Category: Uncategorized

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Best Places for Gold

Best Places for Gold

Being a Tucson based company, there are obviously many areas of this state in which gold may be found. It is a bit different when gold needs to be scrapped, versus gold needing to be mined. So we are going to look at the best places for gold, where gold can be scrapped..without having to dig for it.

Best Places for Gold

As a full time scrapper or even part time you always want to minimize the amount of time and or effort that goes into finding your scrap, breaking it down and even selling it..so let us focus on the first part. Finding gold is that hard, it is in so many components in our home, that it is possible to sell gold to a scrap yard and do well. The real issue is the amounts of gold we want or need takes time and energy we might not have.

Your cell phone, television and stereo systems generally carry a small amount of gold you can poach when throwing them out, or better yet, when someone on your route is throwing them out. Most of these gold conductors may have to be burned down, but some are evident by their color.

Another place there is gold is your automobile. Most modern auto’s have electronic components in them as well, which much like the items mentioned earlier, have gold conductors in them, which you can find by site.

One other piece of electronic that is found in the home, is the smoke detector. Now by all means, do not tear apart your smoke detector for obvious reasons. This is a viable option in a remodel or an abandoned location overall, especially in apartment complexes where there may be numerous detectors you could exploit for gold. Remember these locations take work and some knowledge of the system you are working in before removal, but it might be easier than digging in the dirt.

 

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Cruise Ships for Scrap Metal

cruise ships for scrap metal

I have not seen this many cruise ships on television since the last time I watched Titanic..and that was long ..long ago. The more I think about it though, I started speculating about cruise ships for scrap metal and how much companies might get for scrubbing a ship. That is not necessarily what this is about, more or less will we see an influx of ships being scrapped at the hands of the invisible Covid -19 menace…or will they just douse the ships in massive amounts of Lysol and bleach and keep them moving along into charted waters with endless buffets and creepy swimming pools sloshing around with 2 parts margarita mixed in.

Cruise Ships for Scrap Metal

The reality and answer to that question is a resounding “no” of course not. Cruise ships have been quarantined and sanitized a million times over since the last time I was on one (2001). There have been a couple of pandemics in the last 20 years that spread to far more people than what we are seeing today. So no, cruising is here to stay. And did I say “Lysol” as the disinfectant? Surely I jest, Lysol is so mundane..try Virox,which actually sounds like a worse product and less friendly than the virus it is eradicating. This type of product kills surface germs almost instantly..emphasis on almost..more like 30 seconds after some research. So again, scrapping the ship..not worth it. The average cruise ship is scrapped (generally post catastrophe) weighs about 150,000 tons and depending on current market price. With current tonnage at about $80 per ton, the math just doesn’t work out. Plus, it is generally an insurance claim over a major catastrophe..not germs. Either way, the cost of replacing said ship would run closer to $400 per ton once it was all said and built..and somebody has to eat that buffet of cash one day.

So during these times of uncertainty, rest assured when things get back to normal, your stateroom, your pool on the high seas and your buffet will be waiting.

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Bronze Sculpting

bronze sculpting

Bronze Sculpting for amateurs has always been a test of will. Between find the bronze to sculpt with along with the molds and tools, can all be a task. Sculpting is not an easy art and is said to be a little more challenging than painting. Those of you who are new to sculpting ought to feel disconcerted if their projects don’t come out as well as they’d like. Working in three dimensions is quite and difficult and will probably take some getting used to.

First have a vision of exactly what you what as an end result. Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest details of a mould. Then, as the bronze cools, it shrinks a little, making it easier to separate from the mould.[1] Their strength and ductility (lack of brittleness) is an advantage when figures in action are to be created. There are many different bronze alloys, and the term is now tending to be regarded by museums as too imprecise, and replaced in descriptions by “copper alloy”, especially for older objects. Typically modern bronze is 88% copper and 12% tin. Most bronze pieces are created with wax and then covered in bronze.

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Check for Animals in your Scrap Metal

Check for Animals in your Scrap Metal

As we all know scrap metal can be found EVERYWHERE..land,sea and of course the garage and backyard. The problem with some of the these locations is the fact that we have special little friends that can use large scrap metal piles as their living quarters. So always check for animals in your scrap metal.

Check for Animals in your Scrap Metal

The reality, here in Arizona there are quite a few critters you could find in a rusty or even non rusty pile of scrap metal. Everything from snakes, scorpions rat and rodents or even coyotes. It is always best to use a piece of piping or a stick to bang out any animals that might be making an apartment out of tour new find. If the creature is dangerous, it is best to call your local animal control to help you out.

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Bring Us a Ship, We Will Break it Down

Bring Us a Ship, We Will Break it Down

Bring Us a Ship, We Will Break it Down
All to often large metal vehicles are left without scrapping. Such as cars. the main reason for this is that people are not sure what to do with their vehicles when they no longer run or are not road worthy. We have written many articles on how to scrap your vehicles. This article is more on how , if you come upon a boat, how to break it down. As a matter of fact, bring us a ship we will break it down.

Ships have been recycled since the late 19th century. Wooden ships were torn apart and the wood salvaged for other properties, especially after a long journey at sea. Modern ships though,takes a whole different process called ship breaking.

Ship Breaking
Ship breaking or ship dismantling is primarily done in a ship yard in whatever city where the company may have won the auctined ship parts. Many poorer countries will purchase older ships for their recyclable metal value, to use to build their communities. SHips can be auctioned, and dismantled piece by piece then melted back down to an ore form. In an average year 29 million tons of steel can be dismantled and reproduced and sold back to the highest bidder. This is a large economy in may parts of the world, such as South east Asia where approximately 92% of all ships over 25 years of age are dismantled and repurposed.

The only dismantling in the USA is primarily in the military. Most shipping and cruise vessels are sold off to be repurposed over seas.

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Selling Scrap Metal Around Your Home

If you need some extra cash then there is nothing easier than selling scrap metal from around your home. Scrap metal includes copper, steel, brass, and iron. All of these alloys can actually be recycled and sold. If any items that you are going to trash is made of metal then stop and look at recycling them as an alternative. No matter the metal, you can always sort and cut your metal and sell a days haull before

Common Household Places to Look for Scrap Metal
Kitchen
Common kitchen appliances such as refrigerators and microwaves have copper wires. Stainless steel silverware, aluminum foil and even your unused kitchen stove can be recycled. If you habitually drink soda then you can collect soda cans made of aluminum and sell them as scrap metal as well.

Bathroom and Laundry
Devices such as washers or dryers are a good source for scrap metal.

Garden/Patio
If unused, iron patio furniture can be used as scrap metal; lawn mowers, metal swings, and even iron railing can be taken to your local junkyard and sold as scrap.

Garage
Old power tools, paint cans nails, screws, bicycles, musical instruments discarded by your children and perhaps, your unused car is the biggest source for scrap metal. You will be able sell your car parts like batteries, radiator, compressor, rims and many others too.

Televisions and Monitors
Although the TV set can be difficult to recycle as a whole, you can always find copper wires that are attached at the base of the TV monitor. Monitors can be further dismantled to find capacitors, circuit boards and others.

Electronics
When you open up some unwanted electronic appliances such as laptops, DVD players and others, there will be thin copper wires everywhere.

Computers
Most motherboards, and other wiring in an old desktop can be sold as scrap.

Appliances
Most household appliances have copper wire in them, blenders, coffee makers and most others.

To learn more about household scrap, visit our page!

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Conex Homes

conex homes

Scrapping metal isn’t always about towing in your old trailer or dumping 3-4 dishwashers into the back of your truck. Sometimes, it is just thinking outside the box. The conex box that is. With large steel containers sitting everywhere on every dock and train station yard in America…one day someone had a great idea. I’ll live in one of these, I’ll erect a conex home and revolutionize the way people look at building a home and the cost to do so. Guess what? It’s working.

Conex Homes

Now before you run down to the docks, chain up a storage bin and drag it to your favorite lot, buyer beware. The latest trend in homes (the conex) building a home like a log cabin kit as a kid has grown rapidly. Everything from getaways, to bunkers to urban multi story mini mansions have been created and built. The reality is, it is a great idea, if you can conform to a modular mentality, and understand the symmetry limitations of a conex, you’ll be fine. One reality most people forget is..there are rules to live by when building a conex home and each state has rules and provisions. Texas and California are two of the best states to build for two totally different reasons. The real reality is this a possible cure for the homeless epidemic ravaging some of our larger metropolitan areas. Maybe..but probably not. The stark reality that these modulars still must be custom fitted for living suitability and someone must foot that bill…but homelessness was never about if we had extra housing or not. No, it seems conex living is for those who dare to try something new and different and have the money to experiment with an oversized under ventilated 1 ton storage facility custom built to live in, if they let you.

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Do Not Steal the Steel

Do Not Steal the Steel

Good or bad economies, it really does not matter. A smart or even stupid thief will always take the low hanging fruit. Let’s be totally honest here, Hollywood has it all wrong, thieves will steal the easiest thing they can find. Big heist with months and tons of pyrotechnics and con artistry are a fools dream. The easy pickings is where it is at. In a booming economy, where there is a construction site every 100 feet or more, it is easy for a thief to find his or her next victim. Even in good economies, it is to enticing, so do not steal the steel.

The FBI

The FBI has recently released a report on the great undertaking copper theft that has swept the United States over the years. Prosperous years are no different. When the economy booms and new houses hit the market, coils of copper are plentiful and can be found all over town. In enough plain sight to be stolen, shipped and sold for pennies on the dollar. Who gets hurt? Just the consumer, the more stolen, the more insurance and protection needed. This is always factored into the cost. One of the biggest changes made has been the fact that copper theft has always been a misdemeanor, Each state is actively looking to change those laws.

Even ferrous metals have had a huge draw over the past two decades. Ferrous metals were priced at closer to $77 per ton, whereas by 2008 they were closer to $500 per ton. Increased pricing, increases thieves interest in finding any metals they can get their hands on.

The best way to prevent these thefts is to keep your metals stored in well lit locations and to make sure to keep them covered and let local authorities know that you may have large quantities of metals on hand.

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Toxic Metals

toxic metals

With todays environmental concerns being in the eye of the public on a daily basis, it’s important for those of us in the industry, to keep on top of what is hazardous and non hazardous to ourselves and our customer base. Toxic metals are everywhere, and should be identified.

Toxic Metals

Arsenic
Common sources of exposure to higher-than-average levels of arsenic include near or in hazardous waste sites and areas with high levels naturally occurring in soil, rocks, and water. Exposure to high levels of arsenic can cause death.

Beryllium

Elemental beryllium has a wide variety of applications. Occupational exposure most often occurs in mining, extraction, and in the processing of alloy metals containing beryllium. Beryllium can cause sensitization, lung and skin disease in a significant percentage of exposed workers.

Cadmium

Cadmium is an extremely toxic metal commonly found in industrial workplaces, particularly where any ore is being processed or smelted. Several deaths from acute exposure have occurred among welders who have unsuspectingly welded on cadmium-containing alloys or with silver solders.

Hexavalent Chromium

Calcium chromate, chromium trioxide, lead chromate, strontium chromate, and zinc chromate are known human carcinogens. An increase in the incidence of lung cancer has been observed among workers in industries that produce chromate and manufacture pigments containing chromate.

Lead

Occupational exposure to lead is one of the most prevalent over exposure. Industries with high potential exposures include construction work, most smelter operations, radiator repair shops, and firing ranges.

Mercury

Common sources of mercury exposure include mining, production, and transportation of mercury, as well as mining and refining of gold and silver ores. High mercury exposure results in permanent nervous system and kidney damage.

All of these Toxic Metals should be handled in a safe effective way and reported to and metals dealer you work with in selling or buying your materials.

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Where is the Ferrous Metal?

Wheres the ferrous metal

Knowing the difference between ferrous and non ferrous is simple. Ferrous metals contain iron, just stick a magnet on the side if it sticks…it is ferrous. Don’t be down on it though, ferrous metals are the most recycled metals in the world. So where is the ferrous metal?

Ferrous Metals
When we think of ferrous type material, we think of steel, or we think of iron and materials that are used for their strength and durability. These are the materials often used in steel construction, home appliances, automobiles and household tools. Ferrous materials will eventually rust, and have magnetic pull. Common ferrous metals include steel, stainless steel (though some stainless will not stick to a magnet), iron and wrought iron.

Ferrous materials are in high supply and are the most common scrap metal recycled. Therefore, prices historically don’t fluctuate dramatically. Generally ferrous metals need to be scrapped in volume and are best found when a business , especially in the fabrication industry, close down and need things scrapped and removed. Most machinery is made from ferrous metals and as long as it has not deteriorated or rusted out (like many autos) it should be a scrap you can sell.
Building scrap will work as well, be careful though, your metals have to be separated when dealing with a demolition situation. Things like aluminum siding, support beams and wall supports could all three be totally separate metals. If you don’t test and separate these metals, either your local yard or yourself my find themselves on the separating side at time of drop off, or on the financial losing side. Don’t worry , scrap yards aren’t in the business of losing money, so most metals will be tested at the time of drop off prior to purchase. So no matter where you found your scrap, clean and separate prior to arrival.