Scrap Metal hauling ads...to be free or not to be free?

This is an interesting area of discussion amongst scrappers who are trying to increase the number of calls they get from new customers.  The question is stating in the ad if the service should be free ro for a charge.  The is some interesting psychology behind that.  For some reason, people tend to think of a fee service as being more professional than a free service.  A fee service causes one to think of business, insurance, professionalism, integrity, reliability, and speed where as a free service brings to mind an image of just some guy driving around in his pickup truck who will stop by when he can stop by, and may grab a little more than he was supposed to.  Completely innaccurate in the vast majority of cases.  SO the question is what should YOU do?  The best resonable solution that i can come up with is to state in your ads that you offer low to no fee service.  You can be the judge of what you want to charge, perhaps not charge for larger loads and just a few bucks for small loads to cover gas, that part is up to you.  The model that I have adopted, and thats not to say it is the right one or the best one, is that.  If a person has a large load of scrap metal, you will be making money off of the metal.  If they have very little, you wont make much money, however, you will get word of mouth advertising which is priceless!! 

Sample Ad for scrappers looking for ewaste.

Here is a sample of the kind of ad I place:

Wanted:  I Want Your Ewaste!

If it plugs in or runs on batteries its ewaste!  Don’t let all of that old outdated unused or broken stuff clutter your home!  I offer a free service of picking up ewaste items and help the environment by a simple three step process.  Reuse: if the item can be reused I will find a new useful home for it, if not I will reduce it to its individual components and then recycle it.  The average weight reduction heading to the landfill is 94%!!  Items that may contain personal information are completely destroyed and recycled.  I do charge a small fee for removal of CRT or Glass Tube TV’s and Monitors if there are more than 3.  Since this is a free pick up service I appreciate calls for more than one or two items.  Tell your friends and neighbors!!  Here is a small list of SOME of the items that are considered eWaste:

Computers, Cell phones, home phones, VCR/dvd/blu ray players, stereos, microwaves, toasters, blenders, chargers, adapters, extension cords, power strips, battery backups, Li Ion batteries, laptops, video game systems, TV’s, monitors, printers, fax machines, fans, clocks, radios, projectors, cameras, ink and toner cartridges, cables, house wire scraps, light fixtures, lamps, washers, dryers, fridges, a/cs, dehumidifiers, humidifiers, stoves, ovens, hot plates, hair dryers, toaster ovens, personal music devices, PDA’s, car battery chargers, scanners, electric heaters, curling irons, coffee makers, if it plugs in, uses batteries, or electricity IN ANY FORM!!!  Also accepting metal plumbing and lead batteries.

Call or email to schedule a pick up!

Making money with parts

Making money with parts

Hey there, Moose here again.  Today I want to talk to you scrappers out there about how really boost your money making potential with scrapping.  When you scrap something, you are getting by definition, the lowest value for it.  You are getting scrap metal value.  The possibility to make more money is HUGE!!!!  People throw out things all the time that often still work or just need minor repairs.  You don’t need to be a mechanic, or electronics repair person and fix these items up and resell them although if you are, you can.  All you really need to know is if it works or not, and if not what the problem is.  Most people will tell you what went wrong if anything.  You can take that very little amount of information and hit the internet.  There are great sites out there where all you need is a maker and model number and you can pull up details pictures of your item pulled apart, what each part is called, and how much its worth!  I have three great examples.  The first is a microwave.  I would scrap these puppies all day long!!!  Easy to test, just try to heat up a cup of water.  You can take an old microwave and sell it in a yard sale for what, $10-$20?  OR, you can take it apart and make 4 times as much!!  There are components that are inside that never get nasty looking that sell for lots of money on ebay.  Here are some of the items inside and their value:

Magnetron  20-40

Turntable motor  5-10

Thermostat 4-7

Fan motor  5-10

Transformer  10-25

Hv capacitor 5-10

Glass plate   5-20

The next item is the treadmill.  You can find loads of these on Craig list.  People just want them gone!!  The firs thing you need to look at is the walking belt.  If its in good shape, you can get up to $100 for just the belt!!!  I have also sold the power supply module for $30, motor control module for $20, motor for $30, power supply cord for $20 and that was all from just one treadmill!!  Still want to just haul it to the scrap yard?

The last example I am going to give you does not even involve taking anything apart.  Lots of people are mad with gold fever and are ripping apart everything to get to it but what some people don’t realize is that even though something may contain gold, it maybe only be a few dollars worth and you destroy everything else to get to it.  The big item I am talking about is cell phones and laptops.  There is actually very little gold in these buggers.  BUT  there is a LOT of value in them for parts!!!  I have yet to make more than $10 in gold after hours of work from a laptop, however, I make at LEAST $20 for each laptop for just 5 minutes of work listing it on ebay for parts after removing the hard drive. 

SO there you have it.  Whenever possible, find out if parts still work and what they are worth online.  It really does not take much time once you are used to it and pays off!!

5 easy steps on How to make the most money scrapping metal

5 easy steps on How to make the most money scrapping metal.

1.   Know your scrap yard(s).  What do they take?  How much are they paying, are they on the iscrap app so you can check prices?  Do they have a reputation as being honest or not? 

2.   Know your metals.  You need to know how to differentiate between the metals.  You need to be able to figure out the difference between steel, non magnetic stainless steel, lite iron, and pig iron.  You need to know the difference between cast aluminum, extruded, etc.  You need to be able to tell the difference between #1 and #2 copper and the other variants.

3.   You can’t be afraid to ask for help!  If you have things mixed up the scrap yard has to spend either time to fix it or get paid less money for metals that are mixed.  So they are almost always willing to help out! 

4.   Separate!!  Organize!!  It pays off big time.  Take the time to pull the brass fittings and copper pipe off of a hot water heater.  Put in the extra minute to take off the motor and thick ole three prong cable from that dryer.  In most cases you will find that those little pieces will be worth more than the whole!!  If you bring in a 100lb dryer, you get $8 about for the steel.  Or you can get an extra $0.24 per lb for that heavy motor and $3 per lb for the copper in there, and $1.70 for the chunks of brass.  And keep buckets going with just one type of thing in there.  One bucket for bright wire, one for #2, one for brass, etc.  Watch Youtube videos to help you figure out things!

5.   Parts are people too!!  Well maybe not people but people want them!  You can get $12 in scrap metal price for a treadmill but if it still works or is in fair condition you can get $100 for the parts on ebay!!

With just those 5 tips, you can really start to make more money scrapping metal than those guys that just show up with load after load of back breaking steel.

OK, so I am seeing a whole lot more of my YouTube peers creating videos on gold recovery.  This is also bringing a lot of question as to the safety of the process that is commonly used, the A/P or acid peroxide method.  This is the "safest" of the recovery processes in my opinion and I use the word safe very cautiously.  If you options are jumping off a bridge into a river, wrestling a bear, or trying to diffuse a bomb, the bridge jump would be the safest....yet still carries danger.  So i can only restate that the videos and blogs that I create are only inteneded to show people what can be done, not as an instructional video or blog.  Please exercise caution, common sense, and please research first before attempting.

To scrap or not to Scrap....

This is a question that I ponder every time I make a pick up of ewaste.  So often my first instinct is to just rip everything apart for the copper and aluminum and gold plated stuff.  More often then not however, the stuff I pick up is worth so much more on ebay even if its broken and for parts only!!  Big things, little things, things that climb on rocks.....  I grabbed a treadmill last month that worked for the most part, there was a rubber sheath that peeled off one of the rollers and made it so that the belt would not spin.  Everything else was in working order but to buy a new roller would not be cost effective because the treadmill itself was only worth about $200.  I did however take the belt off and sold it for an easy and quick $70, then I looked on line and found a parts dealer that had a list of all the parts, their names, and costs.  I posted them all on ebay and made well over $200!!  That's WAY better than scrap price. 

This is not just for the big items either, I have found that laptops are worth just a few dollars in scrap but even broken ones will fetch about $20 each online!  So, to scrap or not to scrap.....  the best answer to that is to look it up first, it make take a little time but it will be well worth it.

How to make more money scrapping metal

How does one make more money scarpping metal...well, the answer is that knowlege is money....and power.....but for scrapping it means more money.  Lots of people scrap metal by picking up washers, dryers, refridgerators etc and selling them to scrap yards as it.  You can get steel price which is just a few cents per lb and try to get a lot of volume to make some good money.  At my local scrap yard, this is what you need to do to make $200 per day.... you can sell them:

3,334lbs of steel at $0.06 per lb.....thats a lot of lifting....
833lbs of car or lead acid batteries or copper bearing motors at about $0.24/lb..sounds easier to me..
400lbs of aluminum at $0.50/lb.....now we are talking...
223 lbs of insulated copper wire at about $0.90 per lb.  My back is feeling better already.
125lbs of brass at $1.60/lb  WOW thats better
83lbs of NO2 Copper (71lbs of bare bright) WOO HOO!!!

Now, is there anything worng with scrapping loads and loads of iron and steel for money?  Absolutely not!  The problem that a lot of scrappers have is that they just don't always know what is inside what they are scrapping!  You can make more money by doing just one simple thing, cut the cord.   BOOM you are getting paid 10x more per lb for that.  Scrapping a water heater?  Take the two minutes to remove the brass and copper fittings on the top and side and POW!!  You are making 20X more money for the same weight! 

I've been scrapping for a few years now and still, every time I go to the scrap yard I see people driving in with trailers of things like dryers that still have the motors on them, breaker boxes with wires hanging out, and a lot more.  I can make more money with my little Chevy Malibu than some folks make with a truck and trailer. 

What is your time worth?  Is it worth it for you to rip out motors from appliances?  Ultimately that is your call, but if you have just a few small power tools it is really easy to pull out the more valuable parts and bring them back home for when you don't have any scrap to pick up.  Use down time to remove that copper out of the washing machine motors or to cut the copper off of aluminum radiators. 

If you feel it would be worth your while, learn about how much copper there is inside of a furnace or boiler so the next time you pick one up, you will have a better idea of how much it is really worth.  Here are just a few common things and the more valuable metals they contain:

microwave:  Some have stainless steel.  Inside there is a huge transformer, 1-2 copper motors, aluminum, wire, silver mylar, power cord, brass in the plug and on the magnetron

Hot water heater:  brass and copper fittings on the top and side.  not usually anything on the inside.

Washing machine: insulated wire, brass plug, huge motor with copper and aluminum, transformer

Dryer:  thick insulated wire that is easy to strip down to bare bright copper, large brass prongs on plug, insulated wire inside, electric motor with copper and aluminum, transformer

Fridge:  power cable with copper and brass, compressor with copper (must be drained of freon first) copper tubing, electric motor, transformer.

Go online and look on YouTube for scrapping videos, there are tons of them that can really help you make much more money scrapping metal.

Gold Recovery from plated pins or jewelry

WARNING!!!
Working with acids is dangerous!!  Especially when adding heat!  Please read all precautions, C.M.Hoke, and research before attempting on your own!!

OK, with that said, recovering gold that is plated to metal is not that difficult and only takes a few hours to a day or two.  The items needed are far fewer than other methods however the material may require more work to gain.  The biggest thing to avoid when doing this method besides not spilling acid on yourself, is making sure that there is no solder on anything as this will create a compound that is not reusable or easily disposed of unless you are an experienced chemist.  To remove the gold from base metals like copper and brass, all you need are the following:
-Safety gear (glasses and gloves, rubber or plastic apron would be nice too)
-an old glass coffee pot or Pyrex container (must be tempered glass!!)
-HCL or Muriatic acid this also includes the Safer HCL's on the market that have far fewer fumes!
-A hot plate, old coffee brewer, or electric skillet (must be able to heat the solution to just under boiling)
-bottle or container for used solution
-funnel, plastic only
-plastic spoon or glass stirring rod
-coffee filters
-And of course gold plated metals.
-5 gal bucket or water
-spray bottle

You must do this outside!!  If you do this inside the fumes can kill you!!  The fumes are so potent that if done in a garage, anything made of steel or iron will start to corrode!!  Please be safe and do this outside and remain upwind or do this in an area free from breezes.

The first thing you need to do is set up your electric, temp controlled heat source outside on a solid level surface.  Make sure no children or animals have access.  place your GBM (Gold bearing material) into the pot or Pyrex and place on the heaters surface.  Slowly add the HCL until the pins are covered then add roughly 1/3 more.  Gently swirl the the solution around to ensure all the pins make contact with the acid. 

Turn the heat on and carefully monitor the solution until it get to slightly under a boil.  A perfect simmer will have very small bubble rising from the bottom.  If the solution comes to a boil remove from heat, turn the temp down, wait a few moments, and return to the heated surface.  The boiling point of 31.45% HCL should be around 180F so keep the temp around 150-160.  At this point, all you need to do is stay away, do not breath in the fumes, and keep other away from it for a few hours.  The reaction is complete when the foils are floating around and there are no pins left at the bottom. 

Allow the solution to cool completely.  Once cool, gently pour through filtered funnel into the acid container until as much of the acid as possible is poured off.  Next add some clean water to the pot and gently swirl to help clean and dilute the remaining acid.  Pour through the same filter into the 5 gal bucket of water.  Use the spray bottle to loosen any foils stuck to the sides. 

Dry your foils and place ina glass jar for future refining.  Please remember that these foils are not 24K gold.  You must refine them further to achieve that quality of gold.  That process is better done when you have a large quantity.  Rinse off all tools with plenty of water.  Remember that HCL is found in our stomachs, and in swimming pools so diluting it is a very safe way to dispose of it. 

Step 2 Getting Prepared

OK, now that you have hopefully read Hoke and did a lot or research, its time to get prepared.  Here is a small list of item you will need to attempt the A/P method for all of those gold fingers.  Most of these items are either around your house all ready or available at the dollar store.

Old glass coffee pot and maker ( or Pyrex 4 cup measuring cup, and plastic funnel)
Coffee filters
long plastic spoon
Rubber gloves
Water spray bottle
Plastic tweezers
two plastic containers large enough to hold at least 1/2 gallon of liquids and that can be sealed
5 gallon bucket
1 bottle Hydrogen Peroxide
1 bottle of muriatic acid 31.45% (HCL) the product listed as being safer will also work just a little slower
small glass jar
Protective eye wear
a safe outdoor location


So the first thing you want to do is place the GBM in the tempered glass coffee pot or Pyrex.  Make sure that you are doing this outside and if there is a breeze you are up wind as the fumes from the reaction are very dangerous.  For those who know their history you may recall that chlorine gas was once a nasty chemical warfare agent.....not to be messed around with.  The next step is to add the HCL to the pot slowly making sure not to splash any.  Use just enough to cover the GBM and note how much you use.  The proper ratio for HCL and H2O2 is 3 to 1.  With a coffee pot, if you fill up to the 3 cup line with HCL, then add H2O2 to the 4 cup line.  The solution should turn emerald green.  The first few hours of the reaction are the most active as far as fumes.  The solution is changing to copper 2 chloride as it is slowly dissolving the copper etch that is holding the gold to the boards.  Gently swirl the mix or use the plastic spoon to stir.  You will want to stir it as often as you can to make sure that the solution comes into contact with all the surfaces. 

Stir and wait......stir and wait.....  This process can take a few days to complete.  You will start to notice gold foils floating around in the solution.  If the solution starts to get too dark, add small amounts of H2O2 but be careful not to add too much as the you may dissolve some of the gold. 

Keep this up until all of the gold appears to be fallen off of the boards. 

Now comes the time to clean your gold!  First you want to prepare a container and a funnel with a filter.  This container should be able to be sealed.  I used an old bleach bottle that I thoroughly washed out and dried.  Place the funnel in the top of the bottle and carefully pour your acid solution into the funnel.  This solution can be reused and revived as needed in the future.  Add a small amount of fresh HCL to the pot and gently swirl.  If the acid starts to turn green that means there is still copper present.  Pour the HCL into the used acid container and repeat until the acid stays clear.  Seal the container and set aside.

Have a 5 gal bucket of water handy.  With the water spray bottle and the plastic tweezers, pick up each piece of board and spray off any gold foils back into the coffee pot.  once the boards are cleaned drop them into the bucket of water.  This will dilute the acids still on it to a safe level.  HCL is a harsh acid, but remember, your stomach creates it as well to break down food so in a very dilute solution it is not as dangerous.  Keep spraying the boards until all the gold is left in the bottom of the pot. 

Now move the funnel to the second unused container.  Fill the pot half way up with clean water and gently swirl it around to clean and dilute any remaining acid and pour off the gold bearing water into the funnel.  Use the spray bottle to get the gold foils off of the sides of the coffee pot.  What you are left with is clean gold foils.  Please keep in mind that these are not necessarily 24K gold!!  The refining process comes later once you have a larger quantity.  Let dry in an area free from draft and pour into the glass jar. 

That is gold recovery from boards.  Please remember to be safe and to read about each process as much as you can before attempting to do it yourself!

Next up, recovering gold from plated pins or plated jewelry.

Gold Recovery the First Steps

Welcome to my first blog.  I will try to not mess this up too much and keep it as straight forward and informative as possible.  This blog is for those out there who want to try their hands at gold recovery from ewaste.  Please keep in mind that this is no where near a "get-rich-quick" venture.  For someone to be successful in this they must first start this off as a hobby in my opinion.  Please also note that there is no one process for all gold recovery.  There are many different types of GBM's (gold bearing materials) out there and they require different methods of processing. 

The first step in this art is getting informed.  While this blog may seem like a tutorial it is in reality a very brief guide and should be used only to familiarize yourself with the process so that you can get an idea of what recovery is all about.  There are two first steps that I highly encourage everyone to do.  The first is to read the book by C.M.Hoke called Refining Precious Metal Wastes.  This book is available free online.  You should read it cover to cover.  Next is to go to the goldrefiningforum.com and read some more.  There is a lot of great information there and a lot of very experienced people.  My only advice is to not ask questions.  If you are new to the field they will chew you up and knock you down......in a sort of twisted sense of compassion towards those who will not actually take the time to read and discover how dangerous this can be some of the members there feel that the only way to weed out those who will take the necessary precautions is to mow them all down so that the strong willed will pop back up and be successful and safe.

Step two, gather your material!  This is where you want to hoard up all the gold bearing material you can.  The benefit of doing the reading and research first is that it will help to give you a better idea of what type of recovery you would want to start off with.  In my opinion, there are two that are the least expensive to attempt, "safer" and I use that term loosely, and that is the A/P method, or Acid Peroxide, to remove gold adhered to boards via copper etching, and the HCL and heat method for metal pins plated in gold.  You are going to want to gather up several lbs of material because it takes a lot to get a very little gold.  Remember that 1 oz of gold can be stretched into a wire 50 miles long.  The first attempt at this that I made was with the Acid/peroxide method on gold fingers.  These are the edges of things like PCI cards and Ram chips.

They can be easily removed from the board with a pair of tin snips of by clamping them in a vice and pulling the board back.  I have a video on this on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLBTWH4SafM

You are going to want to amass at least a pound of trimmed gold fingers.  It is very important to make sure that there is nothing else on the trimmed fingers, no solder, other componants, or base metals.  If the contents are left clean then the solution used and be reused almost indefinitely. 

Age matters!!  The age of the electronics you get the material from makes a big difference!!  Gold was less costly a couple decades ago, plating technology was not as advanced, so in most cases you have a thicker plating!!  So gather up all of your gold fingers from pci cards, RAM chips, slot processors, and even some boards like phone boards and calculator boards can be treated here as well as long as there is no other metals present or componants.

Step 2 coming soon....