People are always looking for little shortcuts to get a few extra bucks out of their scrap metal and we are here to help out. With so much money at risk by not knowing how to sort or separate a few different types of scrap metals you have to be on top of your “scrap game.”
Little scrap hacks that we have found to help you make some quick and easy dollars can go a long way….let’s talk about a few.
Best Hacks for Scrap Metal Recycling
Key Test – Stainless Steel vs. Aluminum
Don’t have a file handy? Well, use the key from your car or house keys to scratch to figure out if you have aluminum or stainless. Aluminum will scratch very easily and stainless will take much more effort to scratch. While this may not always work for your aluminum whereas the stainless will be very easy to tell.
Suggested Reading: Difference Between Aluminum & Stainless Steel
Carbide – Magnet Slight Attraction
Maybe you are cleaning out a machine shop or work in a metal industry that uses carbide, but you stick your magnet to it and it attracts. Well, an attraction vs. a solid connection are very different and that is where you can get a good idea whether or not it is carbide. Watch our video on this below:
Suggested Reading: Scrapping Carbide
Magnetic Broom to pick up loose metal scraps
Work outside a lot? Maybe invest in a tool that you can sweep the ground with and pull out the small hunks of metal or screws that are on the ground so you don’t pop a tire and lose time and money.
(53416A ) w/ Wheels, 30 Pound Capacity, Adjustable Handle & Floor Magnet Clearance Height, Metal Pick Up and Nail Magnet, Floor Sweeper for Construction, Shop, Etc.
Suggested Reading: 4 Things To Avoid At Your Scrap Yard
Warm your Scrap Wire in the Sun before stripping
Here is one of the best tips and scrap hacks that we have been able to find. While in many parts of the country during the winter and fall months, this will not work. But, in the warmer states along with the nicer weather during the year this is a great tool. The sun will help you strip the wire much quicker than if the wire was cool, but make sure you are aware that the longer you leave it in the sun it could melt the plastic to the wire.
Suggested Reading: How-To Strip Copper Wire for Scrap
Mini Transformers – Cut Off The Copper Wires:
Cutting these off from wires and adapters is a great thing to do. You can take a hammer and slightly bash it after and you will be able to get the transformer out of there. That will be a great thing to have for your scrap pile when you go to cash in at your local yard.
Suggested Reading: Scrapping Mini-Transformers
Chisel & Hammer Steel from Stainless Steel Sinks:
Stainless steel is one of the toughest items to scrap and get a clean price for. Here’s what you can do to ensure that you get a clean price on sinks. Get a chisel to make sure that all of the steel/rubber and other garbage is off of the sinks. If you have a sink that has a rubberized bottom do not even bother putting time in to take it apart…it will always be dirty. But with a chisel and a hammer, you can get the steel ring off of the sinks and that will upgrade your scrap price at least three times as much.
Suggested Reading: Places To Find Stainless Steel
Sawzall – Cut Steel Ends Off Radiators:
With so many different types of radiators out there you always want to have a sawzall on hand to take the plastic or steel ends off of it. These are easy to find from auto repair shops and you might be able to get them cheap because they are dirty and easy to upgrade them to make them clean.
3,000 Strokes Per Minute, Variable Speed Trigger, Bare Tool Only (DCS380B), Black/Clear
Suggest Reading: Tools Every Scrapper Should Have
We hope that these scrap hacks help you out! Email us all your recommended scrap hacks to [email protected].
