Dumpster Diving For Scrap Copper And Brass At Plumbing Shops! Trash Picking Recycling 009
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- Suppose you went dumpster diving at plumbing stores. Would you find an awesome haul of scrap copper and brass? In this trash picking adventure we go out to do exactly that and see what we've been missing all this time! If free copper is what you're after, this may just be the answer.
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You need a pair of stillson
(pipe wrench)
It will make your life a lot easier
Not alot of but some of the short fat waterheaters if there older than 2006 will have giant copper barrel liners inside them if it is its worth taking the whole heater and cleaning it...
Really??? Wow, that’s worth looking for. What kind exactly? Not like the propane bottle sized ones that I found here but similar to the “regular” water heaters only smaller?
I've been running a scrapping LLC for about 10 years... you don't need to do all that work after you get back yea you have to break down your different metals but all scrap yards at least in Georgia it's whatever the majority metal is the price they give you
Most scrap yards have grades for clean and dirty metal. You get more per pound for clean brass/copper than brass with steel screws in it or with aluminum attached. Some even separate yellow and chromed brass. Even copper with a small amount of brass attached gets you the brass price instead of copper
Yeah, mine may grade on the majority but I definitely get much worse prices if there’s contaminants left on. I don’t ‘have’ to do the work, but it pays well!
Get some muriatic acid from a pool store (dilute HCl.) Zinc will bubble when dipped, aluminum won't. Or- since zinc is about 2.5x as dense as aluminum, you could do a water displacement/weight calculation to determine the weight by volume. Zinc is about 0.26 pounds per cubic inch, while aluminum is about 0.1 pounds per cubic inch.
You so smart 🥰
@@thubprint - you know it, babe!
That pump your talking about has a good bit of copper inside and they are easy to take apart
I’ll have to grab all the motors next time, I started out by skipping them but by the end of the day I would have had half a dozen or so
@@thubprint quick video here for you skip it to 15.35 in the video th-cam.com/video/kmuqbP4VFyw/w-d-xo.html
@@thubprintor this one skip to 13.00 th-cam.com/video/thNtj8W8cXU/w-d-xo.html
Make up a small tool bag to have in your truck.Have what you need to hand.$$$$$$$$$$
Here in America, there would not be a single ounce of metal left by 9am. I work for an appliance/repair company. People go through our trash nightly. Have even stolen our cameras on the building. I get to take home all the small stuff my boss thinks isn't worth much. I make $50 to $100 a month extra separating all the small stuff.
Nightly? That’s crazy! Stealing the camera off the building is just gross, I’m disappointed to hear that 😕
Good on you for stacking up the good scraps though, that’s some grocery money right there!
As a plumber/gasfitter i can tell you i keep all my copper and brass as a guy who owns my own company. When i worked for other people we used to throw out a fair bit of copper and brass
Aha, that kinda helps explain what I found! So I should be aiming for the places with big names 😉👍
I take those heaters apart and they are from a tankless water heater so those pieces are most likely Cast Aluminum
I have been bottle picking for many years and would find goodies for use and for sale, but @2 years ago I started working for a large plumbing supply company. I bid my time and quickly became a favorite employee so you already know what time it is! Yessssssss!!!! Keep doing the thing. From Sacramento, CA.
Oh you must have a heck of a stash when you hit the scrapyard! Nice work bud, stoked to see you rise 👌
Fellow Utube scrapper, Okie Scrapper keeps a spray bottle of copper sulfate and water in his shop. He grinds a spot on aluminum looking metal and sprays some of the mixture on it, if it turns dark it is not pure aluminum, probably some kind of pot metal. If it is aluminum it doesn't turn any color at all. Good luck and thanks for the vids!
u sure showed that guy how a pro does it
Hello thub just watching you're blog keep safe
ThubPrint you have inspired me with scraping and saving other people trash and either reusing or selling. Coming from the UK. I have seen many others videos and only your one has inspired me .
Wow, thank you! Just stay out of trouble, and do what you can to keep it moving quickly. It piles up so fast, and a month later you’ve become a hoarder! 😂
@@thubprint Yeah most people don't mind in the UK as long as you ask, there normal fine. I have a system going. Keep up the clips 🙌
Nice!👍
awesome! hit up some electricians shops on the next one.
😉😆
Cool!
What a well-mannered scrapper!
Thumbs Up
Big square thing is a burner for tankless water heater along with a gas manifold that has the two round ports on it. You can actually separate each of those little things in the burner, just be careful because they are super sharp.
weight to water displacement for Al=Zn best easy method to use
I like it!
For the fittings that you were having difficulty getting started sometimes the application of a bit of heat from a mapp gas or propane torch will help loosen those, especially if they have red locktite on them.
Probably die-cast aluminum. The same stuff hard drive casings are made from. Usually looks a lot smoother and brighter than regular cast aluminum
Hm.. I think chemical testing is the next step, until I get the hang of it
I think you need to carry bigger pliers and maybe a hacksaw or battery saws all.. another place that usually has a scrap guy are auto repair shops but sometimes the guys don't show up for a while and you can still grab a bunch of stuff they have laying around
I couldn’t find my bigger grips when I packed up in the morning lol
I know it's been a bit but a quick test for zinc it to hit it with a torch and see if it melts really quickly. It has a really low melting point.
You can use Gallium to test for aluminum. Not sure about zinc.
I hadn’t thought about chemical testing, but that sounds cool as heck. Great idea!!
I love your vids thub
Well thank you ☺️ I love making em!
I so enjoy your Videos. I like learning about scrap. You do a great job of explaining it all. Happy hunting for treasure.
Thank you! I aim to keep things straight to the point, though I still get carried away sometimes lol. All the best to you and yours!
Great vids
Thank you!
Cycle shops for steel and aluminium (bike rims, frames).
Hey, there’s an idea!
Good vid! Looking forward to the next one. 👍🏻
Hacksaw works, battery. Powered saw all so much easier.
Zinc has > 2 1/2 times the density of aluminium. If its "heavy" for its size, it could be zinc. In my experience (limited) Ive only found zinc where weight is imporatnt, like in a hanging light, where zinc's weight will make it harder for the wind or a breeze to sway the light.
Ohhh, that makes sense. That’s generally my first consideration to determine what the metal is, the application it’s used in.
Good tip!
M8 zink mixed with aluminum makes die-cast , so you can sell it as cast aluminum ; and a pipe wrench can be really helpful to remove those pesky pieces of copper and brass. The valves off the water heaters 90% of them will be red brass or bronze ( as other people refer to it ) making your payday a bit larger. Keep up the good work. God bless y'all.
Ahh, so in reality it’s not zinc OR aluminium, but both. That makes it so difficult to make a video on lol!
My yards only do 2-3c more on red brass so at my volume it doesn’t change much. But good to know which is which nonetheless!
@@thubprint M8 here in the USA it is about 20 cts more for red brass , since, it has more copper in it .
Continue doing your great videos M8.
PIPE WRENCH GOES ALONG WAY
Cordless multitool, the trouble with cordless jigsaws and saws is the body stops you getting in close.
True. I really like the look of that short body Milwaukee reciprocating saw, just hard to justify buying it when mine is pretty much fine. Never used the multitool tho
Those cast parts went to a tankless water heater along with the steel square that fell apart lol. I love the plumbing dumpster I go to! Keep Scrapping!!!
Same to you buddy, thanks for saying hi!
Zinc is FAR denser than aluminum. Aluminum has a density of 2.7 Gr. /CC, while Zinc is 7.1 Gr. / CC. When you've handled enough of it, its obvious the heavier and the lighter cast materials.
Huh.. maybe this stuff is aluminium after all. It’s just the level of detail in the casting and how thin the walls are, I have a hard time believing alu could be cast in such a fine shape 🤔
@@thubprint break off a small piece. zinc will melt pretty quickly with a propane tourch
I know this is months old but if the scrapyards in your area have a different price there is a simple way that doesn't depend on your subjective opinion about the grain structure of the metal, color weight, etc. Just grind through a secion of paint if it's painted - you need bare metal - and take some concentrated crystal draino crystals and pile them on the bare spot. You have to leave it for a few minutes but if it's aluminum it will turn black and if it's zinc it won't do anything. Just be sure to thoroughly rinse the crystal off after. This works 100% of the time.
The little tab on the toner cartridge has two gold contacts on one side and one gold point on the other under the black little resin insulation dot.
True. Not sure if it’s worth hunting down though, but a fella could grab the ink carts and fill a bin to pick them off later.
@@thubprint I work in an office, I get at least a couple of tabs and foils off of smaller cartridges a week. Been doing it for three years and have a half gallon container crammed full
@@thubprint Apparently the foils are 1/17th gold by weight if the E-scrap facebook group I'm in is to be believed.
I needed a pipe wrench to keep at my garden space, to manage water collection. I went to a pawn shop and got a Ridgid, for 20 bucks. Looks like hell works great
I got my pipe wrench now and I don’t know how I ever went so long without it, such a useful tool
I do copper and brass, and everything else! But I save up for months before I cash in ! All the little tid bits a d such add up!! Thanks for the vid man!!
I save all mine up too, and just brought it all in yesterday 😎
I don’t find a lot of it though so it piles up kinda slow for me
Use water and dawn dish washing fluid to test for cast zinc. I work at a scrap yard and thats what we use. 👍
Itll turn black if it is zinc and remain the same if it is cast.
That's funny I just found a toner at work. I didn't know what it was just tore it apart for fun to see if anything was in it.
😂 hope you weren’t wearing nice clothes!
@@thubprint Its a good thing it was a work uniform. Next thing I know that black dust stuff blows up all over me.
Use a small hand held torch to test for zinc. It melts really quick and easy compared to aluminum
Really? That’s pretty easy! Thanks for the tip 😉
It can be tough finding a shop , be it a plumber , mechanic or whatever. That doesn't already have someone who scoops their scoops.
Oh absolutely. Scrap metal is no secret these days
@@thubprint alot anymore are taking their own or selling it off to someone
I've found good stuff in neighborhood dumpsters but industrial dumpsters are usually locked here.
Glad to see you are still at it!
HEY buddy! I am of course, still at it haha. Was quarantined to the garage for a little while there, starting to look like it may happen again 😅
Hope you’ve been well through all this? Pm me with an addy, I need to send you something
@@thubprint I'm doing well enough, thanks. My family on the other side of the continent were ill for a bit but recovered. I'll use Instagram, as I think TH-cam discontinued that feature? In any case I don't see how to do it through here.
Greetings Thubprint. GOD BLESS you and your family always. Happy Thanksgiving. Be safe,healthy &blessed always family
Thank you so much, blessings to yours as well! Hope you still get to see some loved ones at the table with everything lately 👍
If you haven't yet figured out how to tell if its zinc, mix a teaspoon of copper sulfate with 16 ounces of water. Scratch the metal and spray the mixture on it. If it turns dark then it is zinc. If it does not turn dark then it is aluminum.
Another simple way to tell if it is aluminum is to put some caustic cleaner on it. Alkaline liquids will react with aluminum.
love the WEENIE pliers! m
Good stuff, Thub! No chance, here, every shop is spoken for. Some even have employees who are scrappers, and get the best stuff first...
The batteries were the lower value stuff??? Some people are just on another level 😂
Lmao that dude at the first shop seemed cool but him falling out of the box and playing it off was hilarious
Ive definitely done that once or twice...
😂 I wasn’t sure how I felt about including it but it was just so... cartoony? Lol. I couldn’t help it, it made me giggle
I think the tubing was likely to be aly (3:47)
I know On my route there is a plumbing shop and if I hit the one section there is a HVAC place. The plumb place is decent most of the time. The HVAC place is pretty hit or miss. The plumber place I have no idea what they do with their scrap. I never see hot water tanks or anything, but there will be other random scrap on the side of the dumpster. The HVAC place and the one next to it have someone pick up the big stuff.
Sounds like it’s worth checking when you’re in the area at least. I had a plumbing shop I’d stop by all the time, but they moved locations
Carry a pipe wrench always
I’ve never had one in my everyday carry, but at this point I’m gonna start lol. I see hot water heaters all the time and those bits of brass and copper could be all mine if I had the extra leverage!
safety glasses!!!! you cant do anything without sight
I’ve always got some kind of eye protection around, but sometimes something surprises me when I’m not wearing them. Should really just have them on all the time
U should carry a pair of vice grips. Clamp and hammer
To answer your question, you should watch future Thub's video "Idengifying Zinc VS Aluminum..." . It should be out in about 3 months.
Awesome stuff
You really need a pipe wrench. This is the third video I've watched where you could have used one. 😆
And this was the last time I fought through not having one! It was this same week I went out and got one and WOW I can’t believe I let myself struggle for so long. Such a game changer
the big operation plumbers, HVAC etc tend to just toss heaters, AC condensers whatever as they are. not worth their time or money to strip stuff down. their techs toss the smaller items in regular trash just to get out of their trucks
Wow amazing video !
Ty 😊
18" pipe wrench would have been awesome to have with you
Yeah, I’m thinking I should keep one in the truck from now on
I got some play school plyers for you to have. Plastic hammer to.
I scrapped since the late 90s but these days I was getting metal I was filling up a 16foot open trailer high!! With my 8ft truck bed and totes of junk for maybe 250$ not worth it anymore to me. But I like ur channel
Yeah, the prices aren’t what they used to be that’s for sure. But it’s still fun to take stuff apart!
Nice one Thub! What about auto shop dumpsters for car parts? Probably similar situation.
I was thinkin the same thing 😉😉
Truthfully though, I’d be surprised if they toss much, they definitely stack up batteries and rims for themselves and most have a bin from a scrapyard out back.
In the same fashion though, smaller ones might be less dialed in and larger ones could be more careless.. I guess there’s only one way to find out!
You need a small pipe wrinch
I’m gonna go buy one this week. I was hoping to find one eventually but I need it sooner than that lol
Thanks mate for your videos im new to this scrap thing your videos help a lot
Heck yeah brother! Lmk if there’s anything I can help with, and all the best on your adventures 👌
hmm very interesting video, there are alot of cool things that I learned in this video. Keep them coming I look forward to each video. :D Leave it better than you found it.
You got it Buffalo!
Thub get a big pair of pipe wrench 15 inch and every one of thous stupid fittings will bag you to be nice not other way around 20 bucks at harberfriaght or yardsale
I actually picked one up and I was blown away, it makes a lot of things SO much easier. Power of leverage
Dude you need a freaking trailer with a dump on it Drive around on garbage night and collect all the good stuff Then anything that's resemble that's still good you grear bad and sell it on Facebook
Pot metal.
Use a monkey wrunch or a grinder
Each of those big cylinder ls have a 15kg copper coil and your just walking past it 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Which cylinders?
I can't believe you go scrapping with baby wrench plus you don't have a magnet. I see you more of a bottle and can Collector. That pump is very easy to open and take the copper out. Zinc is dull while aluminium is shiner.
You can see me however you like, that’s not up to me 😊
how and why do you not have a monkey wrench or anything better than channel locks
I have a pipe wrench now! Certainly should’ve gotten one years ago