I've been doing scrap recycling for a long time, and I'm all out of good ideas on where to find scrap metal. It's slim pickins around here.
Where are you guys getting your scrap?
I've been doing scrap recycling for a long time, and I'm all out of good ideas on where to find scrap metal. It's slim pickins around here.
Where are you guys getting your scrap?
New Guy
Go to some of the auto places and brake places to see if they have engines or car parts throwing them away or something.
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Hi metalfab,
welcome to the forum. Have you tried going around to your local business owners. A lot of times they have things in the storage room that they have been meaning the do something with Ask around you never what you might find
Good luck!
Andrew
Last edited by Andrew; 09-20-2010 at 03:39 PM.
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I think it really depends on location. Are you in a rural, urban or metro area? What works for one would be totally irrelevant to another. Im in a rural area and started by driving many miles; stopping at repair shops (large and small), appliance stores and anything dealing with metal parts/sales/repair. We have many individuals who operate construction and logging equipment. Id check those mainly for junk batteries. Everywhere I stopped, I left a business card and made a note of the stop and what happened. Pretty soon, I could see trends and Id not bother stopping at some and going back to others. Partly, its a "gut feeling". I stopped at one place every month for a year and kept being told he didnt have anything - but stop back". Then, I made a large haul. Didnt hurt anything since Id set up a monthly route and went right by there, anyway. Another good source Ive found is to get in with whoever has your state contract to clean out contents of houses of people going into State care (nursing/rehab care). This will be a varied experience. One place I cleaned out where the refrigerator was full and the electricity had been shut off for two years (think rotten meat). Another, I cleaned out had six refrigerators/freezers (no rotten food), a lot of kitchen pots/pans etc which I sold and more stuff than I could get with the truck and 18' trailer. The rest went in the dump.
I dont just drive around any more and have developed a following of individuals who call me to sell the stuff they get. I go to them and pay cash. I also have several shops I pick up stuff on a monthly basis. New business is mostly word of mouth and some from Craigs List.
Last edited by Andrew; 09-20-2010 at 03:42 PM.
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I have posted a free haul off service in craigslist, and have gotten several calls from there, my latest being last Friday, in which I got enough to pretty much fill a 16ft flatbed trailer.
Experienced Scrapper
A untapped resource in most areas are the local shooting ranges. Try going to a shooting range and picking up the discharged brass shells; near me they fetch contaminated brass! It may be worth while if people shoot all the time at your nearest range without picking up their shells. Maybe you could work it into your route.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
Another idea maybe be aluminum from the local baseball sports complex. My son plays little league and we were at the park late one evening cleaning up. The maintence guy said "hey do you want these bats, they have been hear for years" so of course I took all 27 of them. Most of them were junk, but I believe they are all aluminum. I have yet to take them in. But you may call these places and see if they want to get rid of there left/forgotton bats. Just a thought.
Experienced Scrapper
i checked out a dumpster behind a pawn shop today and found a huge box full of extension cords and a couple of other scrap items large and small
New Guy
Construction sites huge $$$$. Just today i racked up more then 10,000lbs can't wait to turn it in!!!
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
Gotta be careful with construction refuse. A few scrap yards around here wont even take it due to the high theft rate
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
I check out just one complex last night. Found 2 monitors and a about a 10' heavy duty extention cord. Plus two sweepers. I know the monitors and sweeper will take some work, but found money is found money. Also took in some copper, sheet aluminum, and aluminum cans. $161.00
Experienced Scrapper
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If you score some scrap from a construction site it does'nt hurt to get a bill of sale for the material. Even if you don't buy it, it may save you some grief if the police are investigating a thief ring.
If your out and about swing buy plumbing and hvac supply houses, talk to the manager and see if you can pick up the water heaters,furnaces,disposals,condensers and etc. Most supply houses allow plumbers and hvac techs to dump there since they purchase from them.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
The other night I was driving around looking for a couple of new spots and decided to drive through a trailor park. They had 3 large dumpsters. But what I notice the most was the number of air conditioners sitting outside in the snow, on the ground not in there windows, at these places . I mean more then one trailor had multi units. Maybe I should stop and ask if there junk and if they would want me to get them off there hands.
Experienced Scrapper
I've been focusing mainly on autos. A couple of well worded and well placed ads...i am swamped! people are calling and chasing me down. I'm running at least a week behind, but worth it. made a little over $560 today. Great too, because christmas is coming and all the kids want a pillow pet!! the **** things are $20 bucks a piece!!
Last edited by lady scrapper; 12-16-2010 at 02:33 AM. Reason: forgot a sentance
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
I've just set up to be called in when they have abandoned apts.I come in and take the left items i want saving them trash space and dump fees.people always leave electric scrap items and other machines/appliances
Experienced Scrapper
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Being a plumber I spend lots of time on top of buildings. It may be difficult to get access but most commercial buildings and resturants have hvac units on the roof. When a hvac tech replaces the compressor or a large fan motor they leave the old parts on the roof. Older buildings are better.
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Being a plumber, don't you come across a lot of things anyway? Pipes, furnaces, etc?
There's nothing more fun and more effective than hitting something repeatedly with a sledgehammer
Experienced Scrapper
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Yes, I took in 9 waterheaters and a bucket full of brass. I have a couple of trashcans full of copper I'm taking in the morning along with some compressors,garbage disposals and a few fan motors. I also have a wad of wire to strip tonight.Originally Posted by Scrap man
I live in a rural area. I was thinking of checking out old ranch dump sites. Just about every ranch and farm has a washout where they tossed all the garbage in or dumped old cars and house items. Has anyone checked out something like this before?
Experienced Scrapper
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The Farm idea is money the only bad thing is a lot of times they don't want to get rid of anything because they "may need it some day" my family has a farm and i am slowly getting them to get rid of stuff some cars have been there for over 30 years i have about 6 cars, 4-5k pounds of metal fencing and a bulldozer to take in the bulldozer is posing some problems but all said and done it should be a decent haul so if you keep asking you can usually get them to agree, i have been working on another farm for a while now they finally let me take the 30 old batteries they had sitting out back the other day.
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