Oak Hill Forge Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Same here in Virginia...... the lawyers strike again ! They got sued when somebody got hurt in the yard, now nobody buys. Maybe when scrap metal prices tank again they will be ready to sell again !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Yance, I envy your luck. I live south of raleigh a little bit and, while there are a few places that re-sell scrap at scrap-us-a-mite prices, all of the bigger places don't allow walk-ons. I lucked out and chatted with a guy that works at a machine shop that mills large pieces of D2 into hydraulic pumps for farm machinery. he brought me a milled reject of D2 that measures 10x11x6, that weighs a mite over 70 lbs and has enough flat surface to warrent banging metal on. I just have to make yet another stand. Oh, the whole block was hardened and tempered to between 52 and 57 on the RC scale and has phenomenal rebound. He also gave me three D2 ingots 2x5 5/8. Does D2 make good chisels/punches/slitters/etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecelticforge Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 I have found that folks a re a lot more flexible if they see a peek of a fiver in my hand when I ask for something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikadyn Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 I don't think our yards (except for obviously the pick and pull autopart yards) sell to the public. Luckily our ex neighbor was a scrapper, and is by everyday almost to visit with my dad, just don't know how to describe for him what i need or what to ask for.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyK Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 If you live in North Georgia I have quite a bit scrap metal. If you are interested you can come and look around. The scrap yard isn't paying enough for me to load it up and take it in. NancyK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I live near a small town far enough out that it doesn't pay to scrap plain steel. There is a small non-ferrous scrap yard in town that has a dump area about 1/2 mile from the yard where the ferrous stuff just gets dropped in an open field. I've gotten "grazing rights" and can go search through it and then haul what I want to the yard and have them put a price on it. Selection is fairly poor but sometimes I luck out. I picked up some 4" 1/4" thick channel to use to mount my trusses to the posts for my shop extension Saturday, also a lot of 3/8" wire cable, been thinking of a 15' long tong rack stringing cable between 2 of the posts for the shop extension. Sure a lot cheaper than driving 100 miles to the city! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Got a great scrappy just down the road from me so after reeading this thread I count myself very lucky, he allows me to basically search in every bin and at times I have taken home some great items for very little money. I do assist by making more room in his bins though by throwing everything to the rear of the bin thus allowing more room for him to fill it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holzkohle Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I guess that I'm very fortunate here. Last year while doing a demo the owner of a salvage yard came by and said " come by our yard sometime". He has a separate yard where he stores smaller and more resaleable items to folks like us. Even found a post vise, missing the tightening mechanism, but with a mounting bracket that I needed. Just traded a couple of things that I made. Also have a friend who has a foundry and sometimes lets me know when he has scrap that he thinks I may be able to use. Usually doesn't charge me for anything. I guess that he figures that I donate enough at our weekly pool game. However I sometimes bring in some scrap for his use. Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Here in WNC we have builtmore scrap metal. About 1/4 mile from the builtmore house. I have seen post vises,anvils,forges, sold at 19 cents a lb or less. walk in find it they will move it or cut it for you. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisfrick Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 All the scrap yards in the Sacramento area will not sell to the "public." I tried all the places around when I was scrounging for my anvil piece, and the only places that I could find that would sell to the general public were suppliers of "new" steel (and at that it was only A36 and 1018), but would sell drops, cut offs, their "scrap", etc. Total bummer. -Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parmedius Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 We count ourselves lucky here in Western North Carolina. Biltmore Iron and Metal still lets us scrounge the whole yard, (stay clear of the "claw") and retails all "metal" @15�/lb. They still sell me "pure" lead for my BPCR alloy. I was just out there yesterday... Got some tool grade steel and old saw blades I plan on making knifes out of. I'm a newbie to blacksmithing. Taking a class over at Haywood Community College. I'm loving it! -Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Here we have yards that sell and ones that don't! I have some mates that own yards that are anti selling to joe public as they recon 'Joe' teaches their staff to steal and that xxxxx it up for the rest of us. Sadly the days of honest customers and honest staff have come and gone. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spears Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 True story. In 1995, I needed some wooden posts for a landscape project so I called the railroad. Those big square tar soaked railroad ties make great property posts and they don't hardly rot out in one's lifetime. The gentleman from the railroad told me they used to let people come and have them for free. The railroad didn't want to dispose of used one's or new unwanted extras and thought they were doing the public a favor by offering a "come and get them if you want them". Turns out some guy hurts his back one day while gathering the freebie and then turns around and undertakes suing the railroad for his injury. I sincerely apologized to the man for the stupidity someone brought against his railroad. We now live in upside down world where when you throw a starving man a cracker, he bitches and complains that it isn't a Ritz! Maybe with the shrinking economy and with the way everyone's going broke, someone will invent an asphalt policy, it's your xxx if it's your fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 It's been a couple years since I've tried the local scrap yards, but my formerly favorite yard used to let me rummage through their lot and charged 20 cents per pound. A couple years ago they stopped selling to individuals, but it wasn't about liability. It was far more profitable to cut everything they had in 2-ft pieces, load them in a big dump truck and sell them to a scrapper in the state that shreds. They, in turn, shipped it all overseas. This was during the big Chinese buildup, so I don't know what they do today. They used to have a pile that was easily 12 - 15 ft tall. But when I was there, no pile at all. He said they cut everything up all week, and every Tuesday would bring the full truck to the shredder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old N Rusty Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Local scrap yards here same story no one allowed in yard, might be a liability issue, i think they dont want anyone seeing all the stolen stuff. every piece of ANYTHING goes into a big shear and is chopped up into small pieces. wasted! look for the GENERATORS of scrap, is there a heat exchanger shop nearby? big FAT steel skeletons from the cut table lie about wainting to be turned into anvils for homemade powerhammers, and as mentioned structural steel shops are a source of beams and stuff, search all old industrial shop locations and local river banks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lbhammer Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Same story here in West TX. The yard will sell stuff to you but you have to stay in the office no wondering around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tagkver Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 ya'll are scaring me all the yards I deal with are out in the sticks and they don't seem to care where I go or what I do one guy won't even charge me for under a hundred pounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I make a trip every couple of weeks to the south side of San Antonio to refill my propane tanks at Bell Hydrogas and peruse Ashley Salvage for useful metal. Got most of the steel to make my power hammer there. You can wander where you like, just don't be stupid about the equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I wish San Antonio New Mexico had a scrap yard too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkmas Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Same goes her in Chicago northern suburbs. The scrap yard down the road from me will buy your scrap for cash. But, they will not let you take anything out. They get plenty of beat up pickup truck fulls all day from guys that solely drive around and pick up scrap from curbsides and dumpsters. (I lost some old wrought from a railing job in a very exclusive nighborhood that way.) If i put anything that I cant use at the curb on the night before garbage day (Sunday night) it is gone in no time. Usually two or three trucks driving around looking for scrap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisG Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I work in the steel fab industry up here in Canada. Steel over the last while has been rising in cost. Increases to pull the materials, raw, from the ground, the rising electricity bills for melting and processing. It all adds up. It is cheaper to buy "used" metal from scrappers. I was watching a recycle show and they scrap their metal in England, 10 tons was worth $4K to them. Up here we have a few places that won't let you into the yard, a couple have a select spot for you to look thru. Going to a you pull-it is not worth it much, a coil spring from an unknown car, 40$, not happening, again. I have started to visit my garage for their scrap steel. They have to unlock it for me and for a few min. I get to pull a few pieces. This is good for tool steel, but when I need reg. steel I have to scrounge at work, or buy new. I guess the day is here when recycling is the thing to do AND it pays, for the junkyard anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Ok. I have found a newer scrap yard that is even closer to my home that I never knew existed. They pay higher prices that ones in Memphis and are extremely close. I even tested the waters to see if they will sell off the lot. I didn't even have to bribe them with cash or doughnuts. I dropped a load of mixed scrap for $246.00 for 2100 lbs. and on the way out I scored 3 vintage warehouse pendant lights that were just sitting on top of a pile,5 bucks each.It's a really cool place the owners are still mom and pop. In the office, the walls are lined with all the very cool finds that are brought in, including all the brass animals that have shown up there over the years. So now I am happy again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Me and my father have known the owners of the scrappers we have used for the last 30 years, a couple of years ago I asked one of the yard monkeys if they ever have any anvils come through.... He muttered something, and then went to talk to the owner (these yards have tighter security than fort knox with all the druggies, tramps and thieves they get through every day, as a 'cash' business) So, he walks back out of the office and said 'yeah, coz its you boss said you can look at the anvils'.... we walk round the corner to where there is a pile of a couple of dozen huge anvils, stacked up behind the owners new benz, all growing moss! (a couple looked over 600lbs ) I gave them lumps of iron and steel a quick, slightly disinterested glance and walked back into the shed where the owner had appeared. Now I had the equivalent of about four thousand bucks in my hand, the foldy Benjamin type, from my copper weigh in, and a pick up truck parked near by..... this is gonna be good I thought I looked him square in the eye, casually dragging my thumb across the 3" thick bundle of notes in my hand which made a gentle murmur ,,,,, 'go on then I said' - cool as I could , Ill take a few of those off your hands.. He looked me in the eye, and I saw his eye flick momentarily down to my hands, gently leafing the notes that were his about 10 mins before... A hint of a smile in his eyes told me a deal was about to be struck, then he chuckled a bit.... then he said a line ill never forget " I said you could look at them, they aint for sale " cruel, so cruel !! fact was, he liked them, they represent the steel game, and the money I had in my hand meant about as much to him as a dollar meant to me... they are still there, ill grind him down one day My regular scrappers, and the others I use occasionally have all told me the same thing, in recent years they just don't get anvils in anymore (except on the very odd occasion). I think ebay has seen to that. The ones they do get they know the value of as a tool or easy resale, they diffidently don't get 'recycled' anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iironandandsteel Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 I would be glad to pay an hourly insurance fee to cover insurance cost for my visit to a good scrap yard, and this would help there profits also. Win win situation sounds to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 For that to work there would have to be enough people willing to pay the hourly fee to cover the additional premium. If the additional premium was $1000/month you would need 99 other folk like yourself every month assuming they paid $10/hour and spent an hour/month at the scrap yard. Good idea but probably impractical. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.