Above 1200 Sq/FT The Salvage Garage

[rixtrix1]

I got $1.65# for uninsulated copper wire a couple of weeks ago in Phoenix. Hope you did as well or better!

 

[Strouty]

I have not scrapped any copper yet, just steel.

The bare copper tube is going for $2.20 right now, insulated wire was about the same as what you got.

 

[cbacres]

I have not scrapped any copper yet, just steel.

The bare copper tube is going for $2.20 right now, insulated wire was about the same as what you got.

What is steel going for by you Strouty?

 

[Strouty]

****, today number 2 iron was $130 a ton, last week light iron was a tad over $100 a ton.

 

[dr_clyde]

****, today number 2 iron was $130 a ton, last week light iron was a tad over $100 a ton.

At those prices its hard to justify taking back steel scrap unless you have several tons.

I'm losing money by the time I load up, drive to the yard, wait in line, unload, wait some more, and get handed a $50 bill for what amounts to almost 2 hours of time I could be in the shop.

Hopefully the copper makes up for the bad steel prices.

 

[Strouty]

I think the copper will more than make up for things. I figure I will have about a week of labor into the entire project, it just got split up a lot to fit my schedule. If I had reliable help, I could have done things quicker and cheaper, but that is something that is out of my control. Regardless, it is a job, it is interesting, I have found some cool treasures, and someday I will have my shop floor back.

In the end the job will cost me about $3,000, this includes fuel, labor, trash fees, and overhead. I am being paid $500 plus the scrap. I have $350 in checks from the scrap steel already. I know I have 750 pounds of copper prepped, $1,650 worth, so all I need to break even is another 230 pounds of copper and I know I have that. In the end, I should have a decent profit and I am still keeping some cool pieces for future use. Then there are a few things that I think I can sell instead of scrap.

 

[86turbodsl]

At those prices its hard to justify taking back steel scrap unless you have several tons.

I'm losing money by the time I load up, drive to the yard, wait in line, unload, wait some more, and get handed a $50 bill for what amounts to almost 2 hours of time I could be in the shop.

Hopefully the copper makes up for the bad steel prices.

That's where i'm at. I have like 10 cars to scrap out, and i'm just waiting. Like 20 years ago, i remember spending a day scrapping out a bunch of stuff. I had about 700 lbs of steel. I took it in and they handed me $2.30.

I didn't scrap again for a very long time.

 

[Strouty]

I remember when scrap was over $300 a ton, those were the days.

The way I look at it now, when I need the space, I go to the scrap yard, if I don't need the space, I don't waste my time.

Although, when scrap prices tank, you can buy really cool stuff for next to nothing, so there is an upside.

 

[86turbodsl]

This is true. I do get tired of all my scrap sitting around.

I missed the boat on the 300-400 a ton scrapping. I had a new family and a house build underway. It still bugs me.

 

[Strouty]

We scrapped probably 20 tons that summer, I tried to get Dad to do more, but he wanted to wait. Probably another 100 tons on the property.

 

[xtremek]

I hear you about the space. I do mine during GM's summer shutdown. And fortunately, I've never had to wait in line, but it is a 40 minute drive one way. I hope this summer is a good haul.

 

[Strouty]

At this point my motivation needs to increase, if it keeps going in this direction there will be no need for a shop. I am hopeful that the warmer weather will nudge me, I am also looking forward to actually building a truck to use the majority of the time, one I won't have to borrow from family members, that will most likely make me feel a lot better.

 

[racingtadpole]

There are a dozen houses around, it is this one acre grandfathered commercial property, but I try to be a good neighbor. I didn’t think you were picking on me.

I plugged up the shop again, got another load of scrap/trash, straps fell off the rear load as I was turning into my shop driveway, thought that was good, roads are so bumpy, we stopped and tightened things three times.

Rain is supposed to be here this evening and take over Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday look good, so that will be when I start really getting rid of the scrap.





The burb did well hauling the trailer, I am curious to see what it weighs with the load in it.

Best place for those Andrews Radomes is in the trailer on the way to the dump.. Company I used to work for had to swap out about 600 of the fibreglass ones for the spun aluminium ones after they realised the fibreglass was delaminating after two Australian summers of UV. Being one of only a handful of rope techs I made a small fortune in overtime out of that job. To this day I still have never got my head around how they made them transparent to RF.

 

[Strouty]

The fiberglass ones are awful, the remaining ones from the warehouse are all fiberglass and they will be headed to the dump for sure. I haven't dealt with aluminum ones, the one in the picture is actually a plastic material.

 

[smalltown]

Best place for those Andrews Radomes is in the trailer on the way to the dump.. Company I used to work for had to swap out about 600 of the fibreglass ones for the spun aluminium ones after they realised the fibreglass was delaminating after two Australian summers of UV. Being one of only a handful of rope techs I made a small fortune in overtime out of that job. To this day I still have never got my head around how they made them transparent to RF.

The RF goes right through the plastic if they wanted to block the RF or in the case of an older satellite dish they would be either solid metal or more likely have imbedded wire mesh with appropriate sizing to block/bounce the RF back toward a feedhorn for signal collection.

 

[Orionrising]

Wet day for the fryeburg spring auction tommorrow. Dunno if I will be motivated to go.

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[Strouty]

I forgot about that auction. I am not sure if I should thank you or not.

 

[jakemac]

Heavy rain ? Maybe fewer bidders to complete with.


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[Orionrising]

Listing looks like mostly farm stuff not sure there's much youd be interested in. Lots of stuff I am but probably all go for 3x what I'd pay.

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[jack stand]

Heavy rain ? Maybe fewer bidders to complete with.


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Every time I tell myself that same thing....
it quickly becomes apparent at the auction that I was not the only one with that thought.

They did have a nice selection (last year) of Makita factory rebuilt tools. I bought a skill saw and a 41/2" grinder and both work as they should.

 

[jack stand]

Strouty let me know if you have any structural steel headed to the scrap yard. I'll give you scrap $ and come & pick it up! (angles, rounds, sq tube beams, etc. for projects)

 

[Richard Cranium]

Tomorrow is the spring auction here, I went and previewed it Tuesday, Not going to waist my time. May just go yard saleing instead. Rich

 

[Orionrising]

I Decided to go, will see how it goes

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[Strouty]

Good luck, hope the prices don't go too high.

 

[Orionrising]

Will see 3 minis 2 a little smaller than I want one, bigger and gray market.

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[Strouty]

We have a couple gray market machines, no real issues, but parts were tougher to get.

 

[Orionrising]

We'll see I can't even find the model on Google. Yanmar ztr70 wierd thing with a swing on the arm instead of at the cab.

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[Strouty]

Did you get anything?

I am headed out to go look at a couple trucks down in Massachusetts, best way to spend Easter.

Both will need some work for my purpose, might not end up with either of them, there is another one in New Jersey if these don't work out, but that is for another day.

Hope everyone has a great day.

 

[Orionrising]

nope didnt place a bid, excavators went to high.

Should have bought an old 350 dozer though it went for only 3k.

 

[Strouty]

It is tough, sometimes you hold back in anticipation of trying to buy something else, then when you get outbid, you kick yourself for not bidding on another thing. At least that is what happens with me.

I am going to try and make a deal on the fire truck, I am sure I can find a “perfect” truck later, but how much later? If I keep waiting, I won’t have enough life left to enjoy it.

 

[Strouty]

I ended up with a fire truck, going to convert it into my knuckle boom/trailer hauler. Should at least be an interesting project, hope to have it rolling ASAP and that will be the hard part. I need to start pulling parts from different trucks to make this happen on a budget, but in the end it will be worth the effort (I hope). It will definitely be a different looking truck, of course last night I turned on the TV and there was a "diesel brothers" episode and they were talking about the fire truck that they converted, guess it won't be totally unique. I have to decide how unique I want to make it, I know I have to stay away from "perfection", otherwise it will never get finished. Long term I want to have a larger knuckle boom, a more powerful engine, and definitely all wheel drive. This one may just be two wheel drive with a locker in the rear to help get in and out of stickier situations. I don't really know if I can deal with that or not, it doesn't make the truck as unique and cool as I would like.

 

[xtremek]

How old a truck did you end up with? Pics? Good luck with your new toy.

 

[Strouty]

It is a 1996, so not too bad, I am pretty sure that from here on out, I will be using this style cab for my future builds. This is a cheap style one, doors are not really nice like some others, so next one I will be really picky about.

 

[jakemac]

If that is old fire hose I see on that truck, save it !
Retired fire hose can be very useful. I use it over my straps or rope to prevent chaffing and cuts when securing even light loads on my trailer. Until I got my hands on some, I used to destroy a ******** almost every trip due to sharp edges on my trailers. Now, not so much. Even my cheap straps are lasting much longer when I remember to use the scraps of fire hose I keep in my truck.

The same can be done on mooring lines to prevent damage.
The first place I saw it used was on the Half Moon, moored on the Hudson River. They knew what they were doing.


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[Strouty]

Great idea, I was trying to figure out what would be the best use for it. I have seen it used over hydraulic lines too, just had not thought about it until you mentioned it.

There is some really cool stuff that I will be salvaging, then I will try and sell the pump and PTO/transfer unit. I am pretty excited about this, but I need to clear a hole in the shop first, the back body has lots of wires going to it, I don’t want to just hack things, then find out the truck won’t start for some dumb reason.

 

[Strouty]

My Snap On driver was acting like a 12 year old, he was climbing all over the fire truck, he wants to drive it in the yard, I told him I would make room to do that next week.

I almost have all the bigger copper prepped, still need to work on the coax and wire, but I should be done before June (seriously I hope )



This is the best part! Of course I can’t do that inside the shop. ;(



Lots of access.



Rear area is huge, will be enough room to have a sleeping area and then some.

 

[jeffmoss26]

man that is cool!

 

[Strouty]

Thanks Jeff, hopefully when I get it done it will still look cool.

 

[86turbodsl]

I don't need anything like that. But I want one.

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[Strouty]

I guess people really like fire trucks. I wasn’t sure, but now I am a fan too.