Where To Find Scrap Metal For Free - How To Start Scrapping 

He’s where I started too!

Thanks for recycling/not throwing them in trash :)

V. V h v

Uh, ur talking like that’s not ur only location lol How many do u have?

Lmao it's cool getting money for something that's complete trash to u😂

That’s very kind of you! I think if these videos take off, that’ll be my bonus 😉

When I get something from the curb I always do a 360 waving and saying thank you

Thanks, and that’s awesome! Some soft skills that can get you through hard times if they come up for sure 👌

You just described my family. I was taught to scrap metal and recycle cardboard & newspaper. While my parents made money from those items I made money as a child from hubcaps. Now with high property taxes I'm selling scrap metal to cover the tax bill.

THATs what I’m talking about! Good call checking in with them, I bet that was a great week 👍

@@thubprint it waa a great 4 MONTHS! Soooo much metal shelving and display fixtures. FYI some yards will pay more for light iron that's clean and thin, i.e. shelves/filling cabinets/light fixtures without any plastic or wiring. One of my yards pays $0.06/lb for light iron and $0.09/lb for 'clean' light iron. More than heavy iron!

Alex Murphy oh that’s way better! And 4 months, holy cow... I don’t know if I’d be happy about that or not haha!

Cool! How do you even find copper and brass when they aren’t magnetic? Are you gonna be doing videos of it?

​@@thubprint All by eye, most of what I find is wire, but I also find copper pipe, old brass things... anything that sticks out as not a natural part of the rivers. I find at least a little bit of scrap in most of my videos (and sometimes a few bags full); though scrapping isn't the primary focus... they're more a relaxing, almost ASMR walk in or alongside rivers; picking up anything from fossils, to vintage bottles, to modern trash.

Heck yes, that’s how we do it!!

That’s insane! $0.13?? You must have been the only one bidding on the place!

@@thubprint for that particular Auction Company every item starts at $0.10 and I was the only one who bid on it. That was my most profitable online purchase so far by a very large margin!

Nice! Yeah it really doesn’t work unless you’ve got a space for it. A fella could use a covered trailer and just store it in there until they bring it in to sell too, but some kind of shed or garage is ideal. Wish you all the best!

Right! I think I read on one of their advertisements there is a point where you start paying tonnage, but most people would never hit that unless they were loading it with bricks or cars.

Ohhh that could be a REAL good tip!

Oooo, a boatyard! I’ve never had the opportunity, but I’ll look forward to it if I ever get to! I’ve only been to the docks in Vancouver, but those are mostly fancy yacht clubs from what I remember.

@@thubprint I work for an engine/generator company thus drive my service truck in to the yard where boats (everything from 25 foot fishing boats to 200 foot yachts with a fair share of passenger ferries/tugs) are up on jack stands etc, they repair and service all kinds of systems at the yard, the employees park outside and get around on golf carts. They aren't allowed to take anything out the gate unless it fits in the lunch box. The metal and plumbing/electical depts have scrap bins in their shops, but for example last week there was all kinds of brass/bronze sea water piping in a pile by the trash, a corroded 1/2 hp electric motor, and a big bunch of 14/3 copper wire that had been ripped out. I often find marine batteries just left by the trash by boat crews. Often I leave it a day or so and if nobody else grabs it, it goes in my truck. I have a 6' x 12' area between a shed and privacy fence at home I pile things up in, and once or twice a year I do a haul. Now I don't scrap like you do, but it's foolish to throw away beer money as I get anywhere from $50 to a couple hundred a year for maybe an hours effort and a five mile drive to drop it off.

Ah, I guess you’re in one of the spots where bottles and cans don’t have deposits? Steel sure isn’t what it used to be lol.

I appreciate you saying so! I’d like to improve a little bit every time but sometimes it’s hard to see when you’re this close to it, so thank you for confirming that 😁 I certainly will bud, keep leaving it better than you found it!

Happy to hear it! A lot of people have asked me how to get started and this is basically all I do. The bike would make it real tough tho

Thanks! I figure if I’m gonna make *the* scrap guide to this or that, it should look half decent 😅

Thanks Ziggy! There’s definitely all different levels for different people. I’d love to do some welding as a hobby but I have limited space for tools, not to mention the startup cost. I’m hoping if I make really great videos I won’t need the trash as much lol

​I hope so too. You are my favorite scrapper channel. I'd suggest a cheap plasma cutter/welder combo to cut up conductive scrap metal or a flux-core welder if you have outdoor space. I do most of my cutting and welding on cast-off grills outside-- dryer cords make good extension cords lol. Ebay, Craigslist and pawn shops are good places to find cheap used welders.

I LOVE TAKING SHIT APARTY, 1 OF THE MAIN REASON I LOVE SCRAPPING, I LOVE RUNNING SO I GO ON RUNS ON TRASH NIGHT, IF I FIND SHIT I TAKE IT AND RUN HOME WITH IT LOL GOOD WORK...OFC COME BACK WITH TRUCK IF TOO BIG TO CARRY 1/4 MILE LOL

Thanks so much! I’ve seen other people’s videos that always look so good, so I’ve been trying to figure it out 👌 glad it makes a difference!

It’s not full-time income, but it sure can be fun!

We do have fun together. Thub was one of the first you tube scrappers I turned him on to.

That sounds... problematic 😅

It's actually quite fun. You can be much more detailed on a bike, and it's like unintentionally going to the gym. Plus, I'm not old enough to drive anyway.

Nice! I think that’s the best way to scrap, it’s not really a full-time thing but makes great beer money.

@@thubprint i dont drink beer but its helps with bills and with the stripmeister i get clean copper almost got 100lbs of it lol

Ty! ☺️

Thank you!

😁

Thanks!

Thanks! It has been a bit inconsistent over the last little while (the channel). Sounds like our experiences are pretty similar, when I find a roll off there’s usually somebody hanging around to ask, definitely the sure way to not get in trouble for it 👌

@@thubprint, exactly.

Thank you! Been working on it 😁

*doing the thing

Thanks Ryan! I know a lot of people are missing the bottle picking so I’ll do one of those soon, but I’m really enjoying building up this body of work. Glad you’re liking them!

Nice! My trips always end up the same, if I leave the house I tend to come back with something heh. What in the world is ‘flytipping’?? Lol!

I’d have her every time if I could 😁

I’m just happy to be here, thanks for saying hi!

That sounds fantastic! I should check some of mine. We have similar stations but there’s always a bottle picker just hanging out at them waiting for people’s cans.

@@thubprint Same here in Sweden. They are smart to go for bottles. Good money, easy. I stick to the e-waste mostly. Love the scrapping at home. Take care!

It was about time lol. Glad to see it makes a difference!

I.. what? thank you?

Decent! Appliances are something I have yet to dive into, it seems tough to make money just scrapping them. Between the low price of steel and the refrigerator fees I mean.

@@thubprint the gas appliances make it worth it. They all have brass fittings. Also motors from washers/dryers are super easy to get out and the control panel is usually aluminum. Water heaters are the best bet though, they're heavy for their size and all have at least two brass valves and nice heavy gauge wiring

Nice! I think it’s a lot trickier in Canada (assuming you’re in the states) but I’ve thought about starting a smaller scrapyard in a smaller town

@@thubprint yes i am in the states. Luckily lm close to Boston mass and manchester nh so I can actually sell my boards RIP Canada:(

Might actually be an opportunity there for someone who can run boards across the border 🤔

@@thubprint if somone could set something up and take an 18 wheeler through maine or the tip of nh that would be a possibility. I just dont know about customs

Yeah, you’re not wrong. That’s why it’s just a minor hobby for me, you gotta go full-time with it or just do it for fun.

As long as you’re staying out of trouble, whatever works for you is the way to go! I just like doing it in the daytime because I often have someone approach me and I get more than I would have otherwise.

That sounds cool too! It doesn’t make a ton of money, so casting would be a fun use for sure. Do you have an Instagram or anywhere you show what you’ve made?

You could still find a way but yeah, that definitely sounds real tough. If you get a camera though you could always show people what life is like there!

@Jsuttian Pura Vida mae!

Not a bad idea! I tried a grabber once but it was mostly annoying because I was usually walking.

Heck yeah, that’s a great pickup! Doesn’t happen all the time, but I’m sure he’ll think of you if it comes up in the future as well 👌

Well anything small can of course go in the home trash bin. With a really large hunk of plastic though? A person could cut it down and feed it through their home waste removal stream, or find an apartment dumpster that has a bit of space, or just hold onto any big stuff until it makes sense to make a dump trip! I go to the landfill from time to time anyway though, because they’ll take old tires and used oil/paint for free in my area. The best way by far though is just not to bring it home in the first place, haha! Strip out the parts you want and leave the rest in the bin you found the thing in.

Wow, that’s some service! $50-100 for 600lbs sounds about right to me

Really??? I guess it keeps the streets clean, but that’s gonna make trash picking real hard haha!

I know! There can be decent money in cars! Still a few pennies short on buying land lol

@@thubprint is that a goal or a if it hapens it hapens sorta thing?

Ryan Paradis no I definitely plan on buying a piece of dirt. I’m not sure where yet, but I’m taking care of the income puzzle first.

😮 WOW buddy, great work! I should stop making videos and do more scrapping lol! But fr that is impressive 👍

No bs I can't believe how easy it is people just say take it i need rid of this frig or ac unit i sell on fbook yard sale all good stuff if its bad like my wife says Junk Yard Johns putting it threw the human shreader and im glad for micro wave vid I just touched a units thingamabob the other day and felt a small shock from that piece you said can stop your heart i went and bout a super kool set of lineman and insulated gloves and all great ps wish plastic bottles were worth something near me but its not great day to you and your family JyJ

You mean out picking and treasure hunting? I’ve got a few weeks of guide videos I want to finish first, but it’ll be soon 👌

Oh that guy’s great! I’ll have to check that one out though, lots of movies I haven’t seen

Really?? That’s crazy they sold it to you with so much more profit still in it!

Well hello fellow trash friend! Idk if I’d blame the hairstylist, sounds like that’s a choice you make lol. I used to grab alu lasagna dishes and pie plates, but they just don’t end up being worth much. It’s true I took a bit of a break from actually picking, it just didn’t seem like a good idea with everything going on. Not that things have changed much but I’m gonna have to get back at it myself pretty quick, cuz the money has to come from somewhere!

@@thubprint When the container deposit came in it was a decidedly welcome playing field change. Sort of still is. I really got to sort some things out. The foil thing is not really financially worth it, but you get committed to it and its not that tough. Just gotta raid their wheely bin over the weekend in a deserted lane for a sort of hefty shopping bag of foil and then pour that into the wool bag at home. The satisfaction of creating a unit of industrial production when I do get it in to the scrap yard and electronically tabulated.

😅

@@thubprint To be clear it was a trash can. Not a little drinking can LOL.

Actually yes, I think that happens a lot! Some people can be real shady. I think if you put it under the “services” category that helps on Kijiji and craigslist at least.

K 😁

Awrite, okay, been at this a long time then! Long enough time have seen the prices bounce all over the place I imagine 👍

Accidental scrapping, my favourite kind! Surprising to me there are still satellites being installed though, those aren’t consumer television dishes are they?

Nope right now my stack consists of obsolete models of satellite Internet dishes. Get a truck bed full it is usually bout 300 to 400lbs and usually get about $40 for it.

I got a new camera awhile back but I didn’t know what I was doing with it lol. Very slowly figuring it out!

That’s the end of the vid, I’m not sure 😅

They’re just far less valuable than copper so it’s not really worth breaking down items to find aluminium windings

My scrapyards need to see a drivers license so they can record who brings material in, but there’s no special license other than that

That sounds awesome! I should tell my yard they gotta step it up with the snacks 😉

@@thubprint oh yes,,, got to have snacks 🤣

I have really bad social anxiety (why I want to start to supplement my income). How did you manage to get these business owners to work with you? I've been wanting to contact auto shops, auto stores, etc to see if they would allow me to take scrap. Any suggestions?

If it doesn’t bother the people paying you to be there and it’s on your own time, I sure would be!

😎👌

It’s basically just visual, if the shape looks like it could’ve been squeezed out like play-doh it’s usually extrusion. Typically long tube shapes

Excellent tip. It’s a pretty nasty mess for sure.

I met a fellow who collected all the adjustable universal steel bedframe a he could get for just that reason, it’s decent stock and expensive to purchase outright for projects