Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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I went to one yard and got $55/ton for some warehouse shelving columns, they called it #2 Sheet. I went to a different yard the next week with some of the same material, and they gave me $120/ton and they called it HMS. Why would they categorize it differently, and what do those terms mean?
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#2 sheet is probably what they are calling #2 baling. This would be lighter gauge steel that is mostly free of any other foreign material. Some yards pay the premium for baling, but most around here just pay shred price. You should be getting 30-40 more per ton for baling.
HMS is heavy melt steel. It has to be 1/4" thick(5/16" at the yard I go to) and in 4 foot sections or less. If it is longer it is HMS unprepared.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Ok cool. These pieces were under 4 ft. I'll take some long ones in tomorrow and see if they give me HMS unprepared. Neither yard measured the thickness.
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Many yards don't have a #2 anymore. Difference between #1 and #2 is thickness. #2 has to 1/8 inch or greater. #1 is 1/4 inch or greater. Mills have variations of these in addition to them. As an example: 80/20 HMS IS 80% #1 AND 20% #2.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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hey killyr, they measure with eyes. most yard guys call it right on the money most of the time but some still make mistakes. just pay attention and also some places require three feet or less. every yard is different
My yard it is 5' or less.Originally Posted by diggydiggy
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Ok so it looks like Yard A ripped me off, cause Yard B gave me $120/ton for the shelving posts (HMS), and $90/ton for the light steel crap (#2 sheet), they even helped me unload both times. At Yard A, I threw shelving posts and light crap (mixed together, 80/20) into a few dumpsters, was all classified as #2 sheet and only got $55/ton. My friend took me to Yard A, he's a lifelong regular there, but didnt go scrap with me the next time cause he was disappointed in the price. Good thing he didnt help with the next load, cause I made the same $ by myself at Yard B that we split at Yard A, and it took less time. Who knows, could be that it impressed them when I show up with two 270 lb electric motors in the back of a Chrysler Pacifica. :P
Last edited by KillYrTV; 08-27-2015 at 04:54 PM.
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From what I have gathered over time
Industry standard at the mills is 5ft
Most yards are 3-4ft. This leaves room for negotiations and letting a few inches slip through without a problem.
Also, 3-4ft sections are easier to ship.
Currently looking for a job in or related to scrap/recycling. Relocation is possible for the right offer.
Not to mention, a helluva lot lighter. Lol
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
Yeah. I got told one time, "We have to have it less than five feet, so we tell you four feet..."
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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For sure. I had to carry 3000 lbs of steel down some stairs. And getting two 270 lb motors down those stairs was interesting.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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A 55 gallon (44 gallon in NewZealand.= 210 litres) drum is 3 foot high by 2 foot diametrer.
I can fit one in the rear ('Boot' in NZ....) of my hatchback Mitsubishi Galant car (Automobile in America..)
Situations like that get the creative juices flowing.
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This is an old thread, but I am touching base on it because I recently encountered "#2 Baling Material" on a friend's ticket. I had never heard that terminology before. This was at a yard where I sell my non ferrous. Out of curiosity, I called them to see what the difference was (and I was also curious about the low price - 3c / lb). I was told this is what they call their shred and the price was in fact 3c / lb. I sold some shred to my other yard a week 1/2 ago at 5.25, so I called them to see if the price had dropped that much with them. The answer was no - still at 5.25 today. My friend didn't have a lot of material, he was just making some room in his garage, but that's enough price difference to matter considering the yards are only a few miles apart.
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A couple things to consider is the shipping costs, the weight per container, and what the yard specializes in. Steel in a non ferrous yard is a pain and costs them money. They will not pay top dollar because they do not want to encourage customers to bring it in. I have been in steel yards that did not accept tin, wire, appliances, or even vehicles. The majority of my steel is transported roughly 60 miles because of costs. My non ferrous is hauled up to 300 miles away on a semi tractor trailer because the prices more than make up for my time and expenses. The secret in my mind is finding the right yard for your type of scrapping.
Give back more to this world than we take.
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Yard I go to has a "clean sheet iron" category and pays better than shred, they make bales.
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That certainly makes sense. The yard that pays less on steel does better on non ferrous, so you probably hit the nail on the head regarding their model. It just struck me as a big difference when there's maybe 5 miles between them.
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