A Pound of Metal Per Mile 2018

[CrazyTom]

I just can't help myself. Another year of logging the free metal!

6 oz cans
1 lb 4 oz steel

2 quarters
3 dimes
1 nickel
7 pennies

2 golf balls

[CrazyTom]

3 oz cans
10 oz steel
4 oz tire weights

6 pennies
1 dime

2018 totals

9 oz cans
1 lb 14 oz steel
4 oz tire weights

$1.08 cash

2 golf balls

[CrazyTom]

6 oz cans
8 oz steel

1 quarter
3 dimes
1 nickel
8 pennies


2018 totals

15 oz cans
2 lb 6 oz steel
4 oz tire weights

$1.76cash

2 golf balls

[CrazyTom]

13 oz cans
4 lb 4 oz steel
1 oz tire weights

1 quarter
3 dimes
6 pennies

2 golf balls


2018 totals

1 lb 12 oz cans
6 lb 10 oz steel
5 oz tire weights

$2.37 cash

4 golf balls

[CrazyTom]

Spring Break is time for free metal!

6 oz cans
12 oz steel
2 oz tire weights

2 dimes
2 pennies


2018 totals

2 lb 2 oz cans
7 lb 6 oz steel
7 oz tire weights

$2.59 cash

4 golf balls

[CrazyTom]

Been getting over a prostate TURP procedure. And what am I doing? Getting back to the free metal!

3 lb 9 oz steel
3 oz cans

1 dime
4 pennies


2018 totals

2 lb 5 oz cans
10 lb 15 oz steel
7 oz tire weights

$2.73 cash

4 golf balls

[CrazyTom]

Some slob dumped a garage door opener, minus the motor, in some bushes. I got it home and separated the metals. Where would I be without slobs?

11 lb 12 oz steel
4 lb 7 oz aluminum
1 oz copper wire
4 oz cans

1 quarter
2 pennies

1 Apple iPhone, smashed.


2018 totals

2 lb 9 oz cans
22 lb 11 oz steel
7 oz tire weights
1 oz copper
4 lb 7 oz aluminum

$3.00 cash

1 cell phone

4 golf balls

[plus1hdcp]

Keep it up Tom, glad to see you still at it!

[CrazyTom]

plus1hdcp, you don't want a prostate rotorooter. No one wants a prostate rotorooter. I'm very glad it's all in the rear view mirror.

[Rosco]

I had the TURP about 15 years ago and do not remember Difficulties afterward.
But I did have some bleeding a year later and quit the biking.

[CrazyTom]

On the drive into work, at a busy intersection a mile from my house, I spied what looked like a handful of quarters in the middle of the intersection. Could have been electrical box knockout slugs. What is a metal maniac to do? Get up early on a Saturday and check it out at 4:30 AM. I was rewarded with $2.50 in quarters!

2 oz cans
1 oz tire weight
9 oz steel

A 12 MM combination wrench
A Torx 15 socket bit

11 quarters
3 pennies
1 dime



2018 totals

2 lb 11 oz cans
23 lb 4 oz steel
8 oz tire weights
1 oz copper
4 lb 7 oz aluminum

$5.88 cash

1 cell phone

4 golf balls

[smalltimeopn]

Nice score!!! I'll find a coin along the road and wonder how it got there, but $2.50?!

[CrazyTom]

Memorial weekend metal.

7 oz cans
4 lb steel
4 oz tire weights

3 dimes
7 pennies

1 golf ball


2018 totals

3 lb 2 oz cans
27 lb 4 oz steel
12 oz tire weights
1 oz copper
4 lb 7 oz aluminum

$6.25 cash

1 cell phone

5 golf balls

[Recyclersteve]

Tom, have you ever thought about looking in trash dumpsters or along streets just before the periodic brush pickups? (A side note- I can't believe this is officially my 2,000th message posted on this fine site...)

[CrazyTom]

I do try to keep my eye peeled for opportunities!

[CrazyTom]

9 oz cans
5 lb 1 oz steel ( a 9/32, and a 5 mm socket, a slotted driver tip in the bunch)
5 oz tire weights
2 lb aluminum

1 quarter
2 dimes
1 nickel
12 pennies

3 golf balls



2018 totals

3 lb 11 oz cans
32 lb 5 oz steel
17 oz tire weights
1 oz copper
6 lb 7 oz aluminum

$6.87 cash

1 cell phone

8 golf balls

[Contradiction]

This is a cool thread because it looks like something I could do. How do you keep from getting killed by the cars driving by?

How much metal do I need to collect to go to the recycler?

[Recyclersteve]

You should have enough material to cover your gas money both ways plus a little extra. Personally I have to forego some big items like major appliances that others pick up, since I drive an SUV. I did see a video of a guy in the United Kingdom who rides a bike and does quite well, believe it or not.

One thing you will want to do is to get a supply of used (heavy duty plastic) buckets that you can separate different things into. I have separate buckets for different types of wire, aluminum cans, copper tubing, brass, and miscellaneous items. Also, I found over 70 tools while scrapping, so I have all kinds of screwdrivers, snippers to clip the ends off of wire, etc. It would be good to invest in gloves and eye protection.

Also, if you can carry around a small magnet with you that will help. Steel, which the magnet will be attracted to, pays the least. Copper, aluminum and brass, which the magnet won't be attracted to, all pay substantially more. Steel in my area pays 5 cents a pound. Aluminum can be anywhere from about 10 cents to 80 cents a pound. Copper can be from 35 cents to $2.40 a pound. 35 cents is for insulated wire that has only a small percentage of copper in it. $2.40 is for pure (bare bright) copper that has the insulation removed from it.

Scrapping has a fairly steep learning curve. Before wasting time stripping wire, I take samples with me to the scrap yard and ask how much I can get per pound with the insulation on the wire (versus stripped wire). There are quite a few times where you are wasting your time to try and strip wire as you would actually make more leaving it insulated! Another one to be aware of is coax- in my area they don't even accept it, so it doesn't make sense to waste time picking it up. It truly varies by the types of wire (and there are lots of types) and the city you are scrapping in. Also, you will want to make sure that scrap yards in your area will accept wire that has been stripped (also known as bare bright copper). Many places won't accept it unless you have a business license, so ask in advance in order to avoid wasting a lot of time for nothing.

[Contradiction]

Thank you, Mr. Steve.

[CrazyTom]

This is a cool thread because it looks like something I could do. How do you keep from getting killed by the cars driving by?

How much metal do I need to collect to go to the recycler?

I ride nice and early to avoid the cars.

The metal I get on the road is just for fun and extras. I get much more from my job and it all goes in the same pot.

As for the recycler, you need to cover more than gas at the minimum.

[CrazyTom]

15 oz cans
2 lb 3 oz steel
1 oz tire weights

3 quarters
1 dime
1 nickel
11 pennies

6 golf balls



2018 totals

4 lb 10 oz cans
34 lb 8 oz steel
1 lb 2 oz tire weights
1 oz copper
6 lb 7 oz aluminum

$7.88 cash

1 cell phone

14 golf balls

[Robarons]

Keep these posts coming- always fun to read the updates

[CrazyTom]

A little Yankee Doodle free metal and coins.

8 oz cans
12 oz steel

1 quarter
3 dimes
7 pennies


2018 totals

5 lb 2 oz cans
35 lb 4 oz steel
1 lb 2 oz tire weights
1 oz copper
6 lb 7 oz aluminum

$8.50 cash

1 cell phone

14 golf balls

[CrazyTom]

10 oz cans
8 oz brass
6 lb steel
2 oz tire weights

1 quarter
1 dime
3 nickels
5 pennies

1 golf ball



2018 totals

5 lb 12 oz cans
41 lb 4 oz steel
1 lb 4 oz tire weights
9 oz copper/brass
6 lb 7 oz aluminum

$9.05 cash

1 cell phone

15 golf balls

[Recyclersteve]

Hey Tom:

I can't remember if you said you live in the U.S. or Canada, but have you ever thought about the Adopt A Highway program? You could adopt a mile of highway (at least in the U.S.- not sure about Canada) and have your name on a sign. Then you are the one who has the responsibility of picking up the litter for that stretch of road. I'm pretty sure they provide free bags for you and a safety vest to wear while you are out walking around.