Author Topic: Scrappy prices  (Read 6483 times)

Offline JimM

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Scrappy prices
« on: February 10, 2010, 02:50:54 AM »
Hi all

I'm going to have a phone round my local scrappies and small engineering firms to try and find a source of offcuts etc.  If I do win the lottery and find somewhere that is willing to help out any idea of what the current prices are for brass and ali.  I'm not expecting to get best prices, especially as it's my first contact etc but would be good to know what sort of wriggle room there might be once I've built up a relationship

Cheers

Jim

Location: Chessington, Surrey

Offline one_rod

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Re: Scrappy prices
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2010, 05:27:25 PM »
Prices for cash sales in the scrapyard are generally based on the "what the punter is daft enough to pay" scale. And if you really do go in and buy one short-end of 25mm brass bar, the transaction will attract the inevitable Nuisance Charge.

Buy as much as you can sensibly afford on each visit and always haggle. Never accept the first price. There will normally be quite a bit of room for negotiation. Remember though, that guy may have a dirty face and dress like a flood victim, but he's probably the shrewdest business man you will ever meet. Haggling with someone like that is not always easy, but just because he's the only scrappy in the area who will even talk to you doesn't mean you have to get your leg lifted.

Unless you are buying enough to need the weighbridge, or want a receipt, then the money from these sales generally goes straight into his back pocket anyway. As long as he's getting more for the metal than he paid for it, he'll be happy.

Good luck.




one_rod.






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Offline Darren

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Re: Scrappy prices
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2010, 06:09:45 PM »
It's funny you should say that Rod,

Today I came away with enough 3/4" plate to make my car slouch, and it's a big-ish car. A bit of brass thrown in too. Scrappy wanted nothing for it and I had to persuade him to take a payment.
The convincing words were "take something otherwise you're gonna think I'm a right pain after the next few times I show up"
So he got enough to wet his lips this eve .....   :ddb:
You will find it a distinct help… if you know and look as if you know what you are doing. (IRS training manual)

Offline Darren

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Re: Scrappy prices
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2010, 05:05:12 PM »
Finally got around to taking a pic  :) The thicker plates are 20mm-3/4" thick,
In front is some brass bar, one length bent up and a heavy brass casting that should be good for something.

Now he knows I'm after heavier stuff he promised to keep it to one side .... we shall see ... fingers crossed.

You will find it a distinct help… if you know and look as if you know what you are doing. (IRS training manual)

Offline jatt

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Re: Scrappy prices
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2010, 05:29:08 AM »
My sheet metal guy is the same.  Virtually have to make him take a few bucks every so often.  Now that I have rigged up a small, simple bender I dont have to harass him to do small jobs for me quite as often.

Get heaps of offcuts from the dump bin behaind the guilotine.  This thing can cut up to 10 mm plate, so there's always some goodies there in various guages.
From an early age my father taught me to wear welding gloves . "Its not to protect your hands son, its to put out the fire when u set yourself alight".


Forget about the price of gold and oil, its the price of beer that matters.

Offline John Hill

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Re: Scrappy prices
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2010, 02:04:10 AM »
The last time I went begging for bits I carried along with me a plastic bag filled with freshly baked chocolate chip biscuits ('cookies' to the colonial cuzzies).

The first guy I came across gave me his best 'And what do you want?' glare so I showed him the bag and let him get a sniff and said I hoped that if I let him have some of those he would give me a good price on some offcut bits.

I got a nice haul of small steel and alloy bits and of course it didnt cost me more than the biscuits.
From the den of The Artful Bodger

Offline 75Plus

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Re: Scrappy prices
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2010, 08:37:08 PM »
The last time I went begging for bits I carried along with me a plastic bag filled with freshly baked chocolate chip biscuits ('cookies' to the colonial cuzzies).


John, Chocolate chip cookies/biscuits must go well with metals. There is a local metals merchant that advertises on the radio and his promotional gimmick is "Be sure to ask for your big chocolate chip cookie and know that our service is as good as that cookie". His service is good, you can buy a 6" piece of 3/8" cold rolled or enough steel to build a bridge and the treatment is the same.

Joe

Offline DMIOM

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Re: Scrappy prices
« Reply #7 on: March 07, 2010, 04:25:58 AM »
Joe - Scrapyards are inherently (metal) recycling at its best - but I wonder if you've just highlighted a new aspect.  Next time you get some metal there, have a look at the cookies and see if they say "made in NZ?"

So ..... is there an as-yet-unpublicised madmodder to madmodder global recycling chain? (though I'm not sure about the carbon footprint of the shipping) - or has John started off a new international currency?  :headbang:


..... on reflection, I think we already have the name for the currency:  :nrocks: (might have to change from cookies to rock-cakes though?)

Dave
« Last Edit: March 08, 2010, 03:32:03 AM by DMIOM »