scrapping

My first experience scrapping was as a kid growing up and helping my grandfather who at the time was tearing down houses and buildings over 50 years ago. I remember breaking up old radiators, coal furnaces and getting the window weights. He turned me loose in an old dump truck at the age of 14 with no license and this was in the city.Luckily I didn't hurt anybody but it was sheer luck.

Scroll forward 50 years---career in insurance and financial services and managed to purchase a nice farm and grow loblolly pine. It was on the farm where scrapping once again surfaced. Several old sharecropper homes on the farm all with one or 2 old cars plus an old combine and lots of metal roofing, barrels, old wring type washers etc. I let a friend who cuts hay on one of the fields scrap one of the cars plus pulled off the cab of the combine. Gave another friend a car and rest of the combine. Then the light bulb went off and I made up my mind that I would make it a goal to take all metal off the farm as a project and use the money to improve the road to my shed. I have now scrapped at least 5 old cars from the early 50's and one 49 ford pickup. These cars were in terrible condition as they had been in the weather for so long. I was able to keep a little bit of trim but everything else was too far gone. I pulled these auto's up to the shed using a boom pole and chain behind my tractor and loaded them on a 16" trailer )one at a time of course) and trailered them to the yard which is luckily about 5 miles from the farm. I scrapped 5 old cars and several miscellaneous loads of scrap and was the toughest $2300 dollars I have made. But I have to say I enjoyed the hardwork as some had to be pulled out of gullies and over stumps etc and many days it was approching 100 degrees. A strange thing happened on the way to the forum----I got the bug. After 40 years I am tired of sitting behind a desk and worrying about other folk's problems although I have been paid well for doing so.

Long story short I can no longer take a normal drive as I have one eye on the road and one looking for metal. Wife thinks I've lost it as I came in the drive the other day with a water heater and dryer on the back of the truck. I keep an ongoing scrap pile at the farm which is approximately 35 miles from home but I am out there 3 or 4 times a week.

I started lurking on the forum about 5 or 6 months ago and I think I have read all the threads and have done research using the archives. I have somewhat of an analytyical bent so I have been interested in seeing if a business could be built around scrap metal.
The forum answered that question for me. I have made a living on a commission and fee basis for the last 37 years so am no stranger to calling on businesses and individuals. I also have a son who I am hoping to help and has good knowledge of computers and also very mechanically minded and has worked on lot's of hydraulic type of equipment. My idea is not to specialize in the shortrun but as time goes on to narrow down where I would like to concentrate. I know I want to include auto scrapping in the mix and I am hoping to get my son into escrapping as well as setting up web site and selling on ebay.
While I am not mechanically inclined I know enough that I can do most of what is necessary. I also have friends that can help from an equipment standpoint on larger jobs. I am in mid 60's but in good health and have worked myself into pretty good shape as a result of above mentioned activity. At this point I am thinking of a dual track operation of doing work in both the Memphis area where I live and the North Ms. area where the farm is located. I am beginning to accumulate the tools of the trade but rather than spending thousands up front will take it slow enough to hopefully avoid painful mistakes. With the above information in mind I will begin to post as I still have plenty of questions.



Look forward to talking about future wins and losses.