How do I sort aluminum?

I have an overflowing bucket of aluminum. None of it separated. I need to know how to tell the difference between cast aluminum and aluminum extrusion. For the most part I can tell what's what but there are a few things that I just don't have a clue. Things that you might think are cast but are shiny and things you would think are clean but break instead of bend. I don't want to have to go through every piece with a hammer. Is there another method to discerning the types because for me it's a $.27 difference and I don't wanna get mix prices for anything, no matter what it is, ever. I'm quite the penny pincher.

Sometimes it's hard to tell. You've got the basics. Extrusion is made by pushing molten aluminum through a form as opposed to pouring it into a cast, so it will be uniform size and shape from one end to the other. It will have "fins" (think window frames and heat sinks). Extrusion will bend. Cast aluminum is usually duller than extrusion or painted and brittle (ie: lawn mower deck). Sheet aluminum is made by pouring molten aluminum into a cast or rolling in a sheet which is then formed into shape (roofing). With practice, you'll get to identifying each by a glance.

Marty. Click on the Scrapmonster tab at the top of the page, then click on aluminum and an image and description of each will pop up.

Aluminum 6063 Scrap Price in 02 Jun 2012

The yard I use has Clean alum sheet, cast alum and dirty alum.. Cast has a more rougher feeling than sheet, cast also is more brittle and is likely to crack or break when it with a hammer.

I have 55gal steel drums that I chop all my sheet alum up and fill the drums with it.

It's silly, but even though there is different categories, they still group them together and have the same prices.

Pro, Look at this site and watch the slide show, it has most of the different types shown.
There's always going to be some other stuff that is not in a picture but this covers most of the stuff you will encounter.

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