metal from the sticks - Page 3

There are a variety of four legged critters as well. The deer in velvet was in our yard.



I found this baby mountain lion with a 30 in. tail (the tail is underneath) on our property . Local authorities determined it had been poisoned. You might understand why my wife carries a gun when on her daily walks, why every vehicle has rifles in them, and why my dogs are so important to my work. In addition we have bobcats, coyotes, bears, elk, and moose. This is for anyone that thought the racoons were cute.

A variety of opportunities have presented themselves over the years. A good job in the winter is the oil fields. The tanks are tipped over, cut with a torch, and loaded into tubs provided by the scrap yard. I clean the field and keep all scrap metal proceeds. The owners deal with the EPA regulations and hire the clean out services. Some yards will not take oil field pipe because the ground radiation sets off their sensors and some pipe could be explosive in nature. In the past I have only dealt with the tanks and drills and left the pipe for larger company's. This is a picture of one of three fields I hope to complete next winter. If all goes as planned there will be a total of 35 tanks.

Many members of the forum have full time jobs in addition to scrapping. I do to, it is called retirement. The problem with retirement is you never get a day off or a vacation. So this is part of my lifestyle.

First load on my new trailer was not scrap. I had to haul my toys from the cabin back to the ranch. On the trailer from front to back is home made wagon, snow sled, and rock boat for my Persian's.



To give you an idea of there size, these two are bigger than most Clydesdales. Compare the size of their heads to my back and they are 15 ft. away.



Another perspective, Jake and John with some of their friends. The rest of the horses in the pictures are quarter horses except the paint. The paint was adopted from the BLM and is a big horse.



Hunting, fishing, horses, and scrapping keep me alive.

The picture shows my partner going to work at a typical scrap site. She will flush the varmints out before I start working. On the ground is an old steel platform from an old combine, a pickup box trailer, and the blue backup. The steel platform was saved for a future trailer and the pickup flatbed with propane fuel system was also saved for resale.

This a self contained lift gate for a truck. This was given to me after scrapping a potatoe chip plant. It is brand new and I will either use it or sell it. Nice bonus.

Took the day off from my full time job to do a little scrapping. Cleaned up a body shop and heating/cooling company.

Cleaning up after myself includes removing all trash and evidence that I was there. The chemical tote was added to allow the shop to sort the prepared. Other totes will be added so they can sort out the non-ferrous.

This is the result of cleaning up today. The first trailer is all body shop materials with about a ton of prepared on the bottom. The second trailer is a combination of the central air units and the non-ferrous from the body shop. Our scrap yards are not open on weekends so this is a common strategy of loading up to four trailers on the weekend, ready to be hauled.

The central air units are handled multiple times. They are loaded on the trailer, unloaded and stored in the shed, broken down in the winter, and sold when the price is good. The shed has about 30 units waiting for winter and by the time they are broken down there should be about 60.

Just had shoulder replacement surgery yesterday. Cobalt, chrome, titanium, vanadium, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, hafnium, silicon, cobalt-chrome, tungsten, and zirconium are used to manufacture artificial joints. Two knee and two shoulder replacements make me a walking pile of $crap and a good payday for the family when I die. Still reinvesting profits back into scrap.

Godspeed in your recovery sir.

Getting a new knee next spring if I can wait that long...how would you compare the replacements to say, when you were 30ish?

Originally Posted by KzScrapper

Godspeed in your recovery sir.

Getting a new knee next spring if I can wait that long...how would you compare the replacements to say, when you were 30ish?

I got my knees replaced about 12 years ago and it was a life changing event. I had to walk up and down stairs sideways and the pain was unbelievable. I felt like a new man and grew 3/4 of an inch. I loved long distance running and had to give it up after the replacements. Other than that I can still ski, water ski, ride horse, hike, etc. Take the time to research the different products as there is a difference. I will put a tip for you in the members only area. Good luck.

I responded to several threads on the forum about my strategies with the soft market. It involves investing because of the belief that more money is made when prices are in a trough than at their peak. Some investors sell their stocks when the market is down because they are afraid to loose more money while others will double down on their investments taking advantage of the lower prices. It is my belief that those that sell are guaranteeing a loss in their investment.

Equipment is being purchased for two reasons: Many scrappers are giving up and selling their equipment at lower prices and when I buy it my competition in the future decreases. As a one man operation I have the flexibility to change directions on a moments notice. Posted below is an auction advertisement that might interest some of you and highlights my strategy on a larger scale. They are essentially selling a turn key operation. The owner is evidently getting out of the business during a trough. The buyers at the auction are doubling down on their investments.

SMF also demonstrates this theory because it is a microorganism of the scrap market. As prices continue to drop the number of active members on the forum will decrease. As the prices rebound, members will return and an influx of new members will join for information and a piece of the pie. In this situation those that double down continue to gather knowledge and experiment. They will be ready to roll at the start of the rebound.

https://wavebid-prod.s3.amazonaws.co...6de856de96f85f

I was reading another thread and thought I would share some insight without hijacking their thread. My average load ranges between 3 and 6 tons using some rebuilt trailers and factory pickups. Anything less is cost prohibitive because of the distance to the scrap yard. To increase safety, comfort level of the load, and ability to haul more remember a chain is only as strong as the weakest link. This is my strategy:

Brakes are the most important component to consider in both the tow vehicle and any trailer. Investing in the best heavy duty brakes available and the ability to down shift will increase the life expectancy and safety of the vehicle. Tire ratings are the next important consideration in IMO. Tires will limit the size of loads more than anything else and seeking the maximum ply and running at maximum psi reduces flats. My trucks run at 80 psi and have a load rating around 3,000 pounds each. The trailer tires have a minimum of 14 plys, have a load rating of about 2 tons ea. and run at 110 psi. A six bolt pattern is the most universal and cost effective option in my opinion. With a couple truck/trailer combinations it is important for me to have interchangeable wheels and tires for all rigs. The next priority in my arsenal is the springs and shackles supporting the vehicles. When ever possible I upgrade to the heaviest I can find. When you hear about a vehicle squatting, I would be concerned with the tires giving out first followed by the springs. Last is the axle weight. I run 7,000 pd. triple axles on my trailers.

A set up like this is not the most comfortable to drive when not loaded. They tend to exaggerate every little crack or dip in the road. I would appreciate if others would share their opinions and insights about hauling large loads.

I have been working on repairs, non ferrous, and doing research while recovering from surgery. Went to the auction listed above, more to learn than anything else. During good times I am to busy moving metal to do any research on machinery, much less purchase it. Most profits are saved for bad times when I can take my time and invest to maximize profits. The skid steer I have still gets the job done and meets my needs, but I decided to invest in a 2016 Cat 262d with 170 hrs. The cheapest one found on the internet was several thousands more than I paid and the average was about $ 13,000 more. In this demented mind, I made a lot of money in one day. In essence, I doubled down during a soft market.

That's what comes from experience foresight and some money in the bank. Thanks for sharing. 73, Mike

This morning provided another example of doubling down during soft times, the value of SMF, and the importance reputation has on a business. I made a deal with the community landfill to haul their metal. The deal revolves around the land/lease agreement, they pay for Freon removal and deal with all environmental issues, and I haul at my convenience. Many curb co shop loading individual appliances, spending money driving around looking for metal, and hauling mixed loads. I can store, sort as needed, and use machinery to load. I can wait until I have a full trailer of just water heaters, or prepared, or air conditioners etc. before hauling. A separate agreement was made on electronics and air conditioners as these will be broken down. A key to the facility will be provided so I am not dependent on the hours they are open. For perspective, an out of state company use to come in once a year with a baler and haul four to six semi loads out. One of many reasons they were eager to sign on was the Freon issue and the fact I insisted a certified technician sign off on the removal. I learned about this through the forum (thank you to Kzscrapper, Freon Joe, and many others) and am tempted to take the class offered here.

Many of you know that I have only dabbled and experimented with ewaste and plan to make a deal with a member of the forum that will increase their business/income and provide a profit for myself and the local government. Overall this is a win/win for all involved.

Thank you to those that read my posts. My intent is to share what I am doing, hopefully to help others and solicit ideas on how to improve my operation. Any and all input is appreciated.