Was curious what folks were paying for scrap steel by the pound at the junkyard. I bought some leafsprings, steel plate, and such for 30 cents a pound.

Mark

Not too many of the scrap yards around here (Sw Wa - Portland Or) sell to individuals any more.
Unload and go - NO scrounging!

Luckily I've been collecting scrap for so long that I've got plenty of fellas who give me a heads-up when they have the good stuff . . .

.25 cents a pound unless it went up.

.25 cents a pound unless it went up.

10 cents a pound here bout a year ago.

Not a Cent!!!!


They don't let you in the scrap yard in California anymore :angry:

In Vegas when we needed some targets to shoot with an M2HB .50--15 cents a pound for heavy plate. Good size yard, and they let us wander around. When we made our pile (900#) they grabbed it with a magnet, and set by the truck for us.

I make runs to L.A. CA to drop off our scrap copper, and asked the yard if they sell to individuals, yep they do.

The majority of the steel I collected was free from friends, parting cars out, etc..

They don't let you into the scrap yards in Ohio either as an individual. However there is a bone yard local to me that sells scrap parts at a reduced rate. Prices are by the piece, and not the pound, so I got a truck leaf spring (about 4 ft long) and a heavy coil spring (5/8 steel) for $20. I should have weighed it (and still can, but not today) but I'm going to guess it's about 20#-30# of steel. I wasn't allowed to pick, but I didn't have to get dirty either. The parts were left next to my car so I could load them. I'll go bearing gifts and trinkets next time and see if I get a better deal, but I am set for a while.

Phil

locally it is .25 lb unless it went up, no problem in the yard to scrounge.

One of my structural steel subcontractors told me I can come scrounge in their scrap bin for free.

Hi Fe-Wood. Come up to the Bay Area! Clinton clued me in to South Bay Metals in Gilroy. I went there and it was great. 35 cents per pound. Lots of stuff, and they let you walk around without a hard hat. You do need good shoes, since it can be slippery out there now. There were lots of potential anvil sized pieces there (although they said that was unusual, call first). I can see why scrap yards do not let people walk around unsupervised. It is dangerous out there, even with safety glasses and steel toe work boots, for ordinary people. But you aren't ordinary ;)

Not a Cent!!!!


They don't let you in the scrap yard in California anymore

I guess its a nor cal thing-
All the yards I've talked to in Sacramento and Yuba City say "NO!" and all my favorites in the Bay Area are gone or changed the focus on what they carry.

Anybody know of yards in my general area that let you wander?

The local recycler charges me $.25 a pound. They don't let the "public" in, but I've been dealing with them for years, so they let me scrounge around when I'm looking for something in particular. They don't handle vehicles or equipment, just scrap metal.

20 cents a pound. I can scrounge here. Sometimes if I get a real big piece in the smallest yard they just guess.

I don`t buy scrap.
The fellow who runs the transfer station(the dump)and I have an understanding.
I only take what I can use for projects and he looks the other way.
Bringing him a little something every once in awhile helps and it gets treats for Otis the shop dog/dump buddy too.

It is truely amazing what some folks throw away.

I don`t buy scrap.
The fellow who runs the transfer station(the dump)and I have an understanding.
I only take what I can use for projects and he looks the other way.
Bringing him a little something every once in awhile helps and it gets treats for Otis the shop dog/dump buddy too.

It is truly amazing what some folks throw away.
Lately there`s been a lot of cutting edges from the snow plows.Any ideas as to steel type?

30 cents a pound at the local reseller of metal. Not really a scrap yard, more a surplus steel place.
I took my scrap in last time, was small pieces of what not. They gave me 2 cents a pound on that. Well at least it is out of my way.

Not too many of the scrap yards around here (Sw Wa - Portland Or) sell to individuals any more.
Unload and go - NO scrounging!

Luckily I've been collecting scrap for so long that I've got plenty of fellas who give me a heads-up when they have the good stuff . . .

The Steel Yard on Killingsworth and Clackamas Steel just off Hwy 212/224 on Evelyn St both still sell scrap to the public.

I gave a quarter a pound last time in Clackamas.

In Las Vegas; scrap yards are getting 25 cents a pound and at Curtis Steel their drop is 50 cents a pound unless you bring gaterade and then you get a discount :-)

Not a scrap yard, but the local supplier (Northern DE) has misc.bits- plate,shapes, etc for $.30. He also has a bunch of high carbon and tool, but I haven't priced that recently.

Steve

All the scrap yards in the Sacramento area won't sell to the public. I just go to one of the (seemingly thousands) u-pull it yards and get leaf and coil springs off old fords and such. However there are a couple of places that sell to the public, such as Blue Collar Supply and (I think) S&K steel.

Chris have you tried visiting places that do suspension work? (jacking up or low rider) I used to be given springs *free*!

Thomas--I haven't gone around to the auto suspension shops. Managed to hit a u pull it yard during a 1/2 off, buy one get one free type sale and got ( seemingly) tons of stuff. Gonna be a long time before I run out of 5160!

I have been buying drop off and scrap from my employer (Kawasaki motors) for 11 cents a pound. Get a lot of tubing some tool steel.
I bought 2 pieces of 60" x 44" x 1/2 plate steel for $80 weight on the two was 750lbs. I am going to make a welding lay out table out of them
Also was able to get enought 3 x 3 tubing to build a treadle hammer now I am waitng to find a base so I can start that build.

Not too many of the scrap yards around here (Sw Wa - Portland Or) sell to individuals any more.
Unload and go - NO scrounging!

Hey, you can go to Bob's Metals on interstate ave and talk to Kip..he's a bladesmith and will arrange for you to walk around with an escort to scrounge for what you need.
They charge 50 cents a pound for steel scrap....ANY steel....They have all kinds of tool steels just laying around, and Kip seemed very knowledgeable about steel types, nice guy, so he's a good cat to know!

This afternoon I visited a local wholesale/retail steel yard. I had been there once before. The last time I was there I had selected a piece of 1/2 x 5 x 5" plate and a 3/16 x 14 x 24" plate. They had said that they got 50 cents a pound when I first got there. When I put my selections on the scale, they said that if that's all I wanted I could have it, but next time I better bring some GatorAide ... so today I showed up with a bag of GatorAide and found 2 pieces of 2x3" bar - one 18" and the other 24" long. Put'em on the scale and presented the bag of drink. "Hey Billy, we got GatorAide," the worker shouted over his shoulder. "Go get your truck and haul it away and thanks." I loaded up and left. Me so happy - 80+ pounds of steel for $4.00 and listening to the instructions!