Jim Hart - Conal Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Looking for advice on finding the right kind of scrapyard to go digging for materials in. What kinds of businesses do I want to look for? I'm hoping to filter some of the wrong kinds of places out before I get there and find out they are not the right kind of place. Any advice on how to approach them the first time would be helpful also. I understand the idea of showing up dressed correctly for digging ( jeans, boots, gloves, hardhat, eye protection.... etc ) and being polite and articulate. thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 About the only kind of scrapyard you can get into these days is a Mom and Pop operation. The big ones allow stuff in and NOT out. Lawyers,insurance,liability have ruined most of this resource sorry to say. A worker at such a place might be bribed with a 6 pack but could lose his job if he got caught. If you can find the scrap material before it gets to these places you're ahead of the game.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 This is definitely a location specific item. You will need to talk with local people to see what's around your area. The good one down here bills itself as a recycling center and takes in everything from cars to tin cans and has a lot of old stuff being drug out of the hills by scrappers; some of dubious legality... Note that sometimes a non-ferrous scrapyard will sell off the incidental ferrous stuff they get cheap! In general places that specialize in cars for parts are not a good resource as they want "part money" for their stuff rather than scrap money. So talk with local smiths, scrappers, check your yellow pages, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 You just have to show up and see. My local scrap yard does a lot of recycling (Acton Metal on Richmond Parkway, Richmond CA) but when I come out of the yard dragging rod and bar and say I'm buying, they move me to the front of the line. I think its a nice change for them from the recyclers trying to sell stripped out copper wire and cans, fighting for their space in line. Bring a box of donuts, no one gets in trouble for donuts. Maybe even bring and S hook or poker, so you can quickly show the work you do, saves the explaining. I brought my then 5 year old daughter with me one time, in overalls and pink Barbie work boots, They smiled and told me to keep her close, away from the forklifts (kid is well trained about machinery) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Around here, the further you get from skyscrapers, the easier it is to get in the yard. Look for the places in surrounding counties if you live in a big city. The ones that do sell to individuals will sometimes set special items to the side for viewing. A hacksaw, bolt cutters or cordless grinder with a cutting disk, etc. is sometimes useful to separate something from a pile. Or make it small enough to get in your car. A small file and magnet in your pocket can help identify mystery metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 In Ky for mild steel go to Sandusky in Columbia, Ky. Their mild steel rods, bars, mostly cold rolled is $.25 to .30. Tubeing is generally $.30. Lots of nuts, bolts, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I took an old sandvik 30" bowsaw and replaced the wood cutting blade with a section of metal cutting bandsaw blade to make an "uber-hacksaw" to bring to the scrapyard. Also a stout cold chisel and shorthandled 6# sledge can shear rusted bolts off faster that any other method of dealing with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wroughton Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Jim, A little research can net you a pile. Old train trestles, bridges and derelict docks on the river usually have a ton of stuff laying around. I really like abandoned rail bed, especially if it has the track still on it. If the track is still there then there are usually lots of spikes, rolls of wire, broken tools and such, If you find metal that you can't really use like cast iron or other large steel you can take that in as trade to the local scrap yard which never hurts.....your wallet. Michael probably had the best advice, bring some of your work for greasing the skids. A nice letter opener, hook or meat flipper let's them know you're in it for the forging and not the scamming/scrapping. Beer is greatly appreciated at my local yard and gets me to the goods with a minimal amount of hassle. I weigh in with my scrap and weigh out with theirs. good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob S Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Jim, A little research can net you a pile. Old train trestles, bridges and derelict docks on the river usually have a ton of stuff laying around. I really like abandoned rail bed, especially if it has the track still on it. If the track is still there then there are usually lots of spikes, rolls of wire, broken tools and such, If you find metal that you can't really use like cast iron or other large steel you can take that in as trade to the local scrap yard which never hurts.....your wallet. good luck. word is that the railroad will prosecute anyone found stealing spikes etc from their right of way. all this 'abandoned' steel belongs to someone. taking it without permission is stealing. most scrap 'yards' will not allow anyone poking around the piles. makes sense..... it's a great place to get hurt. instead try the local welding shop that will have drops from their jobs. this steel has the bonus of being a known material...usually a36. that way you won't get halfway thru a project and have it fall apart. even 'new' steel is relatively cheap. $20 worth will keep you busy for quite a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYBOY Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 In Ky for mild steel go to Sandusky in Columbia, Ky. Their mild steel rods, bars, mostly cold rolled is $.25 to .30. Tubeing is generally $.30. Lots of nuts, bolts, etc. Ive been meaning to go out there for a while and get a big load because the steel over here in Eastern,Ky is easily double that with a pitiful, awful selection :rolleyes: ..Any kind of square bar has to be ordered and is near .70 cents a pound :angry: Now the good thing about rural Eastern,Ky the scrap yards are wide open..Any one of them will say "Dig out what you want, we'll make a deal on it"..They could care less. ive never been turned away at any scrap yard.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsShip Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Sadly in my area there are no junkyards, and the only scrapyard prohibits removal of goods. Sad too, i've seen some awesome stuff in there. (I asked about an old ambulance cap I wanted to make a playhouse out of, and they said no.) My best resource so far has been a local garage door seller. The new doors always get installed with new springs and the old springs get piled up in the back. I've gotten some small springs from single house doors as well as a few giant industrial ones for warehouse doors (Those need to be cut before wrestling in the forge!) All are simply heated and pulled into a nice round usable stock, and I get it for free, which is also nice! ;) It's true you shouldn't walk the tracks for RR spikes, but if you see some guys working the tracks you can always ask. Most don't care since they're the ones who have to clean up when they're done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Anytime I want RR steel these days I buy it at the scrapyard as *some* people are scrapping off the track big time! Doesn't cost much as scrap and I avoid the whole RR Police issue thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYBOY Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Me too..I have no problem getting all the spikes I want from the scrap yard..In fact I just got a big pile of extra long RR spikes for free..when you make the scrap yards owners sons RR spike tomahawks you tend to get cool stuff for free ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Those extra long spikes are they the ones with a head on each end? If so I would like to see about getting one. Those will draw out long enough to make a cane and I am getting old enough to need the cane. You being in Eastern Kentucky maybe we are close enough to get together for a visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavala Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Just moved to west Virginia anyone know any scrapyards near the wheeling area Ohio valley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wroughton Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Bob, I guess i should have clarified about the RR track. I like seeing it on the abandoned rail bed, I don't like packing it around. It's just a sign that the rail bed itself hasn't been picked. We have hundreds of miles of abandoned bed in the west that has fallen back to state, federal or private hands so old spikes and bolts are easy to come by if you want to do a little walking or a ride on the atv. I'm very aware of who currently owns each stretch or area that I pick. I have permission from several state and private groups to hand pick iron in certain areas, and I even get a random call now and then to go move a pile. I stockpile wrought, and usable amounts of steel stock and scrap the rest.....which usually results in a trade out of wrought iron that I find at the yard. As for the RR police, they don't bother with us much out here as long as we don't drive drunk down the tracks. That's frowned on for some reason. Again, a little research will net you some nice stuff, and connect you with people who are in the know, which can snowball into MORE IRON!. It makes it a little easier when you're upfront about what you're after and why. I definitely don't condone dressing up in Ninja/blacksmith gear and running around stealing iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYBOY Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 wayne, they arnt the double headed spikes but are longer than regular spikes..Id be happy to send you a few..Just let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Wroughton, the whole concept of Ninja-blacksmiths has kept me grinning for two days, I have to thank you for that mental image. Waaaay better than ninja-pirates! I already have a black Utilikilt, now if I dye my leather apron black, and paint my tongs and hammers matte black..........Hmmm, where to get black steel-toed tabi footwear......? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 KYBOY, I just tried to send you a PM but don't know it it went. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wroughton Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 John, It's more of a coal dust under the eyes kinda thing. But I fall under the "bull in a china shop" category so I can't pull of the ninja garb. :ph34r: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Wroughton, I know what you mean, more of a Sumo than a Ninja kinda guy myself. Actually, more of a caber tosser than a kilted miler. My signature line refers to the fact that I was known as The Terrible Troll back before there was an internet. I'm just a regular guy: a 58R suit, that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 perhaps a variant of these? http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/virals/75219/Viral-24-Steel-toe-capped-flip-flops.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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