Ways To Make Money

I dont make much money off it since its something i only do for people i know.
Fixing broken windows, the ones in Wooden frames.

Theres legalitys about windows now & people have gone to double < & triple ) glazing.
But, its just friends windows that i replace. I get my glass from random places, mostly people taking out windows to put aluminium frames in.
That gets me some firewood & some Brass window catches as well.

I now use a small angle grinder with a cutting disc in it to cut the old putty out, it sparks when i hit the window nail thing so i pick it out & reuse it. I also found some better ones at a 2nd hand shop.
Removing all the putty with the grinder & chisle & then lightly paint the inside of the frame with thin paint & let it dry.
I use a roller blade tipped glass cutter, dont bother with the cheap $2 shop scratchy diamond tip cutters, they dont work. I bought it 2nd hand too.
Youtube glass window pane cutting. I got taught by my dad when i was young & broke a window & i had to fix it.
Personal responsibility a life lesson & a lesson for life, i guess.
I use CRC on the cut & the cutters got oil in it too.
I run some putty Into the back of the frame & use 2 wood chips to hold the glass central in the frame & lightly push it into place.
Then window nails.
Then more putty around the glass & a knife to shape it, then cut the excess off from inside.

Professionally done its $100+. I get $20 a pane. I cut the glass first & get the $20 & then fit it.
Use a old bed sheet around the back of the door to keep the dust away from inside & double check the sweeping & vacuuming afterwards.
Keep the kids away from the area, best still if theres only a adult or 2 around, people get curious & kids want attention so while you are focused on the task they tend to get too close.

To me its just a few $ & helping somebody out, it pays for putty for my windows too.
Putty goes hard, best to buy it just before its needed & cover it with the grease paper afterwards & add some linseed oil ( its some yard sale stuff i found )
Be careful, I wear gloves & wrist & eye & even ear protection when cutting & i use some fine sandpaper to remove the sharp edges.

The big thing with scrapmetal & such ¢ earning jobs, and life in general is 'Dont Chance It '.

Dont think that you can 'chance' using a vehicle to get scrapmetal to the yard if it hasnt got full Registration & WOF ( Warrant of fitness ) & insurance if it needs it.
Or a dodgy trailer to haul stuff, or ' just enough' fuel to get you there....( Since you use the scrap $ to get you back home )
or old ropes & 'just enough' of them to hold everything down..

I could write a small book about things like that that have happened to me. Lolz

At the same time, if you are getting somebody else to use their vehicle, pay then generously.
Tell them what you will pay, but that you "take $5 for every eff around ".

I tend to do this. "Im expecting $100 plus for this metal, say $115-120, I will pay you the $15 ( hey its not that far for me, and its just a easy calculatable example..) or $20 if its that.
If its over $120 i will pay you 1/2 of the exta as a bonus.
So. If it ends up $115, they get $15. & If it ends up 140.. they get $30. & If its $150 they get $35.

I always calculate my metals value concervitivly (sp?) Last time i figured $55, got $105.. Brass & Aluminium were up.
The car got extra fuel, i bought some extra food & a phone top up & some bulbs for my high stop brake lights ($10)

Originally Posted by eesakiwi

I dont make much money off it since its something i only do for people i know.
Fixing broken windows, the ones in Wooden frames.

Theres legalitys about windows now & people have gone to double < & triple ) glazing.
But, its just friends windows that i replace. I get my glass from random places, mostly people taking out windows to put aluminium frames in.
That gets me some firewood & some Brass window catches as well.



I now use a small angle grinder with a cutting disc in it to cut the old putty out, it sparks when i hit the window nail thing so i pick it out & reuse it. I also found some better ones at a 2nd hand shop.
Removing all the putty with the grinder & chisle & then lightly paint the inside of the frame with thin paint & let it dry.
I use a roller blade tipped glass cutter, dont bother with the cheap $2 shop scratchy diamond tip cutters, they dont work. I bought it 2nd hand too.
Youtube glass window pane cutting. I got taught by my dad when i was young & broke a window & i had to fix it.
Personal responsibility a life lesson & a lesson for life, i guess.
I use CRC on the cut & the cutters got oil in it too.
I run some putty Into the back of the frame & use 2 wood chips to hold the glass central in the frame & lightly push it into place.
Then window nails.
Then more putty around the glass & a knife to shape it, then cut the excess off from inside.

Professionally done its $100+. I get $20 a pane. I cut the glass first & get the $20 & then fit it.
Use a old bed sheet around the back of the door to keep the dust away from inside & double check the sweeping & vacuuming afterwards.
Keep the kids away from the area, best still if theres only a adult or 2 around, people get curious & kids want attention so while you are focused on the task they tend to get too close.

To me its just a few $ & helping somebody out, it pays for putty for my windows too.
Putty goes hard, best to buy it just before its needed & cover it with the grease paper afterwards & add some linseed oil ( its some yard sale stuff i found )
Be careful, I wear gloves & wrist & eye & even ear protection when cutting & i use some fine sandpaper to remove the sharp edges.

The big thing with scrapmetal & such ¢ earning jobs, and life in general is 'Dont Chance It '.

Dont think that you can 'chance' using a vehicle to get scrapmetal to the yard if it hasnt got full Registration & WOF ( Warrant of fitness ) & insurance if it needs it.
Or a dodgy trailer to haul stuff, or ' just enough' fuel to get you there....( Since you use the scrap $ to get you back home )
or old ropes & 'just enough' of them to hold everything down..

I could write a small book about things like that that have happened to me. Lolz

At the same time, if you are getting somebody else to use their vehicle, pay then generously.
Tell them what you will pay, but that you "take $5 for every eff around ".

I tend to do this. "Im expecting $100 plus for this metal, say $115-120, I will pay you the $15 ( hey its not that far for me, and its just a easy calculatable example..) or $20 if its that.
If its over $120 i will pay you 1/2 of the exta as a bonus.
So. If it ends up $115, they get $15. & If it ends up 140.. they get $30. & If its $150 they get $35.

I always calculate my metals value concervitivly (sp?) Last time i figured $55, got $105.. Brass & Aluminium were up.
The car got extra fuel, i bought some extra food & a phone top up & some bulbs for my high stop brake lights ($10)

Love your insight.......Whenever I see your posts I think of the old Mad Max films it's about all I know about the "Outback".........I know it says you live in New Zealand is it very similar to Australia?.........Is it a very developed area you live in.........I assume all scrap gets shipped off from New Zealand.........Where does it go..........When reading your posts I would just like to have a better image in my head of how things are done

Originally Posted by eesakiwi

I dont make much money off it since its something i only do for people i know.
Fixing broken windows, the ones in Wooden frames.

Theres legalitys about windows now & people have gone to double < & triple ) glazing.
But, its just friends windows that i replace. I get my glass from random places, mostly people taking out windows to put aluminium frames in.
That gets me some firewood & some Brass window catches as well.

I now use a small angle grinder with a cutting disc in it to cut the old putty out, it sparks when i hit the window nail thing so i pick it out & reuse it. I also found some better ones at a 2nd hand shop.
Removing all the putty with the grinder & chisle & then lightly paint the inside of the frame with thin paint & let it dry.
I use a roller blade tipped glass cutter, dont bother with the cheap $2 shop scratchy diamond tip cutters, they dont work. I bought it 2nd hand too.
Youtube glass window pane cutting. I got taught by my dad when i was young & broke a window & i had to fix it.
Personal responsibility a life lesson & a lesson for life, i guess.
I use CRC on the cut & the cutters got oil in it too.
I run some putty Into the back of the frame & use 2 wood chips to hold the glass central in the frame & lightly push it into place.
Then window nails.
Then more putty around the glass & a knife to shape it, then cut the excess off from inside.

Professionally done its $100+. I get $20 a pane. I cut the glass first & get the $20 & then fit it.
Use a old bed sheet around the back of the door to keep the dust away from inside & double check the sweeping & vacuuming afterwards.
Keep the kids away from the area, best still if theres only a adult or 2 around, people get curious & kids want attention so while you are focused on the task they tend to get too close.

To me its just a few $ & helping somebody out, it pays for putty for my windows too.
Putty goes hard, best to buy it just before its needed & cover it with the grease paper afterwards & add some linseed oil ( its some yard sale stuff i found )
Be careful, I wear gloves & wrist & eye & even ear protection when cutting & i use some fine sandpaper to remove the sharp edges.

The big thing with scrapmetal & such ¢ earning jobs, and life in general is 'Dont Chance It '.

Dont think that you can 'chance' using a vehicle to get scrapmetal to the yard if it hasnt got full Registration & WOF ( Warrant of fitness ) & insurance if it needs it.
Or a dodgy trailer to haul stuff, or ' just enough' fuel to get you there....( Since you use the scrap $ to get you back home )
or old ropes & 'just enough' of them to hold everything down..

I could write a small book about things like that that have happened to me. Lolz

At the same time, if you are getting somebody else to use their vehicle, pay then generously.
Tell them what you will pay, but that you "take $5 for every eff around ".

I tend to do this. "Im expecting $100 plus for this metal, say $115-120, I will pay you the $15 ( hey its not that far for me, and its just a easy calculatable example..) or $20 if its that.
If its over $120 i will pay you 1/2 of the exta as a bonus.
So. If it ends up $115, they get $15. & If it ends up 140.. they get $30. & If its $150 they get $35.

I always calculate my metals value concervitivly (sp?) Last time i figured $55, got $105.. Brass & Aluminium were up.
The car got extra fuel, i bought some extra food & a phone top up & some bulbs for my high stop brake lights ($10)

Oddly, I just scheduled a gig today where I will need to change two window panes. I don't do it so often, so the window plan will be taken to heart and used.


A week or so ago I picked up a small profile computer for $1. If I can get them for that, I figure I can screw around and scrap them if I can't get them going. Well, it was a Windows 7 and it was pretty tweeked, but I ran a couple tools on it and let it cycle through all the updates and it settled down quite nicely. Wound up selling it tonight for $25.... That goes right back into the garage sale purse... The purse just loves to eat!

A career was spent in public service, to busy trying to earn my keep to make any money. Now that I am retired, it is easy to do what I want, when I want, and make more money. Todays deal was trading a cattle guard ( scrap plus $ 50 of materials and my time in return for a backhoe for my skid steer. New these would cost between $ 5,000 and $ 15,000. I will have to rebuild the hydraulic cylinders and replace the hoses (about $ 500) and will be able to finish my leach field, pond at the cabin, and have another source of revenue in the future. I am working with a widow who just wanted it off her property, but I knew she had trouble with her mules getting through the gate onto the neighbors property. The neighbor pointed me into her direction and I was able to solve his problem, rid her of an eye sore, and make a profit.

Long story short, sometimes we are so busy earning a living we miss out on great opportunities. In this world there is not one way to make money, only common ingredients to the recipe. Keep an open mind, treat others with respect, and do the next right thing. After baking at 450 degrees, the money will come to you.

As a younger lad I would have said this is BS. Those that read my threads on the Scrappers Dream know this is not as Kansas sang, "Smoke in the Wind." Sometimes the best idea comes when we stop to smell the roses. I appreciate the education I have received from this forum, especially the statement "is it worth your time." Everything I do is worth my time as long as I learn from it. Discussions such as this only add to my education. Thanks.

I am lucky to have an online consignment auction nearby. I write the description and they take care of everything else for a 25% commission. I get extra value out of many things like the fan out of an over the range microwave...$8, Tray of misc nuts, bolts, and screws...$6. Working dryer from a free pickup...$56.