different types of steel

Here's a link. I think you'll find it helpful.

Heavy melting steel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sweeney-

No need to be embarrassed, learning the different grades of steel is almost like learning a new language.

#1 steel must be at least 1/4" thick, #2 must be at least 1/8" thick. Prepared (or "short iron") simply means that the steel has been cut or sheared to a required length. In North Texas, the generally agreed upon dimensions are 3'x2'. Unprepared (or "long iron") is anything over these dimensions. I-Beams and plate (but not pipe) over 1/4" thick usually can be sold as "Plate and Structural" steel, which is worth more than #1.

One thing to be aware of is that not all yards purchase ferrous materials from retail customers by that grading system. This is why you usually see tin (shred), long iron, and short iron being discussed on this forum.

I hope that answers a few of your questions,

The following link will tell you everything you ever want to know about all the different grades of scrap metal. Including both ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

http://www.isri.org/imis15_prod/CMDo...7-1b1b0b19ccae



Basically what you need to know for the different metals you might be delivering to a yard including steel is this.

There is prepared steel, unprepared steel, carbodies and tin.

1. For prepared steel there is:
   
   
   • No. 1 heavy melting steel, 5 feet x 18 inches.
     Wrought iron and/or steel scrap 1/4 inch and over in thickness. Individual pieces not over 60 x 18 inches (charging box size) prepared in a manner to insure compact charging.
     
     
   • No. 2 heavy melting steel, 3 feet x 18 inches.
     Wrought iron and/or steel scrap 1/8 inch and over in thickness., black and galvanized, maximum size 36 x 18 inches. May include automobile scrap, properly prepared; however, to be free of sheet iron or thin gauged material.
     
   
   
2. Unprepared Steel:
   
   
   • Steel that is over length but at least 1/8 in thickness. Such as truck frames, farm machinery, construction equipment, mobile home frames, steel structures.
   
   
3. Carbodies which is pretty self explanatory. (some yards have better pricing on carbodies. Some yards pay the same for carbodies as they do shred)
   
   
4. Sheet iron which is some times called shred or tin.
   
   
   • Items which are less than 1/8 in thickness and anything that wouldn't qualify as unprepared steel or prepared steel. Items with attachments such as small quantities of rubber, plastic or wood. (tin duct work, auto body parts, computer carcases, lawn mowers, bicycles, steel siding, appliances, ect) My rule of thumb on gauging if something is not thick enough to be unprepared is if you can bend it by hand it is usually sheet iron.
   
   
   
   
   For Cast Iron there is:
   
   
   
   • Heavy breakable cast. Cast iron scrap over charging box size or weighing more than 500 pounds.
     
     
   • #1 cast iron and clean auto cast.
     Clean heavy cast iron machinery scrap that has been broken under a drop. All pieces must be of cupola size, not over 24 inches x 30 inches, and no piece over 150 pounds in weight. Clean auto blocks, cast iron auto rotors and drum; free of all steel parts except camshafts, valves, valve springs, and studs. Free of nonferrous and non-metallic parts.
     
     
   • #2 cast iron or burnt cast iron. Stove parts, grate bars, and miscellaneous burnt iron. May include sash weights or window weights, cast iron sewer pipe, cast iron bathtubs and cast iron sinks.
     
     
   • Unstripped motor blocks.
     Automobile or truck motors from which steel and nonferrous fittings may or may not have been removed. Free from driveshafts and all parts of frames.
     
   
   

There is also Plate and Structural steel which can only be steel plate, I beams, channel ect. that is either unprepared or prepared. Which you likely won't be dealing in anyway. Usually demo contractors only get pricing on P&S because they deal in large quantities when doing a demo job.

Let me know if you have any other questions.