# Scrap metal ideas



## secretcreek (Jan 24, 2010)

Would the corrugated steel siding on modern pole barns/buildings be a good source for metal for $$

My minds going two ways: 1) Hmmmm...money for tearing down unused buildings, 2) Just like copper, would one need to fear folks stealing their barn siding? 

-scrt crk


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Copper is running $3/lb.

Steel is running $6-7 for a 100lbs.

In an hour, thieves can strip 50lbs pounds of copper, and stick it in the trunk of a car. $150

Or they can spend an hour taking down 100lbs of metal for $6, and have to have a truck to haul it in.

Most thieves have a better understanding of economics than most economists


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

TnAndy said:


> Copper is running $3/lb.
> 
> Steel is running $6-7 for a 100lbs.
> 
> ...


You are so correct. Last year opened up one of my Laundries at 5 a.m., thought dang it's cold in here. Started checking breakers and worked my way all the way back to the heating unit. Wow ! doors torn off, wires hanging, burnt arced places everywhere! The fools had knocked the meter off the base thinking that the power would be off, little did they know it was an electronic meter that the base still had power on it. 3 phase at that. We finally figured that they got caught up in it and it lite them up and they gave up. We made a lap around the building, did not find any body's. : After about an hour of rewiring we were back in business and no problems since.

They know economics but they now know 3 phase power too.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Lucky they didn't sue you for operating a public nussiance


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## Spatula (Feb 10, 2010)

not so much for scrap metal, but have you priced tin roofing/siding lately? A friend and I have legally and with the owner's permission taken down a few old buildings over the years, saving the roofing and a lot of timber for future projects. That stuff gets expensive if you have to buy it...


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

Old appliances.

Carried 4 washers (residential size) to recycling place and got $85 ! Over the years I have hauled 1000's to the land field for $0. *If* I had only known scrap would be worth so much I would have stored them for later.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

A lot of that newer metal siding is aluminum. Good price for that. But so far, nobody has been stealing it.

I'm halfway surprised that nobody is stealing stacks of cut and split firewood. That's less work than ripping out plumbing and it is selling mighty high and would be easy to sell.

Secret Creek, if you are interested in doing salvage, look for old mobile homes. That's aluminum siding on those, and around here, you get paid to take them apart.


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## Kiamichi Kid (Apr 9, 2009)

Being a blacksmith scrap metal of all kinds is like a goldmine to me...Its worth more to me as supplies/materials.. than to haul it for salvage..


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

secretcreek said:


> Would the corrugated steel siding on modern pole barns/buildings be a good source for metal for $$
> 
> My minds going two ways: 1) Hmmmm...money for tearing down unused buildings, 2) Just like copper, would one need to fear folks stealing their barn siding?
> 
> -scrt crk


Corrugated steel would be a good source of $$ if you take it to a auction or put it in your front yard with a For Sell sign on it. But it would not be worth tearing down and taking it to a scrap metal recycling plant. There are better ways to make money.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Scrapping metal roofing is a crime against nature. Anyone that'd bought metal roofing lately wouldn't dream of scrapping it. Galvalume is 55/square, metal 65/square. Find any, keep it.

I've torn down several barns, mainly just for the metal roofing. I could sell the stuff, if I were insane, for twice as much as new costs just several years ago. I've built several barns and outbuildings strictly with salvaged metal roofing.

When I come upon scroungable scrap metal, it comes home with me and goes into my metal stockpile. Metal prices are insane if you have to buy the stuff... I have quite a varied assortment of metal on the place, and can fabricate whatever I need, with junk on hand.

Btw... I'd gladly pay twice scrap rates, if anyone wants to deliver once used metal roofing here!


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## swamp man (Dec 25, 2005)

texican said:


> Scrapping metal roofing is a crime against nature. Anyone that'd bought metal roofing lately wouldn't dream of scrapping it. Galvalume is 55/square, metal 65/square. Find any, keep it.
> 
> I've torn down several barns, mainly just for the metal roofing. I could sell the stuff, if I were insane, for twice as much as new costs just several years ago. I've built several barns and outbuildings strictly with salvaged metal roofing.
> 
> ...


You said it. When I bought my mobile home (or as an honest ******* like myself refers to it "a trailer"), the fella' I bought it from paid me $100 to disassemble and haul away teenty or so panels of 4'x12' galvanized roofing and a whole bunch of chain-link fence complete with gates and all the jiblets....score.

Yep, there's money in scrap metal and the prices here are higher than what's been quoted. Folks in my area have gotten so broke that anything made of metal is likely to come up missing, and somebody actually stole an old, dead truck battery out of my yard a few weeks back. The fact that somebody would risk getting shot over a battery that they may have gotten six dollars for is most definitely a sign of the times. I'm now locking up my little fishing boat.....it's aluminum.


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## Spatula (Feb 10, 2010)

swamp man said:


> somebody actually stole an old, dead truck battery out of my yard a few weeks back. The fact that somebody would risk getting shot over a battery that they may have gotten six dollars for is most definitely a sign of the times.


There's definitely a market for old batteries - I was clearing some old ones out of the barn to take to the county "convenience center" and a fellow there stopped me and asked if he could have them...I'm just hoping it doesn't get bad like it was a couple years back with folks actively roaming around pillaging HVAC units, catalytic converters, etc...


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Around here anymore if a Person has Rental Trailers no surprise to see all the Metal gone over night,same with Rental Houses Wiring and Copper Plumbing gone.

big rockpile


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