G'day from Australia

G'day all, from Scrappo.




I'm a complete newbie to scrapping, though the idea of scrapping has tempted me for a few reasons... the "treasure hunt" aspect probably kicked it off, but I'm also keen on recycling. I'm also interested in building a small foundry and trying to build a business around customised aluminium/brass/bronze castings. I suppose if things went really well, I'd be looking at building a small recycling business and then who knows what? I reckon I'd try to scrap and recycle just about anything.


But I guess the tipping point for me deciding to join the forum was what happened today... I acquired some 20kg of scrap aluminium extrusions for nothing! I now have some nice feedstock for the foundry (am looking to use the aluminium to cast into parts for a lathe and some other machinery). I also copped a bunch of nice-looking brass padlocks (no keys, but), which must surely be worth something.


Anyway, I'm looking forward to learning from you all, Australian or otherwise, and joining the scrapping community.

Welcome to the forum from Nashville, Tennessee and thank you for the introduction.

Hello from Perth. You will find with metal prices low that volume and weight in brass and copper will be your go at this time. Love metal but finding it can be a genuine treasure hunt complete with pirates!

Thanks, jimicrk and silversurfer.


Not sure how applicable this is to the US situation, but we've got a bit of a problem with illegal dump sites in Australia... but I'm wondering whether some in my local area would be worth combing through... you often see washers, dryers, stoves and so on. As a social benefit, I could just take the lot away and sort it (plus, I'd imagine if some law enforcement type saw me tinkering with a pile of junk instead of taking the whole lot, they'd just as soon assume I put it there). Doing so would certainly do no harm to the reputation of scrappers in general.


As for pirates, I've heard scrappers can be extremely protective of their business, even to the point of violence. Just how prevalent is this? And would it be reasonable to expect there's a scrapper in every town (I guess this question is more directed to silversurfer, for geographical reasons)?

Originally Posted by Scrappo

Thanks, jimicrk and silversurfer.


Not sure how applicable this is to the US situation, but we've got a bit of a problem with illegal dump sites in Australia... but I'm wondering whether some in my local area would be worth combing through... you often see washers, dryers, stoves and so on. As a social benefit, I could just take the lot away and sort it (plus, I'd imagine if some law enforcement type saw me tinkering with a pile of junk instead of taking the whole lot, they'd just as soon assume I put it there). Doing so would certainly do no harm to the reputation of scrappers in general.


As for pirates, I've heard scrappers can be extremely protective of their business, even to the point of violence. Just how prevalent is this? And would it be reasonable to expect there's a scrapper in every town (I guess this question is more directed to silversurfer, for geographical reasons)?

Welcome from Canada, re: illeagle dump sites. I suggest that you run an ad in your local paper stating your disgust along with your intenctions to clean up such sites when your on duty have visible sighnage on your vechicle connecting you to your news paper article. Should you ever be accused of being a voilator you'll have your news paper article to back you up.

Foundry is your best idea these guys are in your neck of the woods they rerverse engineered a cast iron Healey block made patterns from it then cast the engine block in aluminum. This page is from archive org - Healey Factory

For a couple of years I was casting fishing weight molds from a backyard propane fired furnace, I used an oil based olivine sand so there was never a worry about excess moisture or the lack therof from using green sand.

Have not done any castings for at least five years now but now that I have an induction furnace capible of doing 5 lb melts plan on doing some smaller castings from brass, bronze and stainless steel things like hood orniments and other mascots

Below is one of the many fishing weight molds that I had cast from my home foundry, then below that is my next project that I'm going to cast from stainless steel. Old Abe is the Case tractor company mascot.

I was in Sydney (briefly, a stopover to Melbourne... and back). I would say that if you are going to plan on making cleanup of junk sites an income stream, you better have a way to get rid of the stuff that is not worth anything. Get a dumpster or rent space with access to a trash dumpster. The quantity that you might be able to get could cost some to get rid of. The other thing would be to apprach the city? county? and ask if they will pay you to do the cleanup and they may even provide disposal for you.

Welcome to the forum.

Fridges and stuff have motors in them, motors have Copper, except for driers, a lot of drivers have Aluminium winding motors.
But those motors also have a little Bakelite box on them with big Silver contacts in them..

Depending on the amount of time and space you have, it'd be best to save up everything separate and once you have enough, either scrap it down in your spare time, or sell it 'as is'.


Iearn your microwaves, some have a 1kg of Copper transformer, some are just Ali windings, some are a mix of the two.
Anything with a griller in it is just Aluminium transformers.
Anything 'woodgrain' is older and has lots of Copper....
Don't break the ceramic on the magnatron, but save them up of you have access to a lathe and machine the unbroken ends off for 80grams of Copper in each one.
There's many metals in a microwave and the empty cases make great boxes for filling with small stuff like sheet steel, ferrite, springs, bolts and screws, then use the 4 selftappers from a CRT screen band to screw the door back on.

But, first, figure out a way to get rid of your plastic because you will end up with piles and piles of it.
If you are really really lucky, someone recycles it and may even pay you money for it. Not here in NZ though...
And your CRT's.
LED TVs can be sold for parts, if the screens broken there's a good chance the insides still work.
And if the screens OK, there's a good chance it can be fixed. People will buy the electronics inside from you.
It would be good to find a contact who will buy these parts, there's good money to be made there.

There's many metals in a microwave and the empty cases make great boxes for filling with small stuff like sheet steel, ferrite, springs, bolts and screws, then use the 4 selftappers from a CRT screen band to screw the door back on.

I prefer to use microwaves over washers and dryers for the small steel. A filled microwave is usually around 50 or 60 lbs versus up to 300 lbs for a filled washer. If you've got a forklift or other heavy equipment it's not an issue, but I handle my stuff by hand.

Yes my friend scrappers in every street. However some are more professional than others and courteous to their sources and their rivals. Each scrapper has their own MO: kerbside collectors, cord cutters, people who advertise for broken white goods etc.

As always, the best way is to find things to on sell because that pays more than scrap eg. I found an old cake and bread mixer once, full of copper and cast aluminium, motor running a little rough, but still managed to sell it for $20 to a keen buyer.

As for pirates, I lost an old aircon out of my trailer to scrappers who asked for it, were declined and then took it anyway while my back was turned. Get a good relationship with a local yard as a preferred seller because some scrapyards will try to underpay you for your stuff. If you learn how to separate your metals eg. Number 1 and number 2 copper (plenty info on this forum) you will get better results.

Happy hunting brother!

Welcome from Mesa, Arizona. Are scrap prices in the toilet where you are? They certainly are here.