TheBackShed.com

Forum Index : Off topic archive. : Getting scrap steel

Author

Message

domwild
Guru

Joined: 16/12/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 873

Posted: 01:55pm 08 Jul 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi,

My experience with going to scrap metal places to get the steel for Glenn's laser-free F&P mill:

Simsmetal said get lost. Before I was able to have a look at non-Telstra batteries and even purchase them after wearing one of their hats. As I mentioned on this forum before, you could not buy ex-Telstra batteries any more from their exchanges, which have another ten years life in them.

The second one said come back at 7AM or 5 min. before 4PM, when the machines have stopped and the bosses have gone home. I said I have a fluoro jacket, a hard hat and steel capped boots. He said wear it for the visit. Another yard was no longer there. Another yard charged $2 per kilo for offcuts.

Conclusion: OH & S regulations have made it extremely difficult to get the steel unless you know the skips in an industrial area where you can get the offcuts. Many yards sell all they can to China and have no interest in you.

Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up.

Winston Churchill

brucedownunder2
Guru

Joined: 14/09/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1548

Posted: 09:41pm 08 Jul 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

I generally wear boots ,makes a difference. I also pay cash, cause that buys the lunches for the guys. They generally just chuck the offcuts on the scales and have a guess at multiplying . most weights come up at $5,10, or 15. Not many Rhodes scholars in my scrap yard.

Lots of batteries, just take a multimeter..

Bruce

Bushboy

VK4AYQ
Guru

Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539

Posted: 03:18am 09 Jul 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi Dom

I found a couple of boxes of beer works better than money, make a regular thing of it and they have a little heap ready for you when you arrive. cant have to much steel.

Hi Bruce

Do they have any decent sized batteries or just old car type batteries?

All the best

Bob

Foolin Around

Downwind

Guru

Joined: 09/09/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2333

Posted: 03:47am 09 Jul 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

It is stupid, but some scrap yards are bound by law not to resell outside the scrap merchants.
I know in SA here they are, as one i went to had a whole skip full of F&P stators and rotors and i was unable to purchase even 1, to the point he showed me the regulations he was bound to.

So maybe beer is not a bad idea as it might not be seen as a purchase and if the helper scores a box of beer for the work fridge it is not stealing from the company either.

Pete.

Sometimes it just works

VK4AYQ
Guru

Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539

Posted: 03:55am 09 Jul 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi Pete

The universal barter medium as it gets around the regulation that they aren't allowed to sell it, and the beer is the donation to staff facilities, it has amazed me at times what you can get for a carton.

All the best

Bob

Foolin Around

brucedownunder2
Guru

Joined: 14/09/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1548

Posted: 09:13pm 09 Jul 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi Bob , and crew .. Yes, Bob they get all types of batteries from time to time . And lucky thing is that they store them for sometimes months till they get enough to fill a container ,so There are pallets of all types if you can pick the time to ..

Now, this is a fairly medium scrap dealer at Molindinah, near nerang.
Other big dealers won't let you near anything ,I've found.

Bruce.

Bushboy

Print this page

To reply to this topic, you need to log in.