scrapping trash finds

[moonshine]

copper, bronze, aluminum.... I know a few of you folks do it, can you give me any tips? Im curious, is it pretty much just copper/brass/bronze that you scrap? Also, do these have to be seperated or does the scrap yard take these three metals together as one type of metal? Does anyone bother with aluminum? Are there any other metals that are worth scrapping? Do you have to clean them off really good?

I was talking to some guys at work who scrap out copper and brass (plumbing type stuff - copper pipe, valve bodies, brass drain covers), I didnt realize how much cash you can get for this stuff.

I always take out as much trash as I can fit in my pockets but I always just throw that stuff away when I get home.

Last summer I found a brick or a block of something non-ferrous that read with a CO of around 48, but it was so big that I left it where it was. Im curious to see if i can go find it again and scrap it out.

How do you know what a good price is for scrap?

Is stainless steel worth scrapping?

Thanks for any insight or guidance you could provide.

I will try to find that brick of metal and show you folks. It was non-ferrous and read super high. It was in the woods on an abandoned farm field. The guys at work said copper gets like 3 dollars a pound and this brick must weight at least 10 pounds. But I dont know what its made of. maybe stainless.

 

[Goes4ever]

I have three buckets, brass, copper and lead. As far as cleaning i fill up buckets with water, still em around pour that thru a strainer and spray it off, that takes off 95% of the dirt, good enough for the recycling center, I average around $100 a yr in cash from my scrap

 

[dbennett7]

it is most definly worth saving if you do a lot of detecting it can add up at the end of the year as far as what to keep i save all of it and yes you have to keep it seperate the iron and heavy steel i give to a freind of mine you would have to have a lot of it to be worthwhile but for the other it takes only a few pounds to add up to a nice little check at the end of the year dennis

 

[moonshine]

thanks for the feedback guys, i appreciate it. how do you tell the difference between a dug piece of copper or brass? I can tell the difference if its new but if its dirty how can you tell?

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Copper is more orange in color - Brass is more yellow in color.
Most of the pieces you find around very old houses and cellar holes are Bronze - kind of a mixture of both Copper and Brass - with some Tin mixed in if I remember correctly.
Scrap Copper is worth more that Brass - approx. twice as much.
Whenever they sort my scrap metal they usually separate the Bronze pieces and put them into the Brass bucket.

 

[Goes4ever]

If in doubt, give it the scratch test, if its copper color it goes in copper bucket, if yellow it goes in brass bucket, if your not sure, then put in brass bucket.

 

[moonshine]

thanks a bunch you guys, i appreciate it....