New Hampshire Scrap Iron for Sculpture / sources

[anchorball]

Just getting my studio set up and looking for sources for scrap iron in NH. Went to a scrapyard last week and was definitely overcharged. Looking to get a wide variety of scrap pieces in various sizes, shapes and forms on a regular basis at market price. I'm in Nottingham NH. Anyone have a scrapyard they like that sells to individuals? All help is appreciated!

Ken

Edited October 19, 2015 by anchorball

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Ken, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance.

If you have access to a scrap yard that will sell to you you're a lucky dog, all the ones near me are single buyer contract and face litigation if they sell me anything.

You might try contacting the companies generating the scrap you like if there's a consistent shape/type you like.

Frosty The Lucky.

[anchorball]

Thanks Lucky!

Back when I first started twenty years ago it was way easier. So far it's tough to find.

[NikoAutiello]

I've had a ton of trouble finding scrap steel anywhere in NH for a decent price the junkyards don't even want to sell axles and leaf springs unless you want to pay almost new price. If you find anything give me a holler

[JHCC]

A good method for finding what you want is GTTS: Go To The Source. Scrapyards don't generate scrap; they process it. Think instead where it comes from or how it gets there, and see what you can do before it even gets to the yard. For example, develop a relationship with your local mechanic -- mine has given me torsion bars, axles, coil springs, and all manner of other cool stuff for free. Another possibility is to get to know the scrappies -- the guys who go around collecting scrap metal to sell to the yards. If you can get on their good side and offer them more than they'd get from the yard, they might be willing to give you first dibs or to look out for specific stuff that you want or could use.

[ThomasPowers]

Watch out for junkyards who deal mainly with selling car parts as parts.  They generally want a lot more money than the places that basically sell anything for 20 cents a pound (my local favorite...)

[lanternnate]

4 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Watch out for junkyards who deal mainly with selling car parts as parts.  They generally want a lot more money than the places that basically sell anything for 20 cents a pound (my local favorite...)

I'm not sure there's too many of those in the Northeast. The yards seem to be either selling as parts, or the "metal" yards are buy/collect then selling somewhere else in bulk without any interest to sell to random Joe.

[jlpservicesinc]

Here in the North East its pretty slim pickings unless you are near a Manufacturer, or weld shop that does volume work..   Scrap now goes for what every they can charge because there really isn't my industry now and certianly not much good stuff going to scrap.. 

If you go to a metal supplier/metal dealer you might be able to get cutoffs for decent money..  

[ThomasPowers]

No industry out here save for the University; I see their scrap come though on a regular basis. Perhaps you should inquire where the scrap from University(s) ends up out there?

[lanternnate]

Colleges and Universities here are big on promoting their green statuses. That typically means they have some formal recycling organization they are linked up with for any generated scrap.

[ThomasPowers]

And what is greener than putting their scrap through another use cycle before melting it down?

[lanternnate]

2 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

And what is greener than putting their scrap through another use cycle before melting it down?

But you don't get your official sticker of greeniness for that I completely agree with you from a logical perspective, but I used to work at a college. It's very much a case of jumping through formality hoops to get official certifications of "green" status. Nobody involved fools themselves into thinking it's anything other than a marketing expense to have that status to attract students. I was heavily involved in campus construction projects, and some of the hoop jumping was rather silly but everyone understood the game.

[John in Oly, WA]

16 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

And what is greener than putting their scrap through another use cycle before melting it down?

That is something most people seem to have ignored - that "recycle" is the last resort on the triangular logo. Reduce, reUSE, recycle.

[Jacob Nothstine]

You might try estate sale companies. When they do clean out, they need to remove everything.  they will make great deal to have someone else remove metal so they don't have to.  Most companies don't scrap the metal takes to much time not enough profit.

[Gazz]

My town dump or transfer station has a rather large metal pile.  Years ago we could pick through as we wished but then the price of scrap got so high they stopped letting us.  I usually made some money every year selling old motorcycle parts, chainsaws and other stuff that folks would scrap.  I brought home three rifles once, an anvil and a large arbor press (not all in the same visit).  There always seems to be bits of bar stock, sheet and plate and iron pipe in the pile too.  Since the price of scrap is so low now, it seems no one pays much mind if I pick through the stuff.  I don't know where you live in NH but you might want to check your own local dump or transfer station.