ram an ect. I am a very strong buyer on that. I will all so buy the small wire at $0.50 per pound where (here) scrap yards only want to pay $0.10 for it. Dont know what your scrap yard will pay there for it. Just hit me up

I will all so buy the small wire at $0.50 per pound

Is that what we call #2 insulated?

Originally Posted by Mechanic688

Is that what we call #2 insulated?

Some yards like to call it #3 insulated (the flat wire.)

I scrap with my car. and I drive a nice Audi which is well taken care of, with rims and what have you.

Luckily my yard buys metal off peddlars outside of their yard on the side, so no worries about car damage, or getting even dirty! - very safe.

I only deal with non-ferrous stuff. - copper, brass, aluminum mostly.

I mostly deal with car batteries as I work in the Automotive parts industry.

But yeah a car should not refrain you from scrapping. Just I'm luck to have a great yard, where I don't even have to enter the main scrapyard.

Originally Posted by scraparama

I scrap with my car. and I drive a nice Audi which is well taken care of, with rims and what have you.

Luckily my yard buys metal off peddlars outside of their yard on the side, so no worries about car damage, or getting even dirty! - very safe.

I only deal with non-ferrous stuff. - copper, brass, aluminum mostly.

I mostly deal with car batteries as I work in the Automotive parts industry.

But yeah a car should not refrain you from scrapping. Just I'm luck to have a great yard, where I don't even have to enter the main scrapyard.

Thats what I was thinking but I also wanted to know what kind of stuff you look for when scrapping copper and brass. Thanks a lot!

and easyrecycle i will definitely keep you in mind!

I have a Subaru outback with a small 5X7ft trailer. I do pretty well with this arrangement, of course the next car I get WILL be a pick up. Until then I will be all right. I usually take in a load of non ferrous at about 1000 lbs. Iron is everywhere, so it's hard to turn down.

Good luck and all the best!

Not all cars have to cross the scales at yards. Check at your local one and see if they weigh small amounts. You should be able to turn up with a couple recycle bins in the back seat, couple in the trunk, buckets on the floors, etc. Have it sorted and when you get there, borrow a cart and cart it over to a floor scale for smaller weights. You are already ahead of the folks that walk and bike down to the yard. If your yard has dirt and ruts, don't go the day after heavy rain. I like to go after dry spells, then sprinkles, to keep dust down.

Step one - Start. That's all. Scrap everything with a cord on it that you can lift. Scrap every can. Go drop off a couple times, and pretty soon you'll know what's worth your time.
Step two - Keep Going.
Tip one - While you wait, look at what others bring in and how they have it sorted.
Tip two - Ask the weighing person what you should do next time to organize for a better pay-out, and how to efficiently unload.

Now I know why you don't want to trade for a pickup ! What helped me the most was reading trough all these posts and the scrap metal blog.

Along with what others have said also talk to the other scrappers especially those you see hauling in vehicles. Let it be known that you are looking for a truck or suv. Since most are getting vehicles for free or buying them for between $100-$200 they in most cases dont care who gives them the money for the vehicle especially if you offer to give they can get $100 -200 dollars more from you then the scrap yard will give them.

I have an SUV but because of gas .. I use a 2 dr VW hatchback to pickup small items and scout for larger stuff which I go back for with SUV and trailer. I was given a canopy/tent and I kept the canvas which I use to cover my seats. I have a trailer which is about the same size as a full size truck bed to store my items and typically once its full I carry to the local yard.

Also make sure that you check out each of your local scrap yards as I have found that different yards pay differently and the trick is to learn which pays more for what you have. For example one yard pays more for insulated copper and another pays more for number 2 metal. So all my copper goes to one and number 2 metal goes to another yard.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by dherik

Well taking a whole washer to the yard is just throwing money away, there's copper in there! Or at least a big old motor they might pay better than steel prices. Copper and aluminum are decent earners if you keep at it. Plus it's fun destroying stuff!

How come every freaking time I post something about scrapping a appliance this is repeated over and over. Gezzz we get the point but after ya take all the stuff out guess what? You still have a washer or dryer to scrap! An if you like me you keep a few of the screws and when done getting the goodies out you put the body of the appliance back together good enough to make it easy to move.

Take the tops off of aluminum grills and grab the brass burner if it has one. Cut the cords of anything they are worth .75 a pound here. Brass lamps etc. that's what people with cars grab here. I heard a rumor that the flat wire in computers is different than all other wire and is worth waaaayyy more.