Plated pins and soforth

It has been talked about befor I am sure. I just want to offer my .02. All my floppy drives I snag the pins out of. Also buss cables and such.This first pic tells the short end of the story. Which is ''MY PRECIOUS''
IMG_04281.jpg picture by joebob49 - Photobucket
Yes it is time consuming by hand,but when bored and all go for it.This pic is the connector off a floppy drive.
IMG_04261.jpg picture by joebob49 - Photobucket
Yes I really am pulling the pins 1 or 2 at a time. Like I said time consuming. I plan on building another hammer mill. Will post about that when I ever get to it lol. I just wanted to share alittle this morning. Hope it is helpful to someone....

What's the quickest way you have found of pulling the pins?

Nice stash, by the way!

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Originally Posted by wayne

What's the quickest way you have found of pulling the pins?

Nice stash, by the way!

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The quickest way is a hammer mill. However I am at this moment using the little dikes you see in the pic. I grip the soldier ball and slip the pin out of the carrier socket. You can take a piece of pipe with a cap on one end about 3 inch in diamiter. Slid the ends in there and take something solid such as a piece of 1 inch rebar or whatever is handy. Smash the heck out of the things lol. Then seperate. My truck is down for the day so im just tooling around with this. There is just over a pound in the jar. Asfor return I honestly cant say. Some times its really great sometimes not so great. Due to plating differences an such.

I have about 200lbs of connector ends that I have collected over the last year. I would be interested in finding out if it would be economical to extract the pins mechanically before selling them versus selling them outright. Do you happen to have any numbers that would give us an idea about this?

Thanks

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Originally Posted by CFoote

I have about 200lbs of connector ends that I have collected over the last year. I would be interested in finding out if it would be economical to extract the pins mechanically before selling them versus selling them outright. Do you happen to have any numbers that would give us an idea about this?

Thanks

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Honestly no. It varies so much and I have never taken the time to weigh things befor and after. I weigh my pins lol I like to know what the weight of my work is. I may break some down later and see what the weight ratio is. But may take a few days for me to get that bored lol. I wish I could help you out. Only thing I know to say is. I break all mine down that dont take heaps of work. To me its better to get between 45 and 120 bucks a pound for pins as to 2 bucks a pound of plugs. However your 200 pounds may only make 15 or 20 pounds of pins. Im not sure alot more plastic then pins.

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Originally Posted by joebob49

The quickest way is a hammer mill. However I am at this moment using the little dikes you see in the pic. I grip the soldier ball and slip the pin out of the carrier socket. You can take a piece of pipe with a cap on one end about 3 inch in diamiter. Slid the ends in there and take something solid such as a piece of 1 inch rebar or whatever is handy. Smash the heck out of the things lol. Then seperate. My truck is down for the day so im just tooling around with this. There is just over a pound in the jar. Asfor return I honestly cant say. Some times its really great sometimes not so great. Due to plating differences an such.

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I'm glad you posted on this topic. Pulling pins is an idea I've been wrestling with myself. In regard to a hammer mill, can you tell me what you use? Did you buy one or build one? If bought, what brand do you recommend? If built, how do you build one?

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Originally Posted by martyweil

I'm glad you posted on this topic. Pulling pins is an idea I've been wrestling with myself. In regard to a hammer mill, can you tell me what you use? Did you buy one or build one? If bought, what brand do you recommend? If built, how do you build one?

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I used to have one I built. I used an old military 20gal barrel. Welded angle iron inside it straight up and down 4 pieces. cut a door in the side of it with a latch. took some old scooter wheels and drilled holes on each end of the barrel for a shaft. Used the bearings in the scooter wheels for the shaft. Made a rack out of an old bed frame mounted the washing machine motor to the rack Used a belt off a 302 ford engine to run the mill. I used descent sized rocks to smash the ingredients. When I build another I will post about it.

There was a giant ball mill at a gold mine I worked at. It used large(about 2+ inch diameter i guess) steel balls. I used to have a few of them, maybe it was after they were worn out. The surface was rough like, not as much as a golf ball pits. Not sure if they started out smoothly polished or not. I've seen similar sized ball bearings in large equipment, such as the turntable on a crane, and in oilfield equipment or such as that

Joebob, another question...by what method are you getting between $45 and $120/lb for pins?

Thanks

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Originally Posted by CFoote

Joebob, another question...by what method are you getting between $45 and $120/lb for pins?

Thanks

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Some buyers buy them per pound. Not all buyers will however the last lot i sent in i recieved 60 per pound. I will not say whom it was to because have been hearing bad things. I will not bad mouth any one person. I also dable with reverse electroplating. and saving the gold up. Ask your buyers and see if they buy pins and work a deal out with them befor you send them your pins so both parties are happy.

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Originally Posted by Bear

There was a giant ball mill at a gold mine I worked at. It used large(about 2+ inch diameter i guess) steel balls. I used to have a few of them, maybe it was after they were worn out. The surface was rough like, not as much as a golf ball pits. Not sure if they started out smoothly polished or not. I've seen similar sized ball bearings in large equipment, such as the turntable on a crane, and in oilfield equipment or such as that

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Yea I would love to find some of them big steel ball bearings. Would be ideal. And yes im speaking of building the same kind of machine only MUCH smaller lol.

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Originally Posted by joebob49

Yea I would love to find some of them big steel ball bearings. Would be ideal. And yes im speaking of building the same kind of machine only MUCH smaller lol.

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If you pass by any oilfield drilling equipment maintenence yards, it might be worth asking about there, who knows, they might have a bucket of them laying around somewhere

Thanks Bear I will keep my eye opened not many oil fields in my area lol. But im guessin ebay may be a place to look. I am in KY Hardin county to be exact.

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Originally Posted by Bear

If you pass by any oilfield drilling equipment maintenence yards, it might be worth asking about there, who knows, they might have a bucket of them laying around somewhere

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.Engineering supply places that sell bearings may be able to tell you who they sell the bigger ones too.
I expect mining equipment & big boat builders.

It might be worth checking out the 'Taper roller bearings'. Normally they are bigger than your thumb, & tapered. I think a regular but ilregular shape is whats best.

I found a 5 foot length of stainless steel round, about 1 inch dia, thAT i WILL BE USING.