screws nuts and bolts - Page 2

When I take a load in on my 16 ft flatbed I try to hold back at least one washer, that way I can start the next load with something to put small ferrous items in.

Originally Posted by wayne1956

When I take a load in on my 16 ft flatbed I try to hold back at least one washer, that way I can start the next load with something to put small ferrous items in.

I'm going to hold on to microwave bodies as long as I have space, so I take them all in full.

At one of my pick-ups there is no shortage of those metal/tin reusable cookie and popcorn tins. I throw all the small ferrous and screws in them. Sometimes they are slightly dented or rusty meaning the lids are tight, which is perfect. When I put the lid on the full cans I want it to stay on. Then I put the whole can in the large ferrous bins or pile. If anything ever tips, the last thing I feel like doing is picking up a bunch of tiny things.

Also, I've got one helper who guesses poorly on metal types, and "forgets' to use the magnet. I make him toss EVERYTHING small in the cans. Then I check it quick when he's gone. Easier to check stuff in a can rather than rolling loose under other junk. Other than that, he's super ambitious and volunteers so I work around and deal with the sorting issue. LOL

I also keep a small round can w/ lid in the van in the drink holder behind my shoulder. Back seats are out, so no-one's sitting behind me. I've been known to start unscrewing stuff while waiting in the van when I'm early for something or waiting for someone. Grab that little can and fill it. When full, I empty into a larger one or start a new little one.

That's how I do it, but more power to the scrappers filling microwaves and washers!

I am lucky in the respect I have the 16 ft flatbed and can basically "store" scrap until I have a full load. One of the first things to go on the bed after I have taken a load in is a washer that I have held back. That way while I am filling the rest of the bed with larger stuff I have a "container" to fill with the smaller stuff. If I do not get a washer for a while then I will put it all in 5 gallon buckets, then when I do get a washer or dryer then will empty the buckets in there. Turns a 150 lb washer into a 300+ lb washer.

I have a can for washers, wood screws, and bolts or screws with the nuts on them. Sometimes they get sorted out for later use and sometimes I just toss 'em in a 5 gal. bucket that I put with my tin. By the way the small yard in Kennedale TX I normally go to pays $.10 for tin.

I just took back over 100 pounds of nuts and bolts and they told me to throw them in the #1 iron pile

Despite the scrap value, I can’t part with all the belts, bolts, gears, nuts, rollers, screws, springs, washers, et cetera that I remove from scrap items. I have a habit of tearing items down as far as possible to get every screw and nut before adding the metal to the scrap bin. After all, the machined parts are worth more than scrap value to someone who constantly works on things. If the parts are extremely rusted, I let them go to the scrap bin.

Most of them, however, I sort using my Stack-On drawer-style bins. Each bin has 39 drawers – some large, some small. It really helps to organize them all so I don’t have to hunt through jars and boxes, like I had to at my dad’s.

Plus, I’m not “That Guy” dumping a bunch of nails in the scrap heap where they’re going to pop a tire.

Edit: - And at first, yes... there seems like a ton of specialized screws and such, but after you finally get your selection organized, it's nothing to keep it that way, or at least not in my case... but I have to have everything in it's place when it comes to my shop.

I try and contain as much of the nails and screws as possible, coffee cans, microwaves, dryers etc. I just tape them shut. Once I went to a different yard, as mine was closed with a load of 6 file cabinets, I had filled up the drawers with other steel that I had as I did not want to take them off the truck and wanted a full load of steel. Taped the drawers shut so stuff would not spill out. Guy asks what is in drawers I tell him small steel items, he opens them all up spilling loose nails, bolts and screws around the pile. Thought I was bringing in rocks! LOL

Originally Posted by rca987

I like to take 55 gal sealed drums and cut a small rectangle in the top of it, and fill it up just the same as with a 5 gal bucket.

I don't like to tote plastic buckets around unless I have to.

I bet the 55 gal drums weigh alot when full!

I keep coffee cans all over my work area, and as I break stuff down, I toss little bits/bolts/screws/etc. into the cans. When the cans get full, they get loaded into microwave carcasses.


I probably end up with 2-3 cans worth of "little stuff" a week, at least. Couple of bucks worth of weight, usually, per can.

The fifty-five gallon drums do weigh quite a lot when they're full of metal. Thank the good lord, I live on a farm and so I'm able to bring the tractor around to lift the drum up using the loader. The scrapyard's got pretty good about being able to pick up the drum with a grapple and not spill stuff everywhere too.

What I do with the hardware depends on what shape it is in. If its rusty, drilled out, stripped, etc. it goes into a coffee can or microwave. If the hard ware is in good condition, I keep it. You can never have too much hardware! I have collected a nice assortment of SAE and metric this way.

Originally Posted by metal gypsy

When I dismantle at the work bench, I'll usually take apart maybe 3-4 computers or printers. I do not take each individual screw and put it in the bucket, I let all the screws just fall on the bench and keep working. Then after those are done, I'll do a sweep with the magnet to pick them all up. This way I can keep on keepin on...

I do the same thing. This is the best 10 bucks I spent this year. I'm hoping the image will post if not check out the url.



http://www.harborfreight.com/long-re...ase-93950.html

That seems like a pretty nice contraption. Seems like most of the stuff at Harbor Freight is pretty good, but when their tools are bad, they really blow.