Experienced Scrapper
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I have been salvaging old building stone (some it is cut and dressed) from a town dumping area near home. I've gotten probably 6,000 lbs of it. I will probably use it for my own projects, but I have a dim memory of people talking about gathering stone for sale. Does anyone else pick any stone?
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Me and a bud used to get slate from up the Coquihalla long before they put in the toll highway. We called it Mountain Brown and it was bringing in $200.00 ton probably worth double that now.Originally Posted by huntsman
When I lived on the rock, Vancouver Island found some nice gold flecked slate and some salmon green slate at another location but never mined any as I was busy hijacking cedar off of the beaches for shake blocks at $800.00 a cord. There's some beautiful old cedar logs in the water shed if you have the balls.
Anyhow back to the slate, not many guys know this and when installing slate will start from the bottom and work, if you work from the top down any loose mortar falls to the ground keeping your already installed work clean and the final clean up a snap.
Working with stone is dynamite on hands and clothing, we used to charge for he slate then $4.50 a square ft to install. You can make some decent money at it especially if you have your own source for the slate and take the time to learn how to split it into veneer.
To split granite you'll need whats called feathers and wedges, which are inexpensive to purchase. You can also split granite during the winter months by filling your drilled holes with water then let it freeze. The later is a cheap way to break up a large rock from your backyard into more manageable pieces, where time is of no great importance.
Last edited by gustavus; 06-28-2012 at 02:44 PM.
Experienced Scrapper
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Thanks. That is great. I am getting quite into stone work, and that video is great info.
Rural scrapper
Somewhat unrelated but use help a guy who sold flagstone, a thin flat limestone, and people in kc would pay ridiculous amounts of Money for stuff back in 03. It was a hard days work but so worth it, paid mayb $100 for a load and sold it for bout 800-1500 depending on how big the flagstone was.
Alvord iron and salvage
3rd generation scrapper and dam proud of it
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
From time to time, I'll dig up lots of old foundation stones from demo'd buildings, mostly sandstone. I used to wholesale them to a landscape supply yard or two, for around $40/ ton. Last time I had a few pickup loads full the price was down a little, but I still find them worthwhile.
Also, what they call Belgium Block (or Belgian Block) here--the cobblestones used to pave streets, are good. Around here, lots of streets used to be paved with them, and they're still in demand for hardscaping projects. Most common here are the limestone ones, but occasionally you'll find them made of granite. The yards retail them for around 3 bucks each. Whenever I get enough to make it worthwhile, I put a sign out on the corner, and sell them for 2 bucks, and they all go in a week or two.
Another good thing to watch out for are old street curbstones. (And again, my experience is around here, cause different areas may be different. It amazes me to go to New England and see the parking lot at Wendy's done with granite curbs. Anyway...), around here, they'll be either sandstone or less typically, granite. Last I had any that were any good, which has been a few years, I got 7 bucks per linear foot for them.
Experienced Scrapper
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Where you selling to landscape yards, or selling direct to the public? I assume that you probably loaded in onto pallets in the back of the truck, so the yard's forklift could unload you?
really want to get stoned? drink wet cement.
i grew up as a mason. ever since i could pick up a block at 13 i worked for my dad. my first raise was when i could pick up the whole bag of cement and throw it on the mixer.
if interested in selling then talk to a stone yard. or better yet, keep it and organize it yourself.
"Easy does it, first things first, do what you can. Believe me, I too have been through the wringer." Bill W.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Before an old house came under the wrecking ball I would salvage the brick from any chimneys., you maybe pleasantly surprised to find they're worth more than new brick.
Once the brick is free you can rub two together to remove any remaining mortar.
This website will give you some ideas of what folks are doing with brick and stone.
Landmark Architectural Salvage Blog | Architectural Salvage, Sleepers & Granite
Experienced Scrapper
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Here is a buyer I found in the North East U.S. : Recycling The Past - Architectural Salvage
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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My philosophy is to move the product same day a salvers aka ( scrappers ) time is best spent in search of new adventure not baby sitting a yard waiting on customers.
I was born to scrap having followed my dreams has made me a very diversified man, I'm able to strike up and hold a conversation with many walks of life be they from the streets of living in Penthouses, Ships captains to oil men.
Once had the greatest job on earth, hired as a mechanic to look after a fleet of fishing boats on the King Pacific fishing lodge, the owner noticed I was different from other he had hired previously. Imagine a paid vacation Eco Adventure Travel, Luxury Wilderness Lodge: King Pacific Lodge, Canada
Well I'm wasting time and have to make a quick trip into Brandon for a hand cart.
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