Scrap Metal - Two Questions
 

I'm getting ready to make a run to the scrap yard, but I have a couple
of questions.

!. I have a pile of stuff that is definitely yellow brass, and
another pile that is definitely red bronze, but there is a third pile
that isn't as red as the bronze and not as yellow as the brass. It
there a simple way to identify whether something is brass or bronze?

2. I have a lot of copper wire that was salvaged from a fire. It is
bare, but it is black (either from soot or burned insulation). Is
there a simple way to clean it up a bit? It would be great if the
chlorine or muriatic acid from the wife's pool supplies could do the
trick.

Thanks,
Ed

Scrap Metal - Two Questions
 

Ed Bailen wrote:

I'm getting ready to make a run to the scrap yard, but I have a couple
of questions.

!. I have a pile of stuff that is definitely yellow brass, and
another pile that is definitely red bronze, but there is a third pile
that isn't as red as the bronze and not as yellow as the brass. It
there a simple way to identify whether something is brass or bronze?

2. I have a lot of copper wire that was salvaged from a fire. It is
bare, but it is black (either from soot or burned insulation). Is
there a simple way to clean it up a bit? It would be great if the
chlorine or muriatic acid from the wife's pool supplies could do the
trick.

Thanks,
Ed

Aren't these the scrap yard's problems, not yours? :-)

GWE

Scrap Metal - Two Questions
 

Grant Erwin wrote:
Ed Bailen wrote:

I'm getting ready to make a run to the scrap yard, but I have a couple
of questions.

!. I have a pile of stuff that is definitely yellow brass, and
another pile that is definitely red bronze, but there is a third pile
that isn't as red as the bronze and not as yellow as the brass. It
there a simple way to identify whether something is brass or bronze?

2. I have a lot of copper wire that was salvaged from a fire. It is
bare, but it is black (either from soot or burned insulation). Is
there a simple way to clean it up a bit? It would be great if the
chlorine or muriatic acid from the wife's pool supplies could do the
trick.

Thanks,
Ed


Aren't these the scrap yard's problems, not yours? :-)

Scrapyards are like courtrooms. Never ask
a question you don't already know the answer to :-)

Scrap Metal - Two Questions
 

Grant Erwin wrote:
Ed Bailen wrote:

I'm getting ready to make a run to the scrap yard, but I have a couple
of questions.

!. I have a pile of stuff that is definitely yellow brass, and
another pile that is definitely red bronze, but there is a third pile
that isn't as red as the bronze and not as yellow as the brass. It
there a simple way to identify whether something is brass or bronze?

2. I have a lot of copper wire that was salvaged from a fire. It is
bare, but it is black (either from soot or burned insulation). Is
there a simple way to clean it up a bit? It would be great if the
chlorine or muriatic acid from the wife's pool supplies could do the
trick.

Thanks,
Ed

Aren't these the scrap yard's problems, not yours? :-)

Scrapyard I've been using appears to assume I'm an idiot and gives me
however much they want to give me for my scrap. Time to change dealers.

Scrap Metal - Two Questions
 

Ed Bailen wrote:
I'm getting ready to make a run to the scrap yard, but I have a couple
of questions.

!. I have a pile of stuff that is definitely yellow brass, and
another pile that is definitely red bronze, but there is a third pile
that isn't as red as the bronze and not as yellow as the brass. It
there a simple way to identify whether something is brass or bronze?

2. I have a lot of copper wire that was salvaged from a fire. It is
bare, but it is black (either from soot or burned insulation). Is
there a simple way to clean it up a bit? It would be great if the
chlorine or muriatic acid from the wife's pool supplies could do the
trick.

Thanks,
Ed

They won't pay you a penny more whether it's shiny or not. the black
copper oxide will probably reduce to copper in the smelter.

And unless there's a different price between the brasses they're gonna
pay one price for it too.

Scrap Metal - Two Questions
 

There are about 10 different yellow brasses, nothing that is
commercially called "red bronze", but maybe 50 possible alloys that are
sorta red and sorta bronze. Some of em have zinc in em, or nickel, or
lead, or silicon, or aluminum, or any of 10 or so other common alloying
ingredients.

There are well over 100 common copper alloys out there, and the only
way to really id em is spectrographic analysis- unless you can trace it
back to the manufacturer, its all just "copper and something else".

In other words, "brass", and "bronze" are just sort of generic terms
for stuff that is sorta yellow, and stuff that is sorta red or brown.
But unless you actually know the 5 digit number of the alloy, its all
worth the same price, which is mixed copper scrap price.
At least, thats the way it is at my junkyard.

Scrap Metal - Two Questions
 

Ah but they do give your more money for shiny wire than wire with burned
insulation from a fire.

jerry wass wrote:
Ed Bailen wrote:

I'm getting ready to make a run to the scrap yard, but I have a couple
of questions.

!. I have a pile of stuff that is definitely yellow brass, and
another pile that is definitely red bronze, but there is a third pile
that isn't as red as the bronze and not as yellow as the brass. It
there a simple way to identify whether something is brass or bronze?

2. I have a lot of copper wire that was salvaged from a fire. It is
bare, but it is black (either from soot or burned insulation). Is
there a simple way to clean it up a bit? It would be great if the
chlorine or muriatic acid from the wife's pool supplies could do the
trick.

Thanks,
Ed


They won't pay you a penny more whether it's shiny or not. the black
copper oxide will probably reduce to copper in the smelter.

And unless there's a different price between the brasses they're gonna
pay one price for it too.

Scrap Metal - Two Questions
 

Just from personal experience I will tell you that contrary to what
they might tell you, when push comes to shove, they will pay you less
for scrap with stuff on it. Do your research on scrap buyers, they will
also tell you that a certain material is not a certain material. Two
cases come to mind, First case was a car grille that was very heavy and
non - magnetic, found out it was stainless, but the scrap yard told me
it was aluminum. It went down the road to the next scrap buyer. Second
case was a pickup bed full of copper pipe sized from 1/2" to 2", no
fittings or solder joints, totally clean material, and they tried to
tell me it was Number 2 Dirty that was only paying out about one third
of what Number 1 Clean was. It went down the road too, to get the
Number 1 Clean price. Also if you have never done business with them
before, get a Written sheet with the company letterhead or something
else that they know officially came from their office, detailing what
they take and how they classify it. You would be surprised how quick
policies can change, when they are faced with somebody that brings in a
couple hundred pounds of material. A small plastic bag full of cans,
they hand you your dollar and say "run along", back in there with a 40"
semi trailer loaded and see how quick they try to turn the sign around
to read closed. I haven't been burned so to speak, but I have been very
aggrivated with scrap men. Some have even gone as far as to close when
they would see me pull up.

Scrap Metal - Two Questions
 

On Wed, 29 Mar 2006 11:31:42 -0600, Ed Bailen wrote:

I'm getting ready to make a run to the scrap yard, but I have a couple
of questions.

!. I have a pile of stuff that is definitely yellow brass, and
another pile that is definitely red bronze, but there is a third pile
that isn't as red as the bronze and not as yellow as the brass. It
there a simple way to identify whether something is brass or bronze?

2. I have a lot of copper wire that was salvaged from a fire. It is
bare, but it is black (either from soot or burned insulation). Is
there a simple way to clean it up a bit? It would be great if the
chlorine or muriatic acid from the wife's pool supplies could do the
trick.

Thanks,
Ed

Bronze? PERK

What sort of forms are they in?

Gunner


"The importance of morality is that people behave themselves even if
nobody's watching. There are not enough cops and laws to replace
personal morality as a means to produce a civilized society. Indeed,
the police and criminal justice system are the last desperate line of
defense for a civilized society. Unfortunately, too many of us see
police, laws and the criminal justice system as society's first line
of defense." --Walter Williams