fine pre-sorting for better scrap business?

**MetalPhil** · 03-22-2020, 10:10 AM

It is a recommended in the scrap metal industry that identifying and pre-sorting your alloys accurately (down to the specific grade / quality, measuring impurities and spec compliance, etc.) can gives you a competitive advantage because then you can really charge what the metals are worth. Otherwise you nearly always end up undercharging for what you have, that's the logic. Admittedly, extra fine alloy testing is extra work, but modern technologies (most notably X-ray fluorescence and optical emission spectrometry make it a no brainer, letting you be your own metal-testing lab. That's the 21st-century way to do scrap metal!

(While we are at it, a question for you all: how many of you do detailed alloy grade pre-sorting? Do you find it useful? How much? And if not, why not? Please share! Thank you in advance.)

**JJinLV** · 03-22-2020, 12:58 PM

Lol you're talking about a multi-thousands dollar piece of equipment that is useless to virtually all scrappers who do not own an entire scrapyard or metal furnace.

**MetalPhil** · 03-22-2020, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by JJinLV

Lol you're talking about a multi-thousands dollar piece of equipment that is useless to virtually all scrappers who do not own an entire scrapyard or metal furnace.

Let's get this straight, are you really saying that its "useless to virtually all scrappers" -- or just too expensive? And you are right, my question meant to include scrap yard and metal furnace owners.

**jimicrk** · 03-22-2020, 06:05 PM

I'm a small timer. I only need a magnet.

**hills** · 03-22-2020, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by MetalPhil

Let's get this straight, are you really saying that its "useless to virtually all scrappers" -- or just too expensive? And you are right, my question meant to include scrap yard and metal furnace owners.

JJ pretty much nailed it. I know one scrapper that uses a rock to bust transformers apart because he doesn't own a hammer. Another does own a hammer. He uses that for his computer tower breakdowns.

Give em' a ray gun and they would probably start shooting each other with it just for fun.

Overall, they're loathe to spend money on tools. They make do with what they find on the dump.

The target market for a high end tool would much further up the food chain.

Just curious Phil ... what part of Boston ? (I grew up in Winthrop.)

**kss** · 03-22-2020, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by MetalPhil

Let's get this straight, are you really saying that its "useless to virtually all scrappers" -- or just too expensive? And you are right, my question meant to include scrap yard and metal furnace owners.

It is mostly individual scrappers here, and most won't get any difference in price between stainless types, don't deal in enough volume to need to be able to hone in on the exact type to justify the expense, or don't deal in exotic enough metals to need a product like that unfortunately.

I know of a scrapyard in new Jersey that has these types of things on site as they deal in exotic or alloy metals that they need to be able to identify them with a high degree of accuracy.... But on here, most people can get by with a magnet, a file, and a grinder to determine the metal types enough to sell them at local yards for Max profit

**kss** · 03-22-2020, 08:27 PM

Also hills is right, if you are trying to sell these things you need to go much much higher up the chain then the ground forces collecting the scrap (mostly who is here). You need yard owners (which there are a few here I think), shredders, smelters, refineries, etc...

**JJinLV** · 03-22-2020, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by MetalPhil

Let's get this straight, are you really saying that its "useless to virtually all scrappers" -- or just too expensive? And you are right, my question meant to include scrap yard and metal furnace owners.

Yes it is useless to virtually all scrappers and yes it is too expensive. With a little practice anyone with a magnet can decipher ferrous from non-ferrous. With an angle grinder and a little experience anyone can tell aluminum from stainless steel. With a little practice anyone can learn the differences between 6063 and 6061 aluminum. With almost no practice anyone can tell the difference between different grades of copper. And so on and so forth. Unless you have large aviation, aerospace or machining clients you're very unlikely to ever accumulate enough kovar, inconel or other high-temp alloys, 7000 or other less common aluminum series or anything else that cannot be readily identified using a magnet or angle grinder. That you could also use an xrf doesn't matter. In fact, reliance on an xrf gun is deskilling in that it substitutes a tech shortcut for knowledge. If someone does a lot of high volume high-temp or odd alloys, then sure, good investment. Otherwise yes, it is useless.

fine pre-sorting for better scrap business?

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